Filed under: Uncategorized
My Trash/Salvage-Built Micro Vegetable Oil Heater
I’ve gotten a TON of emails from Episode #2 of my youtube show “Tiny Yellow House”, concerning the trash-built vegetable oil heater/woodstove alternative, in my little salvage-contructed cabin. Truth be told, we planned on shooting the heater in greater detail, but time and funds ran out (if you want to sponsor us, email me kidcedar@gmail.com, our two episodes have reached over TWENTY ONE THOUSAND people in only five weeks).
MacGuyver Style! Three Coffee Cans, And Old Frying Pan, One Dryer Duct, a Busted Cymbal, and you've got yourself a cabin heater!
    Anyway, this sketch was to be (and still will be) part of my in-the-works follow up to the book “Humble Homes, Simple Shacks…”, but since so many have asked for info, I’m posting it prematurely online, in hopes that it will help answer any questions. Also, for anyone who orders my micro-housing book (see the lefthand column), I’ll give you a copy of the heater-diagram, and perhaps some other unreleased mini-housing sketches/plans. Just be sure to ask/remind me.
Also- the heater will be yacked about in MUCH greater detail later this week on Kent Griswold’s http://www.tinyhouseblog.com, where I’ve been invited to be a guest blogger/author. Thanks Kent!
-Deek
9 Comments so far
Leave a comment
Relaxshax's Blog 
awesome videos, and fun to watch.
Comment by Kearns May 3, 2010 @ 2:50 ammaybe some how to videos?
anyways I think you’re on the road to awesomeness!
-Kearns
thanks so much! More on the way….
Comment by relaxshax May 4, 2010 @ 2:26 pmThanks Deek! This is awesome!
Comment by Red Icculus May 4, 2010 @ 3:57 amHow much heat does it put out? Looks cool.
Comment by Solar Burrito May 4, 2010 @ 3:41 pmIt works on the same principle as the old uncandles sold in the 1970s. You are probably too young to remember them. They consisted of glass containers with a separate disc that held a short length of wick. To use, you could fill the containers with water then pour cooking oil to a depth of about a half an inch deep. Float the disc with the wick on top. When the oil burned off or the container was jostled, the water would automatically snuff the flame. I dug my vintage ones out during the big ice storm a couple of winters ago to provide light and some heat while the power was out. I’m sure yours works much better as a heat source because of the multiple wicks. And of course you have an exhaust pipe so any toxins can escape. Smart idea!
Comment by Lisa May 5, 2010 @ 1:19 pmthanks for the info, lisa!
Comment by kellicox January 9, 2011 @ 4:36 pmDoes the cymbal serve any purpose in the construction of this heater? Very Cool.
Comment by Chris Moreau October 23, 2010 @ 6:13 pmits a mini heat reflecting shield…..lol….
Comment by relaxshax November 6, 2010 @ 8:52 amjust looked at the coffee can heater…associate volunteer susan says: “it’s not a real heater, it’s a “cymbolic” heater!” lol!
Comment by kellicox January 9, 2011 @ 4:34 pm