On Sun, 18 Jan 2009 12:59:01 -0500, "Ed Pawlowski"
wrote:


"RBM" wrote in message

I have a propane torpedo heater with some spare full tanks for
emergencies. like 50,000 BTU. A buddy has frozen pipes at his home he
just called to borrow it

those 20 buck electric heaters with no other nheat in a zero
temperature are almost useless

BTU's are the same regardless of the heat source and how much they cost.
Although it would take a pile of 1500 watt electric heaters to do the job,
they are made for use in enclosed non vented spaces unlike propane
heaters, and they don't smell of combustion gases

That 1500 watt heater is only 5000 Btu so you'd need ten of them to equal
one good sized propane heater. Propane is best if it does not need
electricity at all. If power is out, you need an independent heat source.

I never did the calculations, but my home heater is 100,000 Btu and it does
not run all the time so actual heat needed to maintain temperature is below
that. While it may not be full comfort, about 35,000 Btu would stave off
freezing.

My furnace is a 2 stage 35/50kbtu.
House is 1350 sq ft 2 story with full basement (aproc 670 sq ft).
Here in central/south-western ontario it has NEVER run on high, and
with -20C temperatures it runs about 8 hours a day.
That means about 10000 BTUs are required on the coldest days.

That would be 3KW of heat on steady.
We have never spent $700 a year on gas - and we have a gas water
heater as well.
If my furnace quit and I could not get it repaired quickly I would
grab the 3KW heater from the garage along with the welder extention
cord and plug it into the drier plug in the basement, open the furnace
blower compartment lid and run the furnace fan with the heater in the
furnace room.

If the power goes out the 2500 watt Onan will run the furnace. (put
the Onan in the shed and run 12Ga extention cord to the plug-in for
the furnace in the garage at the panel. (poor man's disconnect)