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From: djw@lanl.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.consumers
Subject: Re: Heat without electricity  (discussion re piezo start)
Message-ID: <21072@lanl.ARPA>
Date: Tue, 5-Feb-85 19:58:52 EST
Article-I.D.: lanl.21072
Posted: Tue Feb  5 19:58:52 1985
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Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory
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> And if your furnace is one of those that uses a high-voltage spark to
> ignite the burners instead of a pilot light, you're out of luck with the
> power off.
> 
> 	Brian Kantor	UC San Diego
> 
OK NOW,  I've had a 30K btu heater in my cabin for 15 years.  It uses a
thermocouple to power the propane ( really butane at this altitude )
safety shutoff valve.  The pilot heats the thermocouple and the electricity
generated energizes a magnet just enough to keep the gas shutoff from
closing and shutting off the 4-12 oz gas flow.  Recently I decided to
look at one of those new-fangled Piezo-electric start ovens and wanted
said starting mechanism for my wall heater.

There must be a solution other than a $400.00 solar panel, so I propose
to the net, and all the GE, White Westinghouse/GMC, etc. engineers out
there,
1) No flame >> no gas through the safety valve or
2) No electricity >> no gas through the safety valve.

I want a wall heater with piezo start and no pilot flame.  It would be
nice if it worked off a battery backup from thermocouple power/thermostat...

Where is such a beast?  My heater in the cabin is probably 25 years old,
certainly unsafe, and has no thermostat.  I will give up the thermostat
if I can have the gas safety shutoff and the piezo electric start.  These
things are available on gas ranges, why not on wall heaters?