denatured alcohol

[Bob Greenfield]

Are there any fumes given off when using denatured alcohol to fuel a portable heater?

 

[david lewis]

fumes from combustion

any combustion process gives off fumes. At the very least you are using up the oxygen in the vicinity of the flame. The only combustion process I know of that doesn't give off fumes is mixing oxygen and hydrogen and the result is water. But the oxygen in the air goes into the molecule as water so then you can't breathe.Alcohol is an organic compound and the result of combustion will certainly be CO2 and CO as the carbon atoms are released from the alcohol molecule. In short if there is a flame you need make up air and an exhaust.

 

[John Visser]

article on Hazards from Products of Combustion

http://www.cisti.nrc.ca/irc/cbd/cbd207e.html

 

[Thomas Ehmke]

Alcohol stoves

Bob,You've been warned about the dangers of alcohol fuel, but from a practical standpoint, we use alcohol on board for cooking (Origlo non-pressure stove) and I occasionally heat the cabin with the cook stove. My thought is that there is normally sufficient ventilation on a sailboat with a sliding hatch and companionway boards which do not fit snugly to reduce (not prevent, mind you!!!) the risk of CO poisoning. If there is any doubt as to sufficient ventilation when using alcohol, crack the companionway boards or crack the hatch cover a bit. It sounds self-defeating to let the heat out that way, but better safe than sorry.