Winter survival in your house

[MrMillspecer]

We use a wood stove as our primary heat source so that's covered. We also have a buddy heater I have use in the boat for sturgeon fishing. Also a Yamaha 2000w generator. Flashlights, headlamps, oil lamps on the ready. If a storms coming then extra water stored for flushing and washing cooking. Extra milk, bread provisions. Full tanks of gas and extra in Jerry cans. Full the wood bin by the house. Light on in pumphouse and cover spigots if freezing.

One of our best Christmases was without power for a week with the kids. We opened all these electronics and just laughed. Played a lot of board games and had some good quality time. Meals cooked on the wood stove were fantastic.

 

[or.hunter]

We got the Big buddy to help heat the house through the cold weather this year. We got their adapter hose to run on a tank rather than the 1lb bottles. But either way makes it very portable and can be used around the house or camping so the investment is really good.

On a 5 gal tank it is rated to run on low - 4000 btu - for about 110 hours, Med - 9000 btu - will go about 50 hours, and high - 18000 btu - will go about 24 hours.
We have a 1200 sq foot single story house, and while the power never went out, this heater kept the house around 69-72 degrees. We ran it on low during the day and med at night when the temps went down. It was very comfortable all day and night.
We did run an electric fan in the hallway to help push the warm air towards the bedrooms, but after a couple days we quit doing that as it wasn't really necessary.

We did get the electric adapter to run the fan, but it also runs on 4 D cell batteries, so if the power did go out it would still heat and we could run the fan to help circulate the air. The propane tank is out on the back deck and I ran the hose through an access hole in the fireplace. Of course we checked for leaks on every bottle change.
The only time we really got any smell is when we ran a tank clear out. With the o2 sensor in the heater, and a carbon monoxide alarm in the house, I did not worry about having issues.

Just refilled the propane tanks yesterday and cost less than $50 to run the heater this way since the 2nd. So we are very happy with the outcome.

 

[bbbass]

We have the large Mr. Heater with 4 ceramic planks = 30,000btu. It flat drives us out of our 36' 5th wheel trailer to the point where I wish I'd bought the smaller one. I'm thinkin something like this would be good for your sq. ft.: (10gal tank lasts us 3 days but that's single pane windows and 2" walls). It has a thermostat that you can set so that it is not running all the time. Unfortunately there is no way to turn off a few planks. If you have even a small genny you can run the fan but it's not mandatory.

 

[The Heretic]

I suggest people learn what temps they can accommodate comfortably.

I find I can be quite comfortable at between 60* and 62*F if I am wearing street clothes and being moderately active around the house, probably cooler temps.

If I am sedentary (watching TV, reading, working on the computer) then street clothes with a long terry hooded robe works at those temps too - or a jacket and a hat to keep my head warm. I could probably tolerate cooler temps if I wore thin gloves and maybe a thin balaclava - not that I couldn't go cooler yet, I just get distracted by the cold and a bit uncomfortable - especially if I am not moving about.

Outside, if I am doing hard work, most anything above 40* and not raining is fine - in fact, above 60*F outside and I have to take breaks to cool down.

Depending on what the outside temp is, there is probably a significant energy expenditure difference between 60* and 70*F.

I know at night I simply turn the heat off regardless of outside temps and I am quite toasty in my bed with a few covers until it gets below 50*F inside.

I regularly keep the inside of my house under 65*F and find that very comfortable.

 

[DavidA]

I have a Heat & Glow natural gas fireplace insert that can be started with a 9V battery if the power is out.

 

[Mark Torrence]

Caution! It has probably already been said but you should NEVER under any circumstances run a heater that burns ANY kind of fossil fuel or charcoal indoors. They produce carbon monoxide and will certainly kill you. Even propane produces a small amount of this and other toxic gases.
We has a pellet stove with propane powered generator back up. My generator will power most of my home including lights, fridge/freezer, well and heat. Propane stores easily and almost indefinitely. It is easy to store in 100# tanks and I have enough to last several days to two weeks. The 110# tanks are just about as big as I want to move by hand when full and can be easily transported to be filled. IF that is available. Love the pellet stove especially for the coastal climate since it produces enough dry heat to warm my 2100sq ft house.

 

[Mark Torrence]

AND by the way we have had the power go out here on the coast for as long as 8 days. It was really nice to have lights and heat!

 

[justsaymo]

Another vote for the Big Buddy heater.

We heat our 350 sf cabin in sub zero (F) temps. It has R-21 in the floors, R-13 in the walls and R-21+ in the vaulted lid. Once heated we can run the heater on low to keep it toasty warm inside during very cold temps and intermittently when temps are 20*F or more.

Two Big Buddy's kept our 3800sf home in 55*+ in 20's*F weather.

We burn less than 2 gal/ heater /day if on medium or less.

The bulk tanks are the way to go.

Based on our digital CO meter our Gas Range puts more CO into the atmosphere just cooking than the Big Buddy's do heating full time. We do keep a window about 1/2" open in the room the heater is operating in.

 

[Camelfilter]

Buddy heaters with the ceramic plates are catalytic type heaters. They do not produce carbon monoxide*, they produce carbon dioxide and water, and consume oxygen. They aparrently have a low oxygen auto-shutoff.

*any catalytic heater with a contaminated eliment will produce carbon monoxide.

Carbon dioxide = fine
Carbon monoxide = bad news

That's why we don't run them without a CO detector.

 

[Retired Guy]

Another vote for a pellet stove. Same boat here - all electric house. The first time we had a power failure during a cold snap, I had a wife and 3 very young children at home. With no alternate heat, I sent them off to a hotel while I stayed at home. First of all, the closest hotel with a room was 40 miles away and they were charging a very high price. But with three young children, what are you going to do? It destroyed our budget for 2 months. After a couple very miserable days, our power came back on.

When we could, we bought a generator and had a wood pellet stove installed. In subsequent power failures, I just fire up the generator and power up the pellet stove. The really nice thing about the pellet stove is that you can fill the hopper up and it will run all night (as long as the generator is running). No waking up at every 3 hours to toss a log in.

The generator also kept the refrigerator cold, ran the coffee maker, and powered lights. With 3 young kids, it was also nice to turn on the TV and VCR to keep them occupied.

Generator and Pellet Stove. By the way, I later upgraded my original Generac generator to a Yamaha. The Yamaha is very quiet. I was always worried that someone would try to "borrow" my Generac generator. You could hear it running blocks away. The Yamaha is so quiet that you can't hear it 100 yards away.

 

[Ura-Ki]

Here in the High Mountains, Power is a luxury we loose often enough that I need a back up Gen set and other means of heating! Wood stoves are a problem, even with -30 deg temps and 5 feet of snow on deck, a forest fire is a possibility, so we have issues/very expensive stove treatment that is a must have for wood heat! My Home is about 1900 SqF, and I can close off a few rooms and heat with a couple of Old Oil Storm Lamps, Specifically the Aladdin Chimney Burner Lamps! You would be surprised at how much heal and light one of these lamps can produce and the amount of time it takes to make a room comfortable enough to say in for some time! I collect these lamps, and have used them to augment my generator so I am not using fuel if I don't have to!

 

[The Heretic]

UK - I really doubt that you can start a forest fire on my mountain in the middle of winter after 9 inches of rain and a foot of snow have fallen, but everybody's situation is different.

Fortunately, it just doesn't get that cold here - the worst I have seen it is about 15*F - not like east of the Cascades. My house is fairly well insulated - the roof is rated at R35 - so most of my heat escapes out the large windows I have on one side of the house.

 

[RogerHWerner]

Weve had 7 to 25 degree weather the last 6 weeks. If our power went out even for a short time we'd be in trouble. We have electric heat and no fireplace or wood stove. What would be a good, safe source of heat I could keep avalible just in case? I do have a camp heater that runs on white gas that I've used before but I had a huge house back than. My present place is a small 2 story, 900 ft each floor. What would work?

 

[RogerHWerner]

I suppose it depends on how much money you would be willing to spend. Since your house is all electric, I would recommend a system that would keep your house juiced if the grid went down. I would tackle this from two directions. One option would be to but portable solar panels that could be pluged into system and replace lost grid electricity. Solar isn't enough in many parts of the country. Therefore solar should be supplemented with a wind generator. Considering the size of your house, I would estimate the two systems wouldn't cost more than $500.00. A gas generator isn't viable unless you have a way to store gasoline. If the grid goes down, very few gas stations will be pumping gas. A wood stove is an optional add on since a single stove could heat a small house. Modern wood stoves with modest BTU output will cost $1500 or more (EPA sets standards on emisions). Not knowing where you live, it's harrd to estimate the cost for a cord of hardwood. Where I live, a cord of hard wood is not less than $150.00.

 

[tionico]

Weve had 7 to 25 degree weather the last 6 weeks. If our power went out even for a short time we'd be in trouble. We have electric heat and no fireplace or wood stove. What would be a good, safe source of heat I could keep avalible just in case? I do have a camp heater that runs on white gas that I've used before but I had a huge house back than. My present place is a small 2 story, 900 ft each floor. What would work?

WHite gas indoors is NOT safe.. carbon monoxide poisoning is a real danger.

If you cannot put in a wood stove *the BEST solution) one good option is to get a stand alone gas (propane, in this case) infrared type heater, These are safe to run indoors, as they don't produce poisonous CO. There are some fairly large ones (I've got one that's about 2 ft x 3 ft). I think I got it at the Home Cheapo... MAKE SURE you read all the stuff about it to assure its safe indoors. You will stilll need to make certain there is a source of new oxygen, as the heater will consume that as it burns the propane. Use the standard five gallon barbecue bottle (buy your own, the exchange system is a rip) and have a backup, Two full ones. I seem to remember my heater came with the hose and regulator for the propane tank. You MUST use a regulator, else it will run away. this is a radiant heat type unit big ceramic matrix in the front, the gas burns on that and has little flame, but glows REAL hot and pushes heat off the front like crazy. Think the unit cost somewhere between 100 and 150, but I got the big one. Another option would be the large post type units you sometimes see on covered shelters outdoor at restaurants... Costco sell them, and Home CHeapo Harbour Fright, etc. the five gallon bottle goes into the cabinat at the base. These, too are, gas infrared, safe for indoor use. No CO.

Find a way to get round the obstacles that make you think you can't install a wood burning stove. That is by far the best way of enduring power outages...... you can cook on it as well as heat the home.

 

[Camelfilter]

oHH...& I forgot all about the made in Oregon non-electric pellet stoves. Gravity.

Worth a look!

Home - Wiseway Pellet Stove

 

[Angie]

I did a search and found that there's many indoor propane and kerosene heaters avalible in the $100 range. Wood heat is not an option here. A safe portable heater that I can store in the garage is what I'm looking for.

We have one of those kerosene heaters. It will use $50 worth of fuel in a weekend trying to keep the shop warm. A wood stove or some kind of propane furnace is much less expensive.

 

[Joe13]

Current backup is a gas "fireplace" and a RV battery/inverter (have a large solar panel to charge) to run the fan in the insert, getting more heat out of it.

I've kinda been on the lookout for a old freestanding wood stove/yard ornament to buy and keep in the yard along with the required flue pipe and floor tile (in the garage) to be able to punch a hole in a wall and have wood heat... Wood provided from the houses of the dead.

Exact same here.

I have firewood I keep for when I'm camping but if I had a wood stove in the basement then it would heat the upstairs as well and could be used to boil water and cook if the outage was that long.

 

[mjbskwim]

To give an example of the mind set of some folks here,the gal across the street has a wood stove,propane furnace(main heat),and an oil stove. Not a bad idea to cover all the bases.

 

[The Heretic]

To give an example of the mind set of some folks here,the gal across the street has a wood stove,propane furnace(main heat),and an oil stove. Not a bad idea to cover all the bases.

Fuel diversity.

I have propane, diesel, kerosene, gasoline and wood.