Heat

[Terri19]

I am learning, but was wondering what everyone was going to use to heat house if we lose electricity

 

[JohnnyilSanto]

I am learning, but was wondering what everyone was going to use to heat house if we lose electricity

I think we would all sleep in the room where the fireplace is located.

 

[Morgan101]

The fireplace is the first choice. We have plenty of firewood, and access to plenty more. We also have a kerosene heater and an indoor rated propane heater with several canisters of propane.

If it is a prolonged power outage my plan is to camp in an interior room in the house. Only the front wall would be exposed to the outside. The other three walls adjoin another room. Close off the rest of the house, and only go there when needed. The room is large enough to accommodate the three of us. Plenty of blankets and warm clothing.

 

[jontte]

don't have a fire place,but have a small stove ; heat and a way to cook food, it would though mean sleeping in one room during winter time.
belive many here have generators,solar panels to fix electricity.

 

[Terri19]

Thank you... my family and extended family are trying to figure out our options

 

[Brent S]

A wood stove is so much more efficient than a fireplace and uses much less fuel. I can even cook on mine.

 

[Dani]

We use a wood stove to heat our house during winter. Wood is plentiful here and just takes time and energy.

 

[Mountain trapper]

We heat our house with a wood stove. We can cook on it too. We also have a backup propane forced air furnace, with AC. We had our last (hopefully) fire yesterday morning. We'll never run out of firewood here.

 

[Proud Prepper]

We have a fireplace in the family room. A portable fireplace for the deck outside, propane heaters and a wood burning stove.

 

[JackDW]

I generally use GAS for my heat. Hopefully, even if electricity goes out, gas will continue to flow. Just need enough juice to run the ignitors and blowers (genny or solar power). I do have a fireplace that we use, just for show, as it is very inefficient but I have an older (and very heavy) wood stove sitting in my garage that I can move into the fireplace area. I have the metal plate to block off the FP and can be up and running with wood pretty quickly.

 

[Petoski]

I am learning, but was wondering what everyone was going to use to heat house if we lose electricity

Firewood. I would always recommend having a fireplace and a wood burning stove.

 

[Gennadievich]

1.For heating better and trouble-free wood-burning brick stove. The number of bricks must be calculated based on the area of the room.
2. Liquefied propane gas is used for cooking
3. Electricity - for heating water in the shower or washing dishes
------
it should be noted that functions can be mixed.
eg: - wood stove not only for heating, but also for cooking.

 

[Maverick]

For heat I use wood, pellet, I still have a ton of coal and a baker coal stove also propane if i need to, I cook over wood or use propane, electricity has limited use here.

 

[Petoski]

The problem with using options other than firewood is that in a SHTF situation you are unlikely to find any wood pellets or propane. The safest option is to have a plot of land, plant trees and buy an axe.

 

[Maverick]

The problem with using options other than firewood is that in a SHTF situation you are unlikely to find any wood pellets or propane. The safest option is to have a plot of land, plant trees and buy an axe.

That is true, in a SHTF! My answer above was strictly related to the original post

I have roughly two years of propane, about a year worth of pellets but a damn near unlimited supply of wood.

 

[Gennadievich]

about firewood ..
1.
firewood is known to "live" in the Forest, therefore it is required:
- permission for the preparation of firewood
- cut firewood with a chainsaw
- bring firewood from the forest
- chop and stack firewood
- dry for 1 year, even if the wood is "dry" (humidity should be less than 20 percent)
-----------
2.
There are "dry" trees that Stand or Lie.
Never take Dying Trees, even if they are not on the ground, but on other trees (windbreak). they are really rotten by 1/3 Take only Standing trees.
-------
3.
in my region
- fur tree, pine tree
- aspen
- Birch
- oak
The best option is birch.
Spruce and Pine provide little heat and a lot of resin
Oak gives a lot of warmth but is very difficult to cut.
Aspen gives very little heat, but it is used as a catalyst if you heat with Spruce or Pine.

Besides..
firewood is best prepared in winter.

here is an oak and an aspen
and also chopped oak




birch firewood

 

[Gennadievich]

For heat I use wood, pellet, I still have a ton of coal and a baker coal stove also propane if i need to, I cook over wood or use propane, electricity has limited use here.

The cost of heating with different types of fuel should be calculated.
This calculation includes
-----------
1. The cost of production of 1 kW * h
For example, Russia:
(1 USD = 70 rubles)
- methane - 0.5 rubles
- propane - 3-4 rubles
- electricity - 4-7 rubles
- firewood - 1-2 rubles
then calculate how many kilowatts you need for a house
1 kW * h for 10 m2 in the "middle geographic band"
---------
2. Heater efficiency:
- gas boiler - 80-90
- electric boiler - 95-98
- wood stove - 60-80
--------
3. Equipment Cost
--------
4. Cost of connection and maintenance
------
5. Taxes and Permits.
-----
When you count these costs, you get a "dynamic payback series". We need to build graphs.

I did it for myself, but it's in Russia.

 

[user 6493]

I am learning, but was wondering what everyone was going to use to heat house if we lose electricity

I have a wood heater that doubles as a cook stove,,,,it has been my primary heat source for 10 years or more

 

[Maverick]

The cost of heating with different types of fuel should be calculated.
This calculation includes
-----------
1. The cost of production of 1 kW * h
For example, Russia:
(1 USD = 70 rubles)
- methane - 0.5 rubles
- propane - 3-4 rubles
- electricity - 4-7 rubles
- firewood - 1-2 rubles
then calculate how many kilowatts you need for a house
1 kW * h for 10 m2 in the "middle geographic band"
---------
2. Heater efficiency:
- gas boiler - 80-90
- electric boiler - 95-98
- wood stove - 60-80
--------
3. Equipment Cost
--------
4. Cost of connection and maintenance
------
5. Taxes and Permits.
-----
When you count these costs, you get a "dynamic payback series". We need to build graphs.

I did it for myself, but it's in Russia.

I never have one source of heat as an option for us, I like multiple sources as heat, we lose power out here during the winter so I have multiple options available that doesn't rely on the grid, very seldom do I consider cost. Electric rates are one of the lowest in the nation, I pay 6.73cents per KWH

But we don't use electricity for heating or cooking. I can provide heat, hot water and cook strictly using propane, wood and electricity (lighting, well pumps) for $876 dollars a year for propane and electricity total just for the house. That's a bargain compared to other parts of the country.

 

[DrHenley]

Not everyone has unlimited access to wood, but I do and you don't just have to burn wood, you can generate wood gas with it which can then be used to do things like run internal combustion engines, which can generate electricity, and you can even power vehicles with wood gas.

 

[jontte]

should we calculate "sweat and tears" into this too?
just asking.

 

[Gennadievich]

... I pay 6.73cents per KWH

6.73 cents per kilowatt hour is about 4.7 rubles in Russia.
----
it looks like ... It is very cheap for America, but expensive for Russia.
----
.. but it is not so. well, I will later create a Branch where to calculate the "internal purchasing power of the dollar and the ruble".
------
you will be surprised.
no "propaganda".
---
by the way, I lived in America in the late 90s ..

 

[Petoski]

should we calculate "sweat and tears" into this too?
just asking.

I do.

We get electric from the grid but heat the house with wood from our own plot. I calculate my labour time/wage when doing the prep work like cutting and stacking. I also factor in my labour costs with all tasks like this to see if it better for me to do it myself or hire someone to do it for me. For a few hours of work a year chopping wood is definitely cost effective for me as I work a low wage job.

I agree having multiple options is best.

 

[Gennadievich]

I do.

We get electric from the grid but heat the house with wood from our own plot. I calculate my labour time/wage when doing the prep work like cutting and stacking. I also factor in my labour costs with all tasks like this to see if it better for me to do it myself or hire someone to do it for me. For a few hours of work a year chopping wood is definitely cost effective for me as I work a low wage job.

I agree having multiple options is best.

Finns mainly heat urban housing with electricity.
-----
Besides..
Finland has a clear division of housing into:
- for permanent residence
- for temporary residence
they differ in laws, taxes ...
------
There is no such thing in America.
In Russia there are, but they differ from the Finnish

 

[jontte]

we rely too much on the electricity,majority thinks still, nothing will happen,there's always electricity and heat.
and the majority of new small houses built haven't a wood stove,like the old ones have, with any luck there might be a fire place ( for looks only ).
therefore, if/when I shake the city dust off my boots,the place will be older,with a wood stove as back-up, a good fire place and as a bonus I would love to have a wood burning oven too.

true, we can't live permanently in those temporary residences, our IRS will come after you if you do, in a shtf situation, no one gives a damn about those laws.

 

[Gennadievich]

we rely too much on the electricity,majority thinks still, nothing will happen,there's always electricity and heat.
and the majority of new small houses built haven't a wood stove,like the old ones have, with any luck there might be a fire place ( for looks only ).
therefore, if/when I shake the city dust off my boots,the place will be older,with a wood stove as back-up, a good fire place and as a bonus I would love to have a wood burning oven too.

true, we can't live permanently in those temporary residences, our IRS will come after you if you do, in a shtf situation, no one gives a damn about those laws.

there is a wonderful very large Finnish real estate website.
In Finnish.
there are many interesting things.
------
unfortunately I have lost the link and cannot find it.
if you find this site, then please provide a link.

 

[jontte]

one is "oikotie.fi", that's the one I browse and look around.

 

[Illini Warrior]

besides the heat source question you need to prep in advance to sub-divide the heated space and insulate ...

poly sheeting with thermal mass coverings like bedding & blankets and Harbor Freight moving blankets over any windows/doorways sectioning off the heated room from the remainder of the home/apartment ...

at nite you can further reduce the heat required by using a pop-up camping tent and super insulating under & around >>> secondary benefit is some personal privacy from others sharing the room ....

the pop-up tent is good benefit prep gear for bugging out - outdoors protection and privacy/security for a bug out to the local FEMA refugee facility ....

 

[Gennadievich]

one is "oikotie.fi", that's the one I browse and look around.

Terve!
thanks, but this is not the same site.
In the summer I live near the forest and use my tablet to go online.
I will come to Moscow in autumn and find the address of this Finnish site on my computer

 

[Maudite]

I am learning, but was wondering what everyone was going to use to heat house if we lose electricity

We're off grid....not a concern since we use firewood - estimate enough for three winters, but will be adding more...