Anybody have experience with the old Coleman catalytic heaters?

[Mike]

I have been trying out some old Coleman Catalytic heaters. They use liquid fuel - ideally Coleman fuel, but supposedly unleaded automotive gasoline works too.

The first couple just won't work. After the flame goes out, the heat stops. I assume that someone might have used leaded gasoline or some other inappropriate fuel somewhere in their nearly 50 year history and ruined the catalytic converter.

One of the heaters I recently purchased actually DOES work. It is great to put under your chair outside when it is chilly.

The original box says that you can use these catalytic heaters inside tents.

Does anybody here have any real life experience with these? Have you ever used one inside of a tents?

Any hints on how to make the "broken" heaters work? There aren't any moving parts,

[wildbill]

Re: Anybody have experience with the old Coleman catalytic heaters?

I used one of those inside a full size van 40 years ago sleeping in the van deer hunting. It worked and put out a lot of heat but everything smelled like coleman fuel after a week. I'd have a little ventilation in the tent if I were using it. Don't have any idea about how to fix one. I use a propane Buddy heater now.

[Mike]

Re: Anybody have experience with the old Coleman catalytic heaters?

Thanks, WildBill. I am now burning white gas mixed with carburetor / fuel injector cleaner in hopes that it might work.

One thing I do find fascinating is that by using the carburetor cleaner, much of the black suet that was on the screen and dome is now gone and the original white dome fabric is white again. This speaks well of carburetor cleaning fluids.

[wildbill]

Re: Anybody have experience with the old Coleman catalytic heaters?

Yup a little carburetor cleaner in unleaded gas worked fine for me in all Coleman stoves and lanterns for me over the years. It keeps the generators from clogging as fast as they will with straight gas. The new dual fuel appliances work great on just unleaded gasoline.

[Mike]

Re: Anybody have experience with the old Coleman catalytic heaters?

Yup a little carburetor cleaner in unleaded gas worked fine for me in all Coleman stoves and lanterns for me over the years. It keeps the generators from clogging as fast as they will with straight gas. The new dual fuel appliances work great on just unleaded gasoline.

Hey, WildBill, have you used automotive gasoline with carburetor cleaner in the old Coleman lanterns and stoves? Not the Duel Fuel lanterns and stoves, but the old school stuff? If it works without gumming up the internals of the Coleman equipment, that would sure be a savings in fuel because I camp a lot and go through a gallon of Coleman fuel every couple of weeks or so.

If you have done this, what ratio of automotive fuel to carburetor cleaner works best?

[Bigdog57]

Re: Anybody have experience with the old Coleman catalytic heaters?

My dad had one of the Coleman Catalytic Heaters in my childhood, and we did use it in our big canvas family tent - I do recall the fuel smell too, but it wasn't strong or objectionable. We had a gas heater in the house at the time, unvented, so we considered a bit of fuel smell normal.
I also well remember sleeping on my cot as a youngster, and the corner on the nylon-bottomed sleeping bag touching the heater and getting singed and partly melted - could have been much worse...... these heaters definitely need some clear space around them. They get HOT!
I like my current Buddy Jr. heater a lot better - but it only lasts three hours on 'high' with the one-pound propane cartridge.

[wildbill]

Re: Anybody have experience with the old Coleman catalytic heaters?

It wasn't an exact mixture. I'd just put a cap full or so of the liquid carb/fuel sytem cleaner you add to your gas tank to a gallon of unleaded gas. I sometimes just used straight gasoline. The savings are far more than the cost of replacing the generator occasionally. Now this is with lanterns and stoves. I don't know how it would work out with those old heaters.

[Mike]

Re: Anybody have experience with the old Coleman catalytic heaters?

It wasn't an exact mixture. I'd just put a cap full or so of the liquid carb/fuel sytem cleaner you add to your gas tank to a gallon of unleaded gas. I sometimes just used straight gasoline. The savings are far more than the cost of replacing the generator occasionally. Now this is with lanterns and stoves. I don't know how it would work out with those old heaters.

I think you may be correct WildBill. generators are $10.00 and Coleman fuel is $10.00/gallon or more. So, if you can run, say four or five gallons of automotive unleaded gas mixed with some carb cleaner, and then replace the generator, you would certainly come out ahead for lanterns.

You know, I am thinking that stoves might even be better at running unleaded gas with a bit of carb cleaner. The reason is that the piping and "generator" of stoves is a lot bigger diameter than lanterns and it might even be possible to clean out a Coleman stove generator with spray carb cleaner if you had too.

Hmmm....

[wildbill]

Re: Anybody have experience with the old Coleman catalytic heaters?

Give it a whirl. The most you can lose is a generator. I think you will be hooked on unleaded gas for most Colman appliances. I know I haven't bought Coleman fuel in many decades! I find the lanterns and stoves using gas a lot cheaper to run than say propane equivalents. Little more messy and trouble to fill but cheaper and I just like them.