Alternative Energy

Alternative energy news, and information about renewable energy technologies.

Oct 14

Candle Powered Heater

Posted in Energy Inventions | Geothermal Energy

Candle Heater A Northern California inventor has created an attractive tabletop heater that adds meaningful heat into home or office powered by a single candle. This functional and creative device consists of a multi-core steel and ceramic radiator suspended above the candle on an artistic naturally finished steel frame. The rising heat of the candle is captured and concentrated in the radiator assembly by a central solid steel core. After 20-30 minutes the outer ceramic surface radiates the captured thermal energy into home or office.

» Source: Heat Stick

The solidly compact design (smaller than a Coleman lantern) adds meaningfully to your space heating requirements because it is always on, not cycling on and off like a furnace. The heat transfer is constant as long as the candle flame is centered under the steel inner core. Another bonus is that the soot associated with burning candles is captured in the interstices of the radiator assembly and is easily brushed or vacuumed out.

J.O. of New York State had this to say: I am happy to report that the heater works as advertised. I had it on for about three hours last night . . . the room temperature had risen about 3 degrees (higher) than the rest of the house. The unit felt very warm to the touch and gave out warm ambient light with reduced candle soot odor. Kids loved it too and we spent the evening with all other lights out . . . Keep up the good work.

The Kandle Heeter Candle Holder is priced at $25.95 and available from the manufacturer at www.heatstick.com. The website is very informative with lots of pictures, testimonials, explanations, and informative mini video clips. This simple low-tech solution to space heating in a small environment has real potential to impact lives and the planet in an energy positive way. Certainly if you burn candles for ambiance it is a no-brainer and if you have been using an electric heater for spot heating, but it is really just a bit too warm, you can burn a candle instead and cut that power bill significantly. And if the lights (and furnace) should go out one dark and stormy night we can cozy up in front of the fire and stay a little warmer in the candlelight together.

Luciano G. Gayton

Hydrogen fuel is ready for all combustion chambers lawn mowers, tractor trailer rig, … boilers.

Industry will not pay for cheap conversion. Cheaper to let everybody die in the pollution extinction with the 95% kill rate. That is all life breathing OXYGEN OR CARBON DIOXIDE. Even roaches, ants, and plants, all gone.

Everyone seems to be afraid to chose life.

All hydro carbon burning must stop. Biodiesel, biofuels, ethanol, people, forest, lp gas, gasoline, diesel, …
Mike Smith

This device won’t make your room any warmer than just using a candle alone: All the energy from the candle is already turned into heat (besides any light from the candle escaping out the window). The only thing this might do is ‘catch soot’?
p-diddy

You’re wrong mike smith. Don’t be a playa hater. Air is a bad conductor of heat and does not hold heat for long. Where as metal and ceramic does.
Joyusnoise

Tried it cause I had the Parts. After approx 30 min. of burn time I was not able to pick up the heater from the pot section with my bare hands without discomfort (very warm) seems to work OK! I suspect I’ll need back up for those Canadian winters :o) But it’s thinking in the right direction.
Kristo

I find Mike was right. Although there is a bit of a difference to a candle. These ideas are mostly not my own, though.

1. All the energy comes from the candle, but because it warms up slowly, could it be that it kind of gives the energy in a packet?

2. Now the smoke won’t rise straight up to the ceiling. Eventually it will, but around the set it might warm air up better than a candle would.

Considering overall heat energy in the room, this thing does not differ from a candle. To diddy: heat-storing substances do not heat air more than just the candle. They just do it slowly. That’s why fireplaces are made of bricks. You don’t want the room in 70 Celsius right away.
Bob Christianson

It is great seeing all of the responses from folks with different idea about what will work and what will not.

I live completely off grid in an insulated concrete home (extremely efficient)and after purchasing and using this heater for several days with several different candles, I never found any appreciable heat radiating from the unit. I followed the instructions to the letter so unless there is some problem with the unit (I cannot imagine what that could be) my conclusion is that it does not work for me as advertised.

To be fair, the unit did get warm to the touch but not hot.

Being energy conscious, I had high hopes that this would work as an efficient space heater but my humble opinion is that it is yet another gimmick similar to the fuel savings devices I have purchased in the past with all of the extraordinary claims.

I truly hope that others who have bought this unit have more positive results to report.

Bob in the high desert of Arizona
Tim

Yes, great idea for use in a small space such as a camping tent. But I wonder if it would be safe or would the candle use too much oxygen?
ralph marlow

A cigarette gets hot too, but a light bulb is much safer, better light too. Houses have burned close to me from candles. So there is certainly a safety issue.
Time would be better spent finding where to insulate better. A light bulb may cost a little more but peace of mind about the house burning down is worth something.