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 a

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?

--

Christopher A. Young
You can't shout down a troll.
You have to starve them.
..

Stormin Mormon wrote:
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 a

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?

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

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.


"Stormin Mormon" wrote in message
...
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 a

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?

--

Christopher A. Young
You can't shout down a troll.
You have to starve them.
.

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

nctioning.

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 a

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?

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?