What's the best short-term (~1 wk) heat source for a house?

TreeFarmer · Heavy Crude Joined: Jun 26, 2007 Posts: 301

The title says it all, what is the best one-week heat source for a house during an emergency? I live in Pennsylvania and currently heat with Nat Gas and I have to have electricity to make this work.

So, what is the best alternative heating souce should there be up to a 1 week outage in either or both of electricity and Nat Gas?

I've considered a Pellet Stove, Wood Stove, Coal Stove but I'm wondering what everyone here thinks. I would most likely install whatever I buy in the finished part of my basement where I have a large family room.

So far I'm leaning toward a Pellet Stove with a battery backup coupled with some small generator to recharge the battery OR a small Coal Stove and building a coal bin in the unfinished part of my basement for the coal.

Let's hear it folks, what would you do?

TreeFarmer

pup55 · Expert Joined: May 26, 2004 Posts: 3597

Sustainable Living

When in doubt, go with 300-year old technology, invented in exactly that part of the country, so no problem with adaptability or fuel source.

The other 51 weeks per year, it can be an elegant addition to your basement decor.

Bas

I was gonna say electricity, but since that is out of the question...

depends on where you live, if you live in the country side wood might be best, but you have to plan that in advance (chopping/drying of wood). In the city coal might be best, but since the whole infrastructure for the supply of coal to consumers seems to have gone this wouldn't be a long term solution, so it may be better to go for heatingoil (if you're dependent on Gas)

Anyway, it's a good idea to not be dependent on one source of heat, especially when you live in a place where it can get very cold in winter.

kokoda · Heavy Crude Joined: Aug 24, 2006 Posts: 420

Can't go past a pot belly stove. You can just about burn anything in it.

Not only will it keep you warm but you can cook with it and heat water.

RonMN

for an "emergency" you don't want to rely on anything but yourself...so pellets are out (they may be in short supply).

Forget the battery backup & generator...I would go with a stove that can burn both coal & wood...then have a X week supply of fuel at the ready.
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Fishman

Cheapest source for one week is definitely kerosene. Not the safest, not the cleanest, but easily affordable. You could also make that a kerosene wick stove, heat and eat off the same source.

Ayoob · Expert Joined: Jul 15, 2004 Posts: 1038

For one week? I've heated my leaky as hell Chicago apartment in the dead of winter on a Kerosene heater and sat in my boxers sweating balls the whole time. Cost me about ten bucks.

At the moment in Southern California, I heat my apartment with an 8 quart pot of water (with a stick of cinnamon and a pinch of cloves and nutmeg for a nice holiday smell) on natural gas, but could do with propane in a pinch. Propane would run about $11 for 36 hours of burn time. I could stretch 36 hours of burn time for six hours a day for six days and take the last day off.

pedalling_faster · Intermediate Crude Joined: Dec 10, 2005 Posts: 766

some stores have propane heaters that are the
size of a large microwave oven or small fridge.
i think in the range of $300 to $500.
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mattduke · Light Sweet Crude Joined: Oct 28, 2005 Posts: 1170

I second the kerosene heater.

JRP3 · Heavy Crude Joined: Oct 23, 2006 Posts: 394

A guy named Treefarmer asking what's the best way to heat? Comon, it's too obvious. WOOD STOVE! You can burn wood, twigs, newspaper, furniture, whatever. You don't need electricity, gas or kerosene.
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SchroedingersCat · Intermediate Crude Joined: May 26, 2005 Posts: 519

Dear catalog retailer,
Please put me on your mailing list. Stove hungry.
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pstarr

And believe it or not, fireplace wood is carbon neutral and does not contribute to global climate change. Smile

Tell me more?

When you cut a tree in a forest, the neighboring trees quickly send branches out to fill the opening left by the tree you took. Also small shrubs and baby trees grow on the forest floor. This new growth draws in enough carbon out of the atmosphere to compensate for the release from you combustion. Now isn't that a win win win^{(win win win)} and Fun With Science (tm)?
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ree rah rip ram. sunofabitch godamn. hidey didey christ almighty. rah rah crap wav

Gerben

Asuming that this emergency hits your neighbours as well: move your tv and other stuff you don't need out to the garage. Invite your neighbours over and play cards every night till dark. People emit heat.

Pops

Buy a pile of secondhand clothes and blankets, get thin layers with lots of loft and pile them on.
Don't forget to drain the pipes or leave them drip.

If you still have money, buy a couple of propane bottles and a vent-less radiant heater with CO2 sensor and legs to sit on a combustible floor.
Heat one or two rooms, hang blankets over the doorways to the others.
Don’t sleep in the same room! Use your spare blankets and wear clothes to bed.
The heater is $150 or so and full bottles maybe $50 each – and you can use them for the barbeque later.

If you still have money then ...
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