Expedient Heat

[Stormin Mormon]

Yesterday the cold wave came through New York State. Friday I was out in the truck, and managed to get stuck up to my axles in mud. And then Saturday the weather went from 50's to 20's. What a change a day makes.

As many of you will remember, I posted a similar question last year about this time. I can think of a couple situations where heating a house needs done, and the usual furnace is not available. The situations include:

1) Furnace broken. I am thinking of a couple people I used to know, in Buffalo, NY. They came home one day and found the house about 45F indoors. The furnace was not doing its thing. They called several places, and finally found a place that would take a check. In this situation, everything else in the house was working, and the electric and gas were both on.

2) Power cut. Western NYS does power cuts about once a year, more often in some places. The natural gas continues to work, and usually the telephone is functioning. Many furnace won't work unless the electic opens the gas valve, and powers the blower. Without electrical power, the plug in space heaters are not functioning.

3) Both utilities off. This is incredibly rare, I've only heard of once in NYS, and that from an elderly lady. She said there was one time when the electric and the natural gas were both off, at the same time.

And so my questions are:

a) What are the heat sources, or comfort sources that an average home owner is likely to have to make life more comfortable?

b) for survivalists, what can we do to prepare ourselves before the emergency heat need? What to buy, and what to have at home?

c) What are some of the creative ways of providing heat or warmth which aren't obvious to the casual observation?

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, Fire place, Kerosene heater Camping heater, there are some heaters which does not need electricity or natural gas. Tony

[Bob]

I use a portable l.p. gas (infra-red) radiant heater that sits right on top of an l.p. tank. It's unvented, but will get you by in an emergency.

[barry]

IF that fire place is inside a properly sealed (read that "efficient") woodstove which has been situated so that it can distribute heat appropriately. And ... keep sufficient supply of fuel handy and dry.

Small gas heater situated as above, not requiring electrical power would work, if gas available. Some, such as Rinnais, can run off UPS.

I understand that some pellet stoves can run off, or contain, UPS. They do need power. Pellets must be obtained prior.

Propane heater indoors may excite insuror.

"Aladdin" mantle lamp, with mantle material removed from its "carrier", makes very clean-burning 3200B/H heater. Typically only hold ~1 qt of kero, though, and are quite aromatic on shutdown.

Longer-term:

1) cut losses to the max- seal & insulate. 2) locate other losses, and insulate e.g. outside foundation, etc., etc. 3) compartment house, with layers of insulated/sealed walls; 4) locate all pipework in the core of the house. J

[Goedjn]

nctioning.

Providing heat is a fairly well-understood problem in the history of mankind. The usual solution is to burn something. If you're planning ahead, it's best to equip your burning-place with a supply of outside air (so you don't throw your heated room air up the chimney) and an exhaust, so you don't kill yourself.

Things that burn well include: Propane and NG. Wood, Charcoal, corn, furniture. Vegetable oil, mineral oil, kerosene, deisel.

Good "creative" solutions require knowing what resources are available, what skills are available, how long the solution has to last, and how important a solution is, and what you're willing to sacrifice.

If you're planning ahead for this sort of thing, why not invest in a gasoline generator, a long extension cord, and an electric resistance heater?