Is burning alcohol indoors safe?

I haven't tried any of that it's just something I found on the internet. Use at your own risk.

ETA from article:

Remember that any flame can produce carbon monoxide. Although alcohol is one of the safest fuels to burn indoors, proper ventilation is required to ensure adequate oxygen is available for complete combustion to prevent carbon monoxide from building up. Be sure to keep a working carbon monoxide detector with a digital readout nearby when burning anything!

 

Yep, I already have a battery operated carbon monoxide detector, so I'd have that there at the time.

 

Good discussion.

We heated our house in Japan with kerosene heaters, but NEVER went to sleep with them lit. Also the Japanese house had almost no insulation and leaked air like a sieve. Lots of cuddling under blankets and electric blankets. Fine for newlyweds.

I can recommend getting a through the wall propane heater. A cousin has one in her cabin and it keeps two rooms nice and toasty. They use less than 200 gallons of propane in 6 months of 20-40 degree weather. (He has 2 100 gallon tanks, and puts #2 on in the fall). Now this is NOT a 4 season use cabin, only 3. It is near Hovland, MN where it gets -35F sometimes in winter.

For anything that burns, functional smoke and CO detectors are a must. In my house I have those, plus a natural gas detector in my home.

 

Hmmm, reminds me of the old sterno cans we used to cook our food on on winter outings- jellied alcohol, I believe..

 

Asian schools in remote villages use the garbage to make alcohol to send home with the children to do their homework by alcohol light. Their lamps are no more complicated than a tin can and lid with a wick sticking out.
It is not hard to build a distillery or digester for making alcohol or methane if you have a regular supply of organic materials you might normally compost.
In some villages, the people built a community methane digester that supplies everyone in the village.

 

Others have already addressed the safety aspect. I'd add go outside to a gravel area or safe concrete area and dump your TP/alcohol stove over...you'll NEVER get it put out before the alcohol burns off. Raging inferno in your house.

My recommendation is to buy 1 or two propane catalytic heaters. The catalyst makes them safe to burn indoors (back it up with a CO detector). I have two in my garage with a case of 1# propane bottles, plus an adapter that lets me use 20# bottles or fill the 1# bottles.

I've used them before and you get about 24 hrs on its lowest setting per bottle. Mine are made by Coleman, two different styles, and I believe one can also rotate to be used for cooking.

Now, propane is about 2x more expensive (4-5$ 1# bottle) than when I initially bought this set up, but still it is something you could afford for emergencies.

I do have some liquid candles which are rated for 120 hrs each, and I believe they are probably some alcohol mix, but I'm so cautious about open flames that I'd never leave one unattended. (Of course, I have cats and you know how sneaky they are...at least that is what the dogs tell me.)

Have a good 2023!

 

Popular with some RV and sailboat owners

one of the most popular commercial offerings - Origo 1500 alcohol stove made by Dometic USA.

While I have a Trangia system and a couple fo other burners, I use this in the kitchen

a dot MIL Trangia and the classic folding Coleman stove. The burner is the same size as the large Sterno can, but burns much hotter. I use 100% alcohol - sold in qt cans and labeled as "stove fuel'. Not all that cheap, but order free and a *bit* safer than methanol (yellow container HEET),

This is a backup to the Coleman Propane stove. For short term use, just the ticket and store well.

 

Just go with propane! Safer, easier and lots more efficient! The fuel is sold everywhere and is available in everything from #1 tanks to bulk. The heaters are also available in a variety of sizes, many of which don't require outside venting. ALWAYS USE A CO2 DETECTOR! One of the best things about propane is that it will store FOREVER!