How To Heat Up Your Room Using Just a Candle: Kandle Heeter!
Doyle Doss, a Northern California Inventor, has created a candle powered space heater. It sounds like science fiction, but it really is a simple and green energy device, that could save you a lot of money by only lighting a candle, in the long run. The CO2 output of a candle is too small to mention, and the materials that this device is made of are all here since the Earth exists.
This heater is a multi-core steel and ceramic radiator assembly, suspended above the candle on a solid steel stand. The radiator absorbs and concentrates the thermal energy of the candle and converts it into dry radiant space heat. If you burn candles, now you can add their heat to your home or office. There is also an “electric candle” option that uses a 60 watt quartz halogen lamp; that works out to about 6 cents for 10 hours of “burn” time.
“Steel has the ability to approach the temperature of its heat source,” says the inventor, “so the solid steel inner core will go as high 550° Fahrenheit. That high inner temperature is mitigated to a very warm 160° to 180° on the outer surface. As long as the candle remains under the steel the surface is constantly emitting dry radiant heat.”
The simple elegant design has no moving parts. The unglazed terra cotta is nicely complemented by the natural finish on the solid steel stand. The overall appearance is at once very striking, unusual and definitely organic.
What’s new for 2008 is an “electric candle” option that takes advantage of the fact that 90% of the energy that goes into an incandescent lamp is “wasted” as heat. “We take the waste heat of an incandescent lamp and pump it into the radiator assembly. If the electric energy is coming from a renewable source then the use is green and sustainable,” says Mr. Doss. This is very efficient and inexpensive way to add a bit of heat to an otherwise cold room.
The electric candle is pictured below:
The Kandle Heeter™ Candle Holder is available on their website, http://heatstick.com/_KanHeet01.htm, for $29.95. It is definitely an excellent gift for a candle loving, green optimistic friend.
Rate this article:
Do you have $10 ?
Nov 8th, 2008 at 11:48 pm
Clearly ideal for folks with no understanding of physics or thermodynamics whatsoever…
FWIW, ALL the heat from the candle ends up in the room with or without the decorative ceramic junk over the top of it. All this gadget does is trap some of that heat closer to the candle where you can notice the ceramic getting hot. It can not and does not increase the efficiency of heat production, heat transfer to the room, or the final temperature of the room. That is, it does nothing at all of interest or value. It does add a certain flowerpot and junk decorative aspect, if you like that sort of thing… and it will tell all your brighter friends that you are clueless about physics and heat.
Nov 9th, 2008 at 9:09 am
Hey,
nobody said it would produce MORE heat than a simple candle! We aren’t stupid:). It’s about the energy density in the candle’s area. The hot air from the simple candle would immediately rise to the top of the room, while retaining some of it into those pots would keep the area warmer. I know, if you report to the room as a whole, it’s the same thing, but not if you think locally…
Respect,
Ovidiu.
Nov 14th, 2008 at 2:24 am
I get that comment pretty often from those who have never been around fire heating systems. They become so focused on the “physics” that they lose sight of the practical. A candle creates an invisible chimney — put your hand above a candle flame — that very hot air is rising straight to the ceiling, and then out of the room. Oh sure, it is still in the room, but who lives on the ceiling?
What the radiator assembly does is short stop the heat rise and concentrate the thermal energy into a solid piece of steel, this becomes an active heat sink that is constantly radiating into the surrounding ceramics. I know Mr. Know-It-All dosen’t get it, but this thing really does work to keep real usable space heat at human level. Well over a 1,000 are out there, and orders still come in.
Doyle
Dec 14th, 2008 at 5:30 am
How you stop the soot from getting on curtains, etc.? I know a lot of it goes up into the pots, but enough escapes to leave things sooty.
Dec 15th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
Excessive Soot
Soot is a byproduct of incomplete combustion (the candle is “burning badly.”) Excessive soot production in a Kandle Heeter™ Candle Holder has three main causes, any one of which can cause excessive soot, and in combination lots of excessive soot. The three main causes are low-grade (or impure) wax, lack of oxygen, and poor quality of wick (which results in the flame being too “large.”) The most common cause is lack of oxygen, and this is usually the result of having the candle in a container where the lip of the container is too close to the radiator assembly.
There is a lot of heat being generated inside the radiator assembly, and this creates an “air flow” within the radiator and downward from the radiator. The downward flow of air will retard the flow of room air to the candle flame if the lip of the container holding the candle is too close to the radiator assembly. Simply put, fresh room air cannot reach the flame of the candle because the container is too close to the radiator. There needs to be at least an inch and a half between the top of the container and the radiator assembly.
Low grade wax does not burn well under any circumstances. And wax with “impurities” also does not burn well. “Impurities” are anything left in the wax from the refining process or agents added to the wax by the manufacturer. Coloring agents and perfume agents are often added to wax – typically these additions do not burn well and will make the candle produce more soot. The darker the candle, the more coloring agent has been added. Only oil based perfumes burn well (citron). The “best” candle would be white or very light in color with no scent. (If you would like aroma from the Kandle Heeter™ Candle Holder place a few drops of aroma therapy oil on the top plate.)
Most candles being produced today have “self-trimming” wicks. The wick “shortens” itself as the candle is being burned. The result is an appropriate sized flame that burns the liquefied wax well. Inexpensive candles often have inexpensive wicks that do not trim themselves, they will produce a flame that burns badly and makes excessive soot. Sometimes you can even see the soot rising up along the outside of the wick. These wicks often “curl over” a bit, and then drop off into the wax. Flame height is important; if the flame gets too large it will result in incomplete combustion.
There is a longer discussion on what kind of candle works “best” on the website, here is the address: http://heatstick.com/_candles.htm
Dec 20th, 2008 at 4:07 am
Sorry EMSmith, but as one who knows physics and thermodynamics, you are wrong and the others are right. Europeans have been heating their homes with hearths similar to this principle for a long time. If you ignite a gallon of gasoline in one explosion, or if you burn it slowly with all that decorative junk we call an internal combustion engine, the same energy is released. Guess which one is more practical.
Dec 20th, 2008 at 6:09 am
“It sounds like science fiction”
No, it’s a flowerpot on top of a candle. It’s not going to make a blind bit of difference to heating a room, and candles are pretty much the dumbest way to heat a room. It takes far more energy to manufacture, pack and transport the candles than those candles contain themselves.
And using an electric candle to heat a room?! Electricity is one of the most expensive sources of heat. Just stick to gas central heating, and your bills will be 2.5 times cheaper.
On the subject of ‘efficiently adding heat to a room’… an electric heater is basically 100% efficient at heating - where else is the energy going?
The only advantage this could have is that if you put your cup of tea on top, it might keep it warm.
And finally, this might be the stupidest sentence in the article: “the materials that this device is made of are all here since the Earth exists.” I’m not even going to comment on that.
I’m not saying this just to be rude, I’m just saying this because it’s a waste of money, a waste of time, and a distraction from other things which might actually save you money and energy.
Dec 20th, 2008 at 7:43 am
Ok, I get what you’re saying about trapping the heat into the local area of the candle, but it still does not heat the room. All it does is heat the ceramic. What good is that?
Dec 20th, 2008 at 7:44 am
just a quick question: doesn’t a heated object heat the air surrounding it?
Dec 20th, 2008 at 7:54 am
Also, to elaborate a little, I can see how a portion of the candle’s heat (though not 100%) might radiate near the ceramic. However, barring a HUGE candle and contraption or living in a 1 ft cubed room (plus the space for the candle device), unlikely to make anyone comfortably warm.
Dec 20th, 2008 at 8:30 am
the thing about radiant heat is that it RADIATES! otherwise you could never know if something was hot unless you touched it. This is the same concept that all radiators and radiant heat sources work on. heat something up (or cool it down to go the other way)and move air past it and the air gets hotter. I have radiant heat in my house. Swap my boiler for a candle and aluminum radiators for steel and pots and this is what we’re working with.
Does the candle heater work? I don’t know; I haven’t done the science and the internet is horrible sometimes. The concept however is sound. Anyone who says otherwise has been around forced air heating systems too long without wondering how the air gets hot. Running past a hot object perhaps? check out a schematic of a heater and somethings should start clicking.
Dec 20th, 2008 at 8:43 am
You’re right, juantwan. I guess some people are just torn apart from the reality these days, when they think only the air conditioner or microwave oven can heat something up…
Dec 20th, 2008 at 10:21 am
Juawtawn: You are confusing radiant heat and convection. When air moves past a hot surface and becomes hot this is convection heating, not radiant heat. Radiant heat has nothing to do with air currents and can function in a vacuum.
Admin and the rest: Take some thermo dynamics classes.
Let me clear this up for you. There are three types of heat transfer. The candle produces all three.
1. Direct contact or atomic excitation: Here the fast moving atoms in one material (which is all that heat is) cause the atoms in another material it touches to move quicker. Touch a pan or a light bulb or your driveway on a sunny day and you’ll experience direct heat transfer.
2. Convection: Air moves by something that is hot and makes contact. Heat is transfered to the air by direct contact. The air than moves and contacts another object and transfers it heat to that new object through direct transfer.
3. Radiant heat: This can also be called inferred heat. Basically heat is transfered as a light wave. The excited atom drops an energy level and releases a photon in the inferred wavelength. When this photon hits something(a surface or even air)it transfers its energy into kinetic energy of the atom (or heat). This is how the sun heats the earth.
Now lets apply this understanding to this concept.
Anyone with any understanding of physics knows that you cannot add energy with this device. So the idea that you can raise the temperature of the room further with this device than with just a candle is clearly not possible, and a false claim.
A separate claim that can be made is that it is changing the heat transfer mechanism. Candles or any open flam for that matter transfer heat in all three ways.
I have seen some people here make comments about the hot air rising from a candle(convection transfer) so all the heat is at ceiling level and basically useless. This is true with the clay pot set-up too. It may not be as noticeable since the heat energy is dissipated over a larger surface resulting in a wider column of air with a lower temperature. A column of air with 4 times the surface area of another column but with 1/4 the temperature of the column is sending the same about of heat energy to the ceiling. In the end you are transferring the same about of heat to the ceiling just over a larger surface area. The end result is that heat rises no matter what. The same amount of heat travels to the ceiling.
Claims that it increases radiant heat are completely unjustified as well. The truth of the matter is it actually produces no radiant heat. The true test of radiant heat is can the heat be transfered without a medium (some type of matter). If there was a vacuum between me and the candle I could only detect the radiant heat. If I put this pot contraption behind a vacuum I would detect no radiant heat. The reason for this is because the temperature is to low. The quoted surface temperature of 140F-180F is no where close to the temperature needed to produce radiant heat in a clay material. What you might think is radiant heat is really just convection heating of the air around the pot.
This being said, even if this device was able to convert 100% of the heat energy into radiant heat (which clearly is not the case)a candle does not produce much heat. Also the notion that using a candle to heat your home is some how clean is ridiculous. A candle is one of the dirtiest burning fuel sources there are. Want proof, hold something over it and see how fast the suit accumulates. It may not produce as much pollution as a coal plant but it also produces a lot less energy. You would pollute less by creating that same amount of heat with your regular home heating system.
Conclusion: If you want to feel warmer turn up your thermostat, thats what it’s their for. If you want to burn a candle do it for its beauty or scent not its heat production capability.
Dec 20th, 2008 at 11:32 pm
“I can’t go to bed yet, someone on the internet is wrong”
Holy crap, some of you people have too much time on your hands. If you like the idea of a candle heating an area, then give this little gadget a try. If you don’t, don’t. But trying to convince someone on the web that you are right and they are wrong is just…stupid. And let’s lose that arrogant “I’m so much smarter than everyone” crap. It makes you look bad. And a bit overbearing.
In other words, lighten up Deedle.
And kudos to the admin for not taking some of these jackasses seriously.
Dec 21st, 2008 at 4:51 am
This discussion is easily won with a little work.
Just pick a plate and put it over a candle for a few minutes.
If you move the plate after it’s warmer, then that heat will warm you as long as you keep it near you.
It’s not going to heat up your room, but it might just warm up your feet…
For those of us not drowning in money, and without central heating inside our homes this is actually a great idea.
For some reason i believe it’s a cheap alternative to a more inteligent way of making heat across an entire room. I’m not saying that it can heat up a room… Just your feet!
I might just try to build one of these myself…
A central heating solution is more eficient, but significantly more expensive, if say you just want your feet warmer.
Though a tower of these might end up warming the room…
Dec 21st, 2008 at 10:07 am
Martin: You have no idea what you’re talking about. Obviously one is right and one is wrong. Ether the device works or it does not. There is no middle ground. The reason people spend time to debunk this stuff is the same reason we got rid of snake oil salesmen. They make you waste money on things that do nothing. To make people who apparently don’t have enough money to pay for their heat spend money on a device that does nothing is a problem I believe worth addressing.
Joao: If you want a hot plate maybe try an electric blanket or a hot water bottle. They are cheaper and ever bit as effective. There are also passive solar and geothermal heating options that you can use that will cost you little to nothing if you want to put in the work and make them.
Dec 21st, 2008 at 10:38 am
Deedle, just a question: have you tried making this device yourself? Nobody says you are to buy it! The schematics are there, on the man’s website! I think you can too find some flower pots and some screws to put there. Just give it a try before talking theory!
Dec 21st, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Interesting - would like to make an “array” of about six of these or more and put them inside our fireplace, with some aluminum flashing curved behind the set to help the heated air to get out into the room. There are a lot of candle holders out there just for the fireplace that look nice, now it’s time to add some function to their form as well!
Dec 21st, 2008 at 11:19 pm
Thank you all very much for your comments, both sides of the “issue.” I am the inventor, and know all ( . . . that’s a joke, guys, I just want to keep it light . . ^-^).
The Kandle Heeter tm Candle Holder “works” — it does what it was/is intended to do, it harvests the normally wasted energy of a burning candle and makes it available at human level. Put “kandle heeter” in google and read the reviews, there are several glowing reports of folks who were/are amazed at the experience. Watch the videos.
The key to it all is the solid steel inner core, something not at all well addressed in the above comments. Steel has the ability to approach the temperature of its heat source. A candle flame burns at 550-600 degrees Fahrenheit — so the steel inner core will heat up to 500+ degrees. That Is HOT! So now instead of just a small one inch candle flame at 500+ degrees with no thermal mass we have almost 3 ounces of solid steel (think thermal mass) at over 500 deg! That creates a very nice thermal “heat sink” that is constantly giving up its heat into the surrounding ceramics, and is constantly being “replenished” by the burning flame.
The outer surface is about 88 square inches, typical surface temps run from 160-180. Now consider steam heating — steam from a boiler going to a large cast iron radiator, steam at 212 deg. Fahrenheit, usually results in radiator temperatures of 160-180. The large surface area of a typical steam radiator will heat up a room, the Kandle Heeter tm Candle Holder will not “heat up” a room (the title of the original post was just a bit overdramatic — but Ovidiu is doing a GREAT job with the site!). I state several times on the site (www.heatstick.com) that it will not “heat up” a room, but that it “keeps the cold away” — basically, it drives the cold away from it. Remember, cold is the natural state of things, space is all cold, all very very cold . . . warm is something we either receive freely from the sun or we have to work for.
My focus in alternative energy/environment design is to “do more with less” — I actively seek overlooked or underdeveloped energy sources that can be made useful. The “electric candle” is a natural extension of the Kandle Heeter tm Candle Holder. 90% of the energy that goes into an incandescent lamp is “wasted” as heat — so we developed the electric candle based on either a 60 watt quartz halogen or a 50 watt infra-red lamp to extend the usefullness of the radiator assembly. I use an infra-red lamp in my bedroom at night, it is the only heat I put into the bedroom and “it keeps the cold out”. 10 hours for a nickel, that is fairly inexpensive for all night heating. No, it does not “heat up” the bedroom — but it keeps the cold away. Again, the real driving force is the steel inner core, and I have measured surface temps on the quartz halogen of over 700 deg. F., it can drive the radiator assembly to over 200 deg. on the outer surface.
It is correct that a fairly detailed post is on the site so that one can build a similar product oneself — the problem is the stand. Has to be made of metal and sturdy enough to support the 2+ pound weight of the radiator. But have at, a few folks have “made their own” and sent me photos, always a treat to see how others solve the stand problem. I consider my solution by far the most practical and aesthetic . . . but then I am biased.
It is true that it is easy to be a critic, especially when one’s “core beliefs” may be challenged, or when one is unwilling to see simpicity. There are some who probably still believe that the earth is flat, and not having actually circumnavigated the globe myself, I can not state with authority from personal experience that they are wrong . . . I do not believe the earth is flat, but then I could be wrong — altho I do not think so, considering the wealth of evidence.
I am willing to tolerate those who cannot, by lack of experience, understand how the Kandle Heeter tm Candle Holder can make a difference . . . but if you burn candles, it is pretty much a no-brainer, how nice it is to be able to add their heat to your overall spaceheating needs.
Of course the Kandle Heeter tm Candle Holder also heats air by convection . . . so does a hot cup of coffee, or a hot anything that has contact with the air around it (ie, as long as the air is cooler relative to the source). But infra-red is invisible radiation that heats objects — different from convection, and one can “feel” the heat from a Kandle Heeter tm Candle Holder from several inches away. At night I can feel the radiant heat on my face when I roll over and am near the heater. And the ceramics become very dry, in spite of the moisture given off as a by-product of combustion . . . so yes, it is a “Dry Radiant Heat Source”.
And then keep this in mind; it is always “on” — not cycling on and off like a typical space heating system. As long as the candle is burning (or the lamp turned on), dry radiant space heat is constantly being produced. No, it is not going to “heat up the world” — but it does make a difference, a significant difference. And there are no moving parts in the radiator assembly, nothing to wear out, nothing to replace. Kept clean and stored safely in the summer (or proudly displayed above the mantel. . .) the Kandle Heeter tm Candle Holder may help keep your children and your grandchildren a little bit warmer in winter. And, when the lights go out, the power fails, you and yours will have a source of heat, and light, that will help see you through the night.
My thanks to all of you for your posts. Let us all strive together to create a more better world keeping in mind that often when one man “sharpens” another the sparks may fly, just as sparks fly when iron sharpens iron.
Warm wishes to all.
Doyle
Dec 21st, 2008 at 11:34 pm
Ok, Doyle, considering what you’ve said earlier, what was my exaggeration? This thing really “heats up” the room (from being frozen)! Maybe the more correct term would have been “defrost”, or “eases the chill” in the room. To all my readers, believe me, I had a time in my life when for about a month I lived in a BIG house with no heating, and I know the difference between a “frozen” room, a “chilly” rooom and a “hot” room. It quite a difference, believe me.
The house was huge, there was a methane-powered centralized heater, with radiators, that worked ok, until the methane from the tank ran out and we had a disagreement with the landlord who wouldn’t fill it with gas, so… we heated ourselves with electricity and, yes, CANDLES! You can’t imagine how good they were at that time.
anybody could use the (at least) theoretical experience of a candle-powered heater.
In fact, one doesn’t know what life has for him…
Dec 22nd, 2008 at 1:57 am
Doyle: Sorry but this device does not produce radiant heat. What you are experience as heat a few inches from the pot is convection. Much like heat(kinetic energy or movement)moves though a solid from one atom in a solid to the next, it transmits heat through the air in the same way. Radiant heat requires a much higher temperature than 200*F. Thats why in a radiant space heater has a cage around it. It reaches well over 1000*F.
If you are claiming this device is a heat sink I can’t argue with that. Any material I hold over a flame that does not combust will store that heat energy. But your not changing anything. A heat sink does not add energy or transmit it better. It just stores it. What you are doing is like using a electricity to charge a battery and than using that battery to power your home. There is no need for the battery in this set up just like their is no need for the pot and metal core in yours. Its just adding another step for no reason.
You them make the comment about incandescent light bulbs being inefficient. I agree they waste a lot of energy as heat, but guess where that goes? Right into your house. See you don’t need a pot to trap the energy, it already heats the room. What would be better is to get a light bulb that does not waste heat energy (a compact florescent or a diode bulb with save that energy). Then you can use the energy saved to heat your home.
For people that are looking for a local area heating try a space heater or an electric blanket in your bed. You can get an electric or gas one for very cheap. Both of these will produce more heat than a candle. They will also do so in a cleaner and cheaper way.
It comes down to cost per BTU provided and a candle is a terrible fuel for this. We have had candles for thousands of years. Want to know why no one used them for heating in all that time. All the geniuses that ever lived never had that idea? Maybe they did think of that and realized it was an inefficient means of energy production. Candles just cost to much and burn to dirty for the amount of heat they produce.
Dec 22nd, 2008 at 2:50 am
Deedle you need a hug…under an electric blanket, beside a space heater, after a dynamics class.
“Before you knock it, try it first, you will see that it’s a blessing and not a curse”
Dec 22nd, 2008 at 7:27 am
Great idea! Of cause nobody would want to use candles to heat a room under normal circumstances, but in a powerout, particularly one that is prolonged like we had some years ago after an icestorm, it’s extremely usefull to burn candles. I kept my bathroom at a decent temperature with candles, three of them kept the small area quite nice, and a platefull of candles in my front porch kept the plants from freezing. The ceilings were black after that, but at least we didn’t have to evacuate the house and didn’t lose any plants. Though I did almost lose the whole house when the cat decided to walk over the plate with the teacandles, he shot out of the porch like a bat out of hell, smelling of burned fur, the candles were off and there was wax a bit all over the scene but luckily nothing caught fire.
Now, don’t come suing me for ripping your great invention off, I plan on buying some pots and hardware and building a few of those heaters for myself, I really like the idea, and even if we don’t lose power, I think I’ll use them for burning candles as this seems much safer than an open candle with two curious cats roaming the house. Also I bet my ceilings are going to be less sooty if the candles burn under the pots, I can clean the soot off the pots lot easier than off the ceiling.
Dec 22nd, 2008 at 4:51 pm
This deedle guy sounds like a real arrogant prick. Point has been taken, I think this device is excellent, however I personally would never buy it, for I don’t ever find myself in the situation which it was made for! Ever find yourself stuck in a house in the middle of nowhere with a power outage, and no other means of heating your house? Candles may not put off a ton of heat, or be super efficient at doing so, however they still put off heat! And in times where there aren’t many options, a candle can be a realistic idea! This product utilizes that by centralizing the heat in a general area. If your room had vaulted ceilings that were say 15 feet high, and you had no electricity or gas heater, using a candle like this could be handy!
Dec 22nd, 2008 at 9:38 pm
Efficient or not, I like the aesthetics of it. It would make a nice little “useful decoration” for a country house or the like.
Dec 23rd, 2008 at 2:40 pm
I don’t think Deedle needs a hug as suggested.I think he needs a punch in the balls and something to take time off his hands since he seems to have SO much.Why he feels the need to school people on his way of thinking is crazy and Im wondering why he feels the need to bring his arrogance and ignorance to a site thread anyway? He has worked this thread like it was his job.Even if he is right about what hes saying he has said it in such a way that the only thing he has accomplished is sounding like the childish douche bag he is.
Dec 24th, 2008 at 6:04 am
Deedle you said, “Radiant heat requires a much higher temperature than 200*F. Thats why in a radiant space heater has a cage around it. It reaches well over 1000*F.” Ever see an infrared photograph of a person? That’s heat radiation. You are radiating heat. Therefore, you need a cage around you.
Candles are an expensive fuel, but if you are burning one anyway, it’s a way to turn convective heat into radiative heat. Yes, a candle produces a small amount of energy, but if you ran your home’s heating system in an open field, you wouldn’t stay very warm, either. When you hold your hands up to a fire, you are absorbing mostly radiative heat, while most of the energy is carried off (convectively) as smokey hot air. That’s why a low fire of hot coals is so much warmer in a fireplace. We used to heat up rocks in a campfire to make a radiant heat source. Make sure they aren’t sedimentary or wet inside, because they can blow up.
So Benjamin Franklin also noticed convective heat transfer carrying heat up fireplace chimneys, and invented a device to absorb and re-radiate useful heat. It’s called the Franklin stove. To avoid controversy, confused speculation, and pseudo-physicist poseurs, this invention might be dubbed the Franklin candle.
Hey, anyone remember the Coleman handwarmer? Ran on a tiny amount of white (unleaded) gas smoldering in a wick inside a metal housing, got hot as h*ll, and relied on a red cloth bag to prevent burns. You put it in your pocket. Sometimes the bag would get soaked in wicked-off gasoline and you could tell it was dangerous. God, I loved mine.
Stay warm everybody!
Santa
Dec 24th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
I use candles lanterns to heat my tent while camping and to warm up my hands in the cabin until the wood stove gets going properly. I use a piece of soapstone over the candle, hand to keep my coffee warm on chilly mornings too. This Candle heater is most practical in small rooms and when there is no power. Seems pretty simple to me -
Dec 24th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
Anyway lets all play nice and quit bashing each other. The idea is great and it works I have a soapstone stove and it works in a similar way. This is a great idea I plan to use one in the outhouse just to help take the chill off that’s more or less what the idea is intended for is it not. And furthermore we now have 5 feet of very wet snow here and very limited power from our P/V panels. And my wind turbine is frozen up once again. I’m running on a diesel backup generator now. Passive solar works great when it is not buried under a few feet of snow. And ground source heat works great in soil not in the Canadian shield unfortunately.
Great idea anyway
Lets all just try and play nice and stay warm, please pray for spring
Thanks for the idea
Dec 28th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Deedle:
seconded. you’re a voice of reason in the hocus pocus of the green energy fad. keep your head. stay true.
Dec 28th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
lol, hippies. just get a heat potion
Dec 28th, 2008 at 11:48 pm
I don’t know the exact translation but overhere in Holland we talk about two types of temperature. The exact physical temperature and the temperature of perception. In winter you can feel colder (for example cause of the wind) than the thermometer in reality shows.
In a variation on this basic thought and in a more psychological way I can imagine that the kandle heater gives a warm comfortable feeling. But what is the problem in this discussion? It is a nice subject for a practice piece for science students.
It will give an answer and explanation to all the assumptions above. Doesn’t everybody gets warm feelings for scientific evidence?
Dec 31st, 2008 at 6:47 am
Yeah, it may not excessively heat up the room with a huge amount of extra heat (maybe a very small amount aside from the normal heating you already have in your home), but it sounds like the little heat coming from the candle can at least be concentrated in that small unit and allow it to be localized, at the very least.
Dec 31st, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Ten bucks says Deedle is a young kid (think 12 or under) who hasn’t learned any social skills yet but is mildly precocious. It’s sad that we don’t teach those who have the potential to be smart to deal with social situations very well.
I feel bad for little Deedle…
Jan 2nd, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Anybody trying to protect the consumer deserves merit. It’s good to be skeptical about everything you hear, and even though this product might have some very limited uses for heating, it continues to market itself as better for the environment, making heat, etc.
Deedle might be a little off about radiant heat, but the rest of his statements are solid, especially when compared to the science of this article (not to mention this website *cough* free energy *cough*). “If you burn candles, now you can add their heat to your home or office”. A bit of a misconception there.
People will seem arrogant when they’re trying to correct every little mistake, but it’s a necessary step that makes for a safer environment for consumers. It prevents sellers from making even wilder claims about their product.
Jan 2nd, 2009 at 3:26 pm
The science of this website (greenoptimistic.com) may not be to the scientific levels of language, at least, of some more elaborate and educated people. Though, it is written for the mainstream, because generally it’s of no use to present scientific data some would consider “boring”. The subject of this website and the way it is presented covers a specific niche, that we try to hold on to. In our opinion it’s better to present the simple side of facts. If you want more accurate data, most of the articles have a source reference at their bottom, where you can visit the inventor’s website or the source news agency’s website or blog. For mathematical calculations, to verify the statements presented herein, one must consult more sources.
GreenOptimistic.com is NOT a purely scientific website, it presents merely trends, claims, and (subjectively) believable affirmations of persons or organizations pretending to have discovered/invented/improved alternative energy production methods or devices.
As I stated in earlier articles and comments many times, “FREE ENERGY” is not FREE. It comes from an untapped or officially unrecognized source known as “zero point energy”. Scientific studies have been made on this type of energy, there are a lot of forums, experiments and real people who don’t have any interest in selling something to you, that have discovered this kind of energy and have used it. It has not been proved if these persons were harassed by oil companies or interested groups for their claims, but if so many uninterested people speak and dedicate years of their lives for experimenting such devices, common sense says they cannot all be wrong. You use common sense and intuition when you drive your car, and reality shows it’s always good to use it in science and engineering. There is always something out there, and we try to present it as accurate and simple as possible.
ALL GreenOptimistic.com writers have and will have a university degree, including myself, having a technical university degree in telecommunications. I know the laws of physics and electronics, I know how things work, but I agree there’s more to it than just what we have discovered. If one doesn’t have an openness to more knowledge, there will be no progress and we’ll be all spinning around the same old hundred-year-old patterns, taught in school, not proving anything new.
I hold myself commenting about possible conspiration theories, because they’re not provable. Where there’s a smell of such things, I always mention about them, but don’t bet on the subject.
Happy new year and a good life to you all!
Please reply to this comment if you have something to add! It would help me a lot! Thanks!
Jan 3rd, 2009 at 7:58 am
I have to say Deedle is mostly right. though everything that is hotter than the aria amount it, radiates heat at some spectrum. So it does radiate some heat, but very little.
I had to study this for meteorology class.
The combustion of the candle is the only thing creating heat, no more heat is being created.
What it does do is create a larger surface aria of heat for air to pass over. this will warm a larger amount of air(through direct heat transfer), and improve the efficiency of the candle in delivering heat the the general aria directly surrounding it (Through Convection).
This green? Absolutely not. the energy and resources it takes to make and ship those candles way exceed the amount of energy it would take for electricity to produce the same amount of heat. If your looking for green, try passive solar, or simply getting black curtains to absorb more Radiant Heat from the sun (a giant candle).
inexpensive, not really, the pots, and bolts would easily cost 15 dollars, a few dollars more and you can have an energy star space heater (far more efficient)
Bottom line, though there is a noticeable difference in heat around the device it is neither cheaper or greener than turning up the thermostat. this is a good idea for those who didn’t pay there heating bill, and have no other source.
A fun project for those who like fire, and novelty. otherwise don’t waist your time and money.
*** one thing that does bug me is people saying this is a great way to save money, and praying on peoples ignorance. If your looking to save money this will put you in the opposite direction. If your looking to save money on your heating bill, Google”save money on my heating bill”. it took me 10 sec. to find this: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16176373/
Jan 3rd, 2009 at 7:49 pm
Rather than spew loads of flames at one another I DID make this to see the results first hand.
I DID spend $15usd, spent 2 hours purchasing and making. The results were less than spectacular. There was no substantial heat generated as I could still place my hand on parts of the outer shell without pain. The candle burned down to nothing in 1 hour and 15 minutes.
I now have a variety of ceramic planters for spring!
Jan 4th, 2009 at 12:52 am
years ago when i was up in the north country i built an enclosed candle [holder-burner]thingamajinger. my truck got stuck in a storm, and i belive it saved my life because of that littlt bit of heat. the blanket helped also.
Jan 5th, 2009 at 1:35 am
IMO their have been some valid statements, but you are overlooking some obvious points. There is radiant heat created in this set-up, It is from the candle! This device helps capture the radiant and direct-heat from the candle and distribute it over a larger area. This allows the user to feel more of the convection heat. It does not increase the heat output of the candle but does help some with the efficiency. In my experience radiant heat does not heat the air very well but does heat objects (this can be seen on a sunny winter day when the air temp is below freezing but the snow and ice still melts) Does this efficiency gain offset the cost, hard to tell, the less than spectacular results noted by prove’em would take years to off-set the initial cost, but then again don’t most of the green ideas we have now cost far more to start and take years to pay off?
KSTT
Jan 8th, 2009 at 11:55 pm
Well, what a discussion . . . it would be grand to all gather together at a pizza parlor, share a few pitchers and a whole lot of pizza with a Kandle Heeter tm Candle Holder in the center of the table merrily doing its thing . . .
Appropriately fueled, the candle heater makes dry radiant space heat. That is what it does. It is not a particuarly difficult construct, and ample directions can be found on the website (process.htm) to make your own. Higher grade fuels produce better results, 99% pure liquid paraffin in a suitable container works best. This weekend I am going to experiment with alcohol, remember the spirit lamps we used to use in High School Chem class? . . . something like that.
The original goal with this project was to create a small space heater using an overlooked source. That was almost 5 years ago. If you like to burn candles, it only makes sense (cents) to capture the heat at human level. It does keep the chill out of a room.
I am very oriented toward low-tech solutions to energy and envionment problems using off-the-shelf and when possible recycled components. We have all got to pull together and “do more with less” if we wish to remain on the globe.
I want to thank the poster who mentioned Benjamin Franklin and likened my attempt to Franklin’s stove . . . that was a very nice compliment. Benjamin Franklin has always been a personal “hero” — he had quite the robust mind.
And to the individual who had less than spectacular results with his project, did you burn the unit long enough to get the moisture our of the ceramics? Terra cotta absorbs moisture out of the air, it can take 6-8 hours to burn the moisture out, and the system will run “cool” until the ceramics become bone dry. Used every other day or so, the ceramices will remain dry, but space heat development is seriously impaired when the ceramics are carrying alot of moisture. Sizing is also important, and in our unit, we shoot for about 2.5 ounces in the steel core. The ceramics “run” on the steel inner core, a small core or a poorly designed one will not heat up the system as well.
Well, winter is still with us, and I have some orders to fill. Guess I will have to put the pizza and beer down and get back to the cowbarn. Say, have any of you checked out my Wearable Hummingbird Feeder . . . hummingbirds feed directly in front of your eyes, right between your eyes, about an inch above your nose. There are several videos on the website . . .
Warm wishes to all,
Doyle
Jan 17th, 2009 at 4:38 am
I think some of you don’t understand the concept of radiative heat.
Radiative heat is (light) electromagnetic radiation. If a particular surface absorbs the emitted radiation, it will get hotter, (photon phonon interaction). The radiation need not be infrared radiation to be absorbed as heat although it will largely be. Everything emits radiation, a candle, your skin, anything that has temperature. The radiation emitted depends on the object and the frequency, obviously gamma rays are highly unlikely. You can look up the black body frequency emission plot to understand this concept better.
Convection is essentially the same thing as direct contact. An object can have direct contact with the air, which has direct contact with your skin. You can say there are air currents and what not, but it is still the same concept.
Jan 17th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
I’ll have to get the jumbo size one to use over the fire I have in front of my cave…
Jan 20th, 2009 at 12:02 am
hooray for Deedle, a voice of reason…
Jan 29th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
A local Army surplus store sells an item similar to this.
It uses a tea candle to heat a couple of large, flat plates of sheet metal.
I have used a similar devise. I put a candle in a tin can with a couple holes in the bottom of the can. It doesn’t create a lot of heat but it will keep the windows of your car de-iced, over night, in the winter.
In all of these the idea is the same. If a candle creates x amount heat, then by heating another object with that candle you create (x+?) amount of heat. The whole trick is to see what you can get “?” up to.
I wondered if you tried drilling small holes in the top to allow the heat to rise through and cause a natural blower effect.
Feb 16th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
prove’em, why did your candle burn down to nothing in 1 hour and 15 minutes? Was this because of the candle your were using, or because of your candle holder?
Marc, are you putting this candle in your garage? My first thought was you were putting it inside your car, but that sounds a little crazy.
Feb 26th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Thx for your information.Visit my blog friend Video Technology Good bye friend.i will come again
Mar 13th, 2009 at 1:35 am
Unfortunately many candles use lead in their wicks, and since there’s no law to control them there’s no way to tell if a candle you’ve bought has lead in it or not. So burning candles may be bad for your health, even if you cannot tell immediately.
Mar 15th, 2009 at 11:22 am
If you want a low budget heater, purchase or make a verticle smoker oven. Usually this type of smoker has two trays, one for the coal or wood chips and the second tray above the chip tray would hold water to heat and steam the meat which is on the grill at the top. On the bottom tray, fit as many glass contained candles as you can and on the second tray, fill with soapstone or other type of heat producing rocks or pieces of cast iron metals. Leave the smoker lid on and the heat generated from the candles will not only heat up the stones or metals but will also heat up the smoker oven itself giving off enough heat if you sit closed enough to it or using it in a small room. Remember, do not use charcoals in place of candles if you intend to use this heating method indoors. Burning charcoals produces carbon dioxide.
May 4th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
‘Candle’ rhymes with ‘Randall’.