I have seen on other videos to raise the pot up a bit to allow oxygen under it to push the heat out more of the hole... And it keeps the pot from getting too hot and cause a fire. Always Always put your stuff on top of a fire proof mat... 😉👍
I tested the UCO 3 candle lantern in a small tear drop camper. I also put the same butane heat trap on top of it and added a small self powered fan. It makes a world of difference. 1 candle = 1 body. Two adults + 1 dog + 3 candles will definitely take out the chill.
@@WandaonWheels-ej9rq - I've seen this done years ago. I also make candles for emergency light with shortening and bees wax candles (got a bunch of them off amazon).
@@WandaonWheels-ej9rq You need UCO or compatible shaped candle. You cannot burn lard in them. I use votive candles since they are readily available. I'll give the lard a try too, thanks!
Nicely done Wanda! I have a feeling This is a very useful, important, timeless video. For winter car camping or handy during rainy summer days,by simply adding your own twist with the cup or pot warmer. Just brilliant as usual, thank you for sharing!👸🏼💪🏼🫶🏼😘
Bravo! I remember seeing a Bob Wells demo using a can of Crisco. I much prefer your straight forward version using a terra cotta pot and tin elbow. Looking forward to trying this. How simple and easy, right? Thank you!😀👏
Great ideas, Wanda 👍! I've been wanting to try out my new set-up in the back of my Hyundai, but it's been really cold. As much as I'd like to try out these ways to keep warm at night, falling asleep with a candle burning isn't advisable in a van or even in a house. I might have to just land up buying a portable power source for my electric blanket. If that works out, it could be the start of some new overnight adventures for me 🏕!
Thank you , and yes you should NEVER burn a candle over night. Once you're in your sleeping bag, you don't need to hear the air. My son slept in a tent with no heat up to minus 40 during his cadet years. I think a good sleeping bag is a must. I have a 12 volt electric throw that I use to warm up the bed at night. I don't leave it on, just to warm it up. I am going to do a video soon of the way I would keep from freezing to death while winter camping. 😊😊
Nice, thanks wondering about a larger strawberry planter terra cotta and a whole crisco container,wonder if it would put out a lot of heat or would it be lost with the holes?
Good video! I am always interested in seeing how creative people adapt the long burn "Crisco candle" for heat and light. Making a small gap around the bottom of the terra cotta pot will help create a chimney effect. The candle will burn more efficiently, but more importantly, the rising air in the pot/pipe combination will make the air flow stronger and spread the heat better into the room. Also less chance of smothering the candle if gases from combustion build up under the pot. It seems you don't have that issue but it does happen in the more enclosed systems.
@alana7228 I didn't create a gap underneath , never thought of it. The candle burned for 8 hours without going out. I will test the other way and see how it works.
@@alana7228 Given that Wanda ran it without a gap it must be getting sufficient air to keep combustion going (that surprised me but the Crisco must have burned pretty clean). The pot has a good diameter so it would not take a lot of gap to equal a pretty big total opening around the entire rim. For example, an 8 inch pot rim has a diameter of just over 25 inches. If you were to raise that pot rim just 1/4 inch, that gap would open up to (round numbers) 25 inches divided by 4 (1/4), so a total opening of 6,25 square inches. It adds up fast! I would think anything non-flammable and stable would work. Three metal lids off jars, three tabs of folded tin foil, some stacked quarters (raises the cost of the build so maybe some big nuts or washers lol). It probably doesn't get too hot at the bottom rim that you couldn't use a couple of chopsticks across there under it but safety first. Something to test. Once the heater warms up it should create a pretty good little chimney and air should start moving. Only so much energy in the system, so can't expect it to start blowing like a fan, but this is all down to getting the most out of a cheap and simple build. Some experimentation with the gap to see what works best is in order but fun project with benefits.
Last week all of the parrafin in my tea light/terra cotta pot heater burst into wickless flame, filling my kitchen with acrid smoke. No matter how carefully I tried I couldn't put the fire out using my fiberglass fire blanket... it was still getting enough oxygen to keep burning. The terra cotta pot was too hot and too awkwardly heavy to remove it so I could dump baking soda on the burning paraffin without risking spilling the fire out of the pan. I finally put on oven gloves and ever so carefully carried the whole thing outside... baking pan, tea lights, wire rack, terra cotta pot, and fire blanket all together. The baking pan the heater was set up in contained the burning paraffin but the pan was so hot I was concerned about burning the floor under it... and the smoke was awful.
Wow, I am so sorry to hear this, I never heard of this happening before ....what do you think caused it. I did not know the wax could burn without a wick. The only thing I can think of is it was a flash fire from high heat and smoke. I did some fire related training during my investigation courses. . at least you got it under control .
@WandaonWheels-ej9rq It definitely got good and hot whenever I used it. Maybe too hot. Maybe my fault because I used a handful of graduated sizes smaller terra cotta pots under the one large one? Increasing the mass of terra cotta over the tea lights increased the heat retained, as did having a metal disk over the hole in the large pot. Enough heat, apparently, to directly combust the paraffin. It was a darkly smoky fire. Terribly acrid. Until I finish getting my old Class B motorhome repaired to road-safe, I live in a 160+-year-old wooden house with serious potential for catastrophe in a fire situation. High electric bill or no, I decided it was time to switch from the little DIY heater to the space heaters I normally use throughout the winter.
@@kathrynarnold1966 I think you're probably right about the terra cotta pots. The terra cotta pot, from my experience, does nothing except keep in the heat. The theory seems to be that it will radiate heat. It doesn't. Maybe there's some radiation after the candle is extinguished, but that can't be much.
A shortening (ANIMAL FAT!) candle can also go (w/o elbow or plant pot) in a sand battery heater like I use, with a band of copper inserted in the sand to best distribute heat. At the top there's a sort of Kansas City arch under which the flame goes. If you wanted to make a 3-4 day candle just put it on top of a sand bed in your metal container until you reach the point where the flame will be only about a half inch below the copper arch. I use carbon felt to cut a wick. Then you've got about a half week of heat w/o having to change out fuel sources all the time. If you can't find an antique kerosene heater as I did for a sand battery heater body, you can still stack several metal buckets to hold your sand, with the bottom cut out of each except the one at the bottom of the stack. That's cheaper than buying a section of stove pipe to make a sand holder of desired height. Instead of official metal buckets you could also use those extra large food cans. Or small ones depending on how much heat you're trying to produce for how long. If you put it in another thing like my antique kerosene heater for stability though, just remember to punch/drill air holes around that. I like my choice however bc it's small enough to easily pick up and move (until filled with a sand container & flame) but not too easily knocked over by pets or kids or careless adults. And I can carry it outdoors if desired and use wood pellets a few at a time to cook on the flat top. Just remember wood pellets burn hotter than most fuel so use them sparingly, and they do require ventilation for safety.
A chilly day inside a small tent it would make a small difference but not much beyond those circumstances. Or in a car it would help out as well. Warming your hands while being properly dressed in a closed in wind blocked environment makes a big difference.
I did this but you must be careful because my candle wax got so hot in an enclosed area it caught fire it freaked me out and I tried to put it out and knocked it and the candle hit my lap and gave me serious burn marks on my leg I had for 2 years. wax everywhere. Don’t put water on the fire because it’ll explode.
Another person said their candle wax had caught fire as well. I wonder if it's due to the smoke coming from itself...sometimes this can cause a flash fire. I have been using a device like this for 30 years and have never had anything happen, thank God. A person should always be prepared for a fire whether at home or in a van. Fire blankets are fairly cheap. I carry a fire extinguisher.
Just a few months ago I was trying to melt the hardened wax left in a fancy shot glass, that I was using for a candle holder and it arced the microwave, and had to replace it, just a heads up it possibly had lead in it.
This will not create any huge spike in the temperature . It could be used as an emergency setting to take the chill out. If this were the only thing being used , maybe two would be wiser. Some people have no heat at all in their vans and this would be good to warm up your hands , keep your coffee warm etc. You could also point the pipe towards you with a cheap reflective sheet over your shoulders to warm yourself. This ideal has been around for years. People should always carry some tea candles and a lighter when travelling in the winter. I hope this explanation helps . ❤️😊
Be careful to have heat resistance under plate. The new cheap shelves, like walmart add a shelf, have very low burn point. We had the plate under the candle get hot enough to melt the shelf so the candle fell thru and caused a fire. The plate layer you added is important.
@@whydontyouaskme Thanks. Plastic shelf melted from the heat of the glass holding the candle. Quite low. Glass wasn't enough protection, needed plate under glass above shelf. Trying to say low melt point of the plastic.
I agree that everyone in a place where you are using candles , propane , butane to have a detector. It's also to keep your window down a notch and use common sense.
I just read a little more regarding this and have updated the description. When it comes to a choice of what to burn , lard and beeswax are the safest. How they still give off some carbon monoxide . It's always important to use common sense when it comes to living in a tiny van like mine. I would have this burning while sleeping , and always use a detector.
I have seen on other videos to raise the pot up a bit to allow oxygen under it to push the heat out more of the hole... And it keeps the pot from getting too hot and cause a fire.
Always Always put your stuff on top of a fire proof mat... 😉👍
I have not raised the pot myself, but many have suggested it.
Wow look at you little miss McGyver. That was really cool. Thank you.
Lol, That comes from living alone for 20 year...😊😊
I knew about the terra cotta pot for heat but never knew about the pipe elbow...cool....thanks :)
Your welcome 😊
I tested the UCO 3 candle lantern in a small tear drop camper. I also put the same butane heat trap on top of it and added a small self powered fan. It makes a world of difference. 1 candle = 1 body. Two adults + 1 dog + 3 candles will definitely take out the chill.
Thanks , It's the first time I saw this. What type of candle does it burn, can you burn the lard in it?
That's interesting. I would have thought you'd need fewer candles the more bodies you have in the space.
@@WandaonWheels-ej9rq - I've seen this done years ago. I also make candles for emergency light with shortening and bees wax candles (got a bunch of them off amazon).
@@WandaonWheels-ej9rq You need UCO or compatible shaped candle. You cannot burn lard in them. I use votive candles since they are readily available. I'll give the lard a try too, thanks!
@@krsa345 and with two teens, ya don’t even need the candle. Ah, the good ole days. //ro
Thank you for keeping it short I don't watch longer than five minutes. Appreciate the timely topic it just snowed here. 😮
Hi, I am trying to keep my videos to the point. However this is hard for me as I like to talk 😊😊😊😊
Nicely done Wanda! I have a feeling This is a very useful, important, timeless video. For winter car camping or handy during rainy summer days,by simply adding your own twist with the cup or pot warmer. Just brilliant as usual, thank you for sharing!👸🏼💪🏼🫶🏼😘
Thank you Doris ❤️❤️
@WandaonWheels-ej9rq 🫶🏼
Great idea, especially for my small rv. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you and you're very welcome 😊
Bravo! I remember seeing a Bob Wells demo using a can of Crisco. I much prefer your straight forward version using a terra cotta pot and tin elbow. Looking forward to trying this. How simple and easy, right? Thank you!😀👏
Thank you , You're very welcome 😊😊
Great ideas, Wanda 👍! I've been wanting to try out my new set-up in the back of my Hyundai, but it's been really cold. As much as I'd like to try out these ways to keep warm at night, falling asleep with a candle burning isn't advisable in a van or even in a house. I might have to just land up buying a portable power source for my electric blanket. If that works out, it could be the start of some new overnight adventures for me 🏕!
Thank you , and yes you should NEVER burn a candle over night. Once you're in your sleeping bag, you don't need to hear the air. My son slept in a tent with no heat up to minus 40 during his cadet years. I think a good sleeping bag is a must. I have a 12 volt electric throw that I use to warm up the bed at night. I don't leave it on, just to warm it up. I am going to do a video soon of the way I would keep from freezing to death while winter camping. 😊😊
Looking forward to this video, Wanda.😊
I’m searching for a video you may have done on that beautiful “fireplace” stove you have in some of your backgrounds.
Hi, Here is the link for it
th-cam.com/video/_fmRlvLUEtw/w-d-xo.html
Thank you, Wanda. Very well done. ❤️
You are very welcome 😊🍪❤️
Nice, thanks wondering about a larger strawberry planter terra cotta and a whole crisco container,wonder if it would put out a lot of heat or would it be lost with the holes?
Good video! I am always interested in seeing how creative people adapt the long burn
"Crisco candle" for heat and light. Making a small gap around the bottom of the terra cotta pot will help create a chimney effect. The candle will burn more efficiently, but more importantly, the rising air in the pot/pipe combination will make the air flow stronger and spread the heat better into the room. Also less chance of smothering the candle if gases from combustion build up under the pot. It seems you don't have that issue but it does happen in the more enclosed systems.
Thanks I will have to test this 😊😊
@alana7228 I didn't create a gap underneath , never thought of it. The candle burned for 8 hours without going out. I will test the other way and see how it works.
@@WandaonWheels-ej9rq Sorry Wanda, this msg was meant for @antiquegeek.
@@antiquegeek Great info. What did you use to create this gap, and does the pot size dictate size of gap... or am I just overthinking this?😁
@@alana7228 Given that Wanda ran it without a gap it must be getting sufficient air to keep combustion going (that surprised me but the Crisco must have burned pretty clean). The pot has a good diameter so it would not take a lot of gap to equal a pretty big total opening around the entire rim. For example, an 8 inch pot rim has a diameter of just over 25 inches. If you were to raise that pot rim just 1/4 inch, that gap would open up to (round numbers) 25 inches divided by 4 (1/4), so a total opening of 6,25 square inches. It adds up fast! I would think anything non-flammable and stable would work. Three metal lids off jars, three tabs of folded tin foil, some stacked quarters (raises the cost of the build so maybe some big nuts or washers lol). It probably doesn't get too hot at the bottom rim that you couldn't use a couple of chopsticks across there under it but safety first. Something to test. Once the heater warms up it should create a pretty good little chimney and air should start moving. Only so much energy in the system, so can't expect it to start blowing like a fan, but this is all down to getting the most out of a cheap and simple build. Some experimentation with the gap to see what works best is in order but fun project with benefits.
Last week all of the parrafin in my tea light/terra cotta pot heater burst into wickless flame, filling my kitchen with acrid smoke. No matter how carefully I tried I couldn't put the fire out using my fiberglass fire blanket... it was still getting enough oxygen to keep burning. The terra cotta pot was too hot and too awkwardly heavy to remove it so I could dump baking soda on the burning paraffin without risking spilling the fire out of the pan. I finally put on oven gloves and ever so carefully carried the whole thing outside... baking pan, tea lights, wire rack, terra cotta pot, and fire blanket all together. The baking pan the heater was set up in contained the burning paraffin but the pan was so hot I was concerned about burning the floor under it... and the smoke was awful.
Wow, I am so sorry to hear this, I never heard of this happening before ....what do you think caused it. I did not know the wax could burn without a wick. The only thing I can think of is it was a flash fire from high heat and smoke. I did some fire related training during my investigation courses. . at least you got it under control .
@WandaonWheels-ej9rq It definitely got good and hot whenever I used it. Maybe too hot. Maybe my fault because I used a handful of graduated sizes smaller terra cotta pots under the one large one? Increasing the mass of terra cotta over the tea lights increased the heat retained, as did having a metal disk over the hole in the large pot. Enough heat, apparently, to directly combust the paraffin. It was a darkly smoky fire. Terribly acrid. Until I finish getting my old Class B motorhome repaired to road-safe, I live in a 160+-year-old wooden house with serious potential for catastrophe in a fire situation. High electric bill or no, I decided it was time to switch from the little DIY heater to the space heaters I normally use throughout the winter.
Thank God you're safe and didn't burn your home down, very scary.
@WandaonWheels-ej9rq My sentiments exactly!
@@kathrynarnold1966 I think you're probably right about the terra cotta pots. The terra cotta pot, from my experience, does nothing except keep in the heat. The theory seems to be that it will radiate heat. It doesn't. Maybe there's some radiation after the candle is extinguished, but that can't be much.
A shortening (ANIMAL FAT!) candle can also go (w/o elbow or plant pot) in a sand battery heater like I use, with a band of copper inserted in the sand to best distribute heat. At the top there's a sort of Kansas City arch under which the flame goes. If you wanted to make a 3-4 day candle just put it on top of a sand bed in your metal container until you reach the point where the flame will be only about a half inch below the copper arch. I use carbon felt to cut a wick. Then you've got about a half week of heat w/o having to change out fuel sources all the time.
If you can't find an antique kerosene heater as I did for a sand battery heater body, you can still stack several metal buckets to hold your sand, with the bottom cut out of each except the one at the bottom of the stack. That's cheaper than buying a section of stove pipe to make a sand holder of desired height. Instead of official metal buckets you could also use those extra large food cans. Or small ones depending on how much heat you're trying to produce for how long. If you put it in another thing like my antique kerosene heater for stability though, just remember to punch/drill air holes around that. I like my choice however bc it's small enough to easily pick up and move (until filled with a sand container & flame) but not too easily knocked over by pets or kids or careless adults. And I can carry it outdoors if desired and use wood pellets a few at a time to cook on the flat top. Just remember wood pellets burn hotter than most fuel so use them sparingly, and they do require ventilation for safety.
Thank you for all the tips 😊
I demand you do a video pls
A chilly day inside a small tent it would make a small difference but not much beyond those circumstances. Or in a car it would help out as well. Warming your hands while being properly dressed in a closed in wind blocked environment makes a big difference.
Yes, when you have no heat at all it will help a little, however the idea is always keep the body warm in that situation..
I did this but you must be careful because my candle wax got so hot in an enclosed area it caught fire it freaked me out and I tried to put it out and knocked it and the candle hit my lap and gave me serious burn marks on my leg I had for 2 years. wax everywhere. Don’t put water on the fire because it’ll explode.
Another person said their candle wax had caught fire as well. I wonder if it's due to the smoke coming from itself...sometimes this can cause a flash fire. I have been using a device like this for 30 years and have never had anything happen, thank God. A person should always be prepared for a fire whether at home or in a van. Fire blankets are fairly cheap. I carry a fire extinguisher.
Nice tip. Good video. Straight to the point, no slow parts. Do you need the foil over the terra Cotta?
Hi Thank you..I don't think you need the foil over the pot...I just thought it looked prettier. 😊😊
@WandaonWheels-ej9rq . Oh, ok. And it does! Thanks for replying. That was nice.
You are a great ☺️
Thank you 😊😊
Just a few months ago I was trying to melt the hardened wax left in a fancy shot glass, that I was using for a candle holder and it arced the microwave, and had to replace it, just a heads up it possibly had lead in it.
I would never recommend using lead in a candle holder, thank you for the warning.
How much difference temperature wise does this kind of set up make? Seems fine if it's 50 degrees out....but not 5 degrees like in MN.
This will not create any huge spike in the temperature . It could be used as an emergency setting to take the chill out. If this were the only thing being used , maybe two would be wiser. Some people have no heat at all in their vans and this would be good to warm up your hands , keep your coffee warm etc. You could also point the pipe towards you with a cheap reflective sheet over your shoulders to warm yourself. This ideal has been around for years. People should always carry some tea candles and a lighter when travelling in the winter. I hope this explanation helps . ❤️😊
Is the terracotta pot covered with foil???
Hi, It is covered with foil tape, it's just for looks..if you don't have tape, you can use foil. 😊
Be careful to have heat resistance under plate. The new cheap shelves, like walmart add a shelf, have very low burn point. We had the plate under the candle get hot enough to melt the shelf so the candle fell thru and caused a fire. The plate layer you added is important.
Absolutely, a plate underneath is important ...any fire safe plate will do.
I know you meant high temperature point.
Not low burn point which isn’t even a term any has ever used
@@whydontyouaskme where did I say that? I am confused about your comment .
@@whydontyouaskme Thanks. Plastic shelf melted from the heat of the glass holding the candle. Quite low. Glass wasn't enough protection, needed plate under glass above shelf. Trying to say low melt point of the plastic.
So if you had to leave suddenly, how would you put that out?
You would just blow it out or cover the hole at the top
MAKE SURE you have a Carbon Monoxide detector near this!!
"Burning stuff" in a VERY enclosed space is NOT a good idea.
I agree that everyone in a place where you are using candles , propane , butane to have a detector. It's also to keep your window down a notch and use common sense.
Smart!
Wouldn’t it still admit carbon monoxide?
I just read a little more regarding this and have updated the description. When it comes to a choice of what to burn , lard and beeswax are the safest. How they still give off some carbon monoxide . It's always important to use common sense when it comes to living in a tiny van like mine. I would have this burning while sleeping , and always use a detector.
Vegans are not going to like this Wanda. //ro
Lol
I am part Vegan lol
@ Wanda, I think we all are. Best to your family and happy holidays. //ro
please be careful with long hair
I agree ,,😊