Furnace for fish house

[kudu63]

Hello,  I'm looking at getting a custom build 8x16 fish house and haven't decided on what type of furnace to get.   I'm leaning towards an Empire direct vent over the forced air just because I don't have to worry about a battery going dead.   Any reasons I should be worried about going this route?  As far as cost they are same.

Also how many people who have a oven/cook top really use the oven ?  I'm thinking about just a two burner cook top.

 

Edited March 10, 2016 by kudu63
update

[Surface Tension]

   Advantage of a forced air is its going to move the air around the shack. 

Personally I wouldn't want to rely on a battery for heat or a generator to charge.  The strange noise from the power vent would also wake me up at night.

 You can move air around with a small computer fan that draws very little amps and is quiet.

2 deep cycle batteries should give you enough storage for a long weekend without sacrificing any conveniences.

The cook top with oven I'd want.  Whether it be something easy like frozen pizza or pot pies or full blown home made meal, there isn't anything you can't cook with that combo.  Another plus with the oven is you put the food in and it comes out down. Your not attending it like you would be on the stove.

 

[Hawg]

No oven in mine, a pizzazz pizza maker does a 10X better job anyway.

Edited March 11, 2016 by Hawg

[kudu63]

thanks for replies,, right now going with Empire direct vent and 2 burner top.  I like the idea of this pizzazz pizza maker - how many watts does that draw? 

[papadarv]

I don’t sleep in my DIY built 6.5x12 with V front “if you want to sit bring a chair” 6 hole wheel house. We rent a cabin $30 per night ($40 at LOTW) per person, usually 4 to 5 of us on overnight trips. Cabin comfort is second to nothing. I also wanted a convection furnace but forced air is also nice. Nothing on the market like this so I created my own.

 

 

I used 2” x 12” ducting and connected it to the louvered heat exit area of the convection furnace, put 3 computer fans in the duct work (hat section area) and use a $10 - 12v digital temperature control switching device to control the fan. Works extremely well.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/160809424363?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_noapp=true

 I use 1 deep cycle battery to run fans, lights and all my fishing electronics without any power issues.

  

 

On the ducting opposite side of the furnace louvered area I put a hinged door that can be opened when I turn the fan off while away from the wheel house. I set the temp to 40 deg. to save propane.

 

I do have a 2 burner stove, no oven. We use a small grill and the stove top to cook everything we need. The small covered grill does function as an oven but is seldom used for that purpose. It makes great steaks and grilled fish.

 

Because my wheel house set up time is 9 min. to line through the hole and take down 6 min. I usually pull my house off the lake and plug it in to 110 vac. at the cabin to charge batteries, clean fish, and keep it warm with electric heaters.

 

If desired one could flash the ducting with matching inside material to pretty it up a bit, I just chose to leave it natural tin.

[Hawg]

Not sure on watts but it's got to be close to a coffee pot, 1200-1300 maybe? I run everything in my house and one heating element, coffee pot OR Pizazz, on my 2000 Honda with zero problems but it runs up when you plug either in. Ovens just don't get used enough, these you can stash away.

[BlackLabGuy]

Can't do a prime rib with a Pizazz, and the oven is always put away but there when you need it and doesn't really take more space than just the cook top.

[Hawg]

Holy cow Black Lab Guy, I'm parking next to you! Prime Rib in the fish house must be a treat.

[kudu63]

I'm going with the Empire direct vent heater - I just don't want to worry about a battery going dead and not having heat.  May at some time get a generator but for the past 15 years I always made it through a 3-day weekend with two batteries in my old house.   Also going with the 2 burner cook top - I haven't cooked a prime rib yet in any house.....LOL. 

[papadarv]

Which Empier you going with? Mod. BTU etc.

Edited March 16, 2016 by papadarv

[BlackLabGuy]

Walleye Fingers for a snack  while the Prime Rib, Baked Potatoes are cooking, 

Just cause you fishing no need to rough it!

We put a 30K BTU Williams Direct Vent in our 8x16 Ice Castle, works great. $799 delivered from Menards

[kudu63]

don't know the exact model but it will be  30K BTU.  Builder stated you can also put a 12volt PC fan in there if I would like to create some forced air - which I'm sure I will do.  Probably also make some nice frames 12V PC fan boxes and mount to the ceiling to circulate air if I need to.

Blacklabguy - nice to know that size works great in your Ice Castle as mine will be same size.

[Smoker]

If you have the height you can put a 12v ceiling fan in. Works great and it is not much of a battery draw neither. I have one and on all the time and use one battery all weekend.

[kudu63]

Smoker - what model do you have and where did you get yours ? 

Or any other specs: 

How far do they hang down, blade width, cost ?

thanks,

[Hawg]

Just for info. My 8x16+ has an Orbis 20,000 BTU wall mount that never gets much over the lower settings. It's 100% because the whole house is foamed and very solid though. If you're not all foam 30 might be the way to go. 

[Smoker]

I got mine on the bay site. it is a RV 30" fan it hangs down 5 1/2". If I remember right it was $110 or $120. it has a remote and 3 forward speeds and 3 reverse speeds. I keep it on low speed because the high really moves the air

[kudu63]

Smoker - you have any issues with head clearance ?   to me 30" seems a bit large - most likely why you only need it on the low setting.     Does anyone have a 12v fan similar to this one online - this one I think I could mount to the side wall and keep it out of the way.  Just not sure how much power it will consume.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Dash-Mounted-FAN-12V-2-Speed-7-4-Blade-Semi-Truck-RV-Bus-Tractor-Mack-RD-AG-/281820930039?hash=item419dd61ff7:g:XaQAAOSwP~tW3vEP&vxp=mtr

 

[papadarv]

2 hours ago, kudu63 said:

Smoker - you have any issues with head clearance ?   to me 30" seems a bit large - most likely why you only need it on the low setting.     Does anyone have a 12v fan similar to this one online - this one I think I could mount to the side wall and keep it out of the way.  Just not sure how much power it will consume.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Dash-Mounted-FAN-12V-2-Speed-7-4-Blade-Semi-Truck-RV-Bus-Tractor-Mack-RD-AG-/281820930039?hash=item419dd61ff7:g:XaQAAOSwP~tW3vEP&vxp=mtr

 

I have the exact fan, bought it from Northern Tool for $24 two years ago. I mounted it in the base of my fish house heater below the heat chamber creating my forced air unit. It has two speeds and is quite loud especially on the higher speed, moves a bit of air and uses a lot of battery power. Last fall I put the 3 computer fans in my air duct, much quieter, moves same amount of air as the truck fan on low speed and uses about 1/4 or less power. I no longer turn the big fan on. If it were me, I would mount 2 or 3 - 4" computer fans in a wood frame that can be attached to your cealing or wall. The computer fans run $6 to $8 each on line. Just a bit more work making the frame.

Photo of the fan in my heater

If you don't want to build a frame for 3 fans you could get this one. It is 3 fans 3 1/8" (80 mm) mounted in a metal frame for $12.99. Comes out of China so it will take 20 or so day to get it after order. I have bought a bit of stuff from aliexpress, they are good and treat your right. You need to assemble the frame and fans.

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/3-Thin-Fans-Mount-Rack-PCI-Slot-Bracket-for-Video-Card-3x80MM-thickness-fans/32381779799.html?spm=2114.40010408.3.5.bPEwVK

[Smoker]

I don't have any head clearance problems. When I built the house I made it tall enough for that reason. I didn't want computer fans all around and that is why I went with the ceiling fan. I use my fish house year around and the ceiling fan works nice in the summer. I will see if this picture shows the fan

[Hawg]

I'm with Smoker, these are unbeatable.