Need heating advice

[Propwash]

Electricity bills are going through the roof here in Britain, and as my current wall-mounted radiator in the living room is a big ancient power-hungry thing I'm shopping around for a smaller more efficient electric radiator.
Thankfully it's only a smallish room and should be easy to heat.
I've surfed the net and see a lot of them are "oil-filled", are they better than dry ones?
Any advice on the whole subject would be welcome, thanks.

 

[user 7368]

If you can still buy petrol or gas bottles at a reasonable price, I would look for an emergency solution with petrol or gas stove.
I don't know how your power grid is, but this winter a lot of people will want to heat with electric stoves and that could tear the whole power grid into blackout.
If Uncle Putin is provoked by the EU even more and has plans to start World War 3, energy in the form of electricity will also be scarce, you have an electric stove but without electricity it will never run again.

 

[Jim Costa]

I have used the oil filled electric heaters.
I really liked them in our camper because the gas heater was shot. They are reliable and safe. They have no moving parts, just a heating element.

I suspect the oil holds the heat longer thus is more energy efficient and/or produces more heat.
They are worth the money.

With them you might seal off a room and heat it with one.

 

[Mountain trapper]

Can you put in a wood stove? Is firewood or pressed logs available in your area? We heat strictly with wood, but we also have a propane furnace for a backup.

 

[GaRp58]

I've surfed the net and see a lot of them are "oil-filled", are they better than dry ones?

We have the oil filled ones in Germany and they eat lots of juice too. They take longer to heat the oil but do stay warm a bit longer after turning them off since the oil maintains the heat longer than air...not the best choice in my opinion...the only thing you cannot have problems with in the "future" is somebody NOT turning off (your electricity, gas or oil) is firewood. Get the right stove, access to some wooded land and start learning to build yourself a rocket stove for cooking and a rocket heater for heating your home or at least part of it.

 

[Carolina Mud Dog]

These work great:

I bought one to heat my kitchen because the room stays cool in the Winter.....You can also set the temp on these to what you want.....

 

[DrHenley]

The only kind of electric heaters that aren't obscenely inefficient are heat pumps. And those are only for temperate climates. Electric resistance heaters, whether they are oil filled, dry, or whatever, turn KWs directly into BTUs/hour. You are never going to get more energy out in the form of heat than you put in in the form of electricity. Ever.
To get 10,0000 BTU/hr of heat energy from electric resistance, you will need a minimum of 2.93 KW. Compare that to a 10,000 BTU/hr air conditioner that only requires 1.2 KW at most.
In other words, an air conditioner is over twice as efficient as an electric resistance heater in terms of BTUs per KW Hour.

 

[rainingcatzanddogs]

I would second a wood stove if you have the wood available to keep it going. It is my understanding that in many parts of Europe right now there has been a run on firewood, making it hard to get.

Another option would be a wood fired boiler...but, they are more expensive at the outset to buy than a wood stove. Indoor Wood Boilers for Sale - Home Heating | Tarm Biomass
The grade school I went to, had one of these and because it was steam driven, it kept the whole two story building warm without the overly dry air that comes with other forms of heating.

 

[Helen Back]

Whatever you can do, always be aware of gases from the source. More importantly, think about how to insulate the room to keep every bit of heat in it. Windows and doors lose the most heat, so think about insulating the window, and the gap at the bottom of the door in the room you choose. Wool blankets. Paper is an excellent insulator, just make sure it is a safe distance from heat sources.

 

[MNwr786]

This is going to be a disaster for those who try to close off parts of the house to try and save energy (I made this mistake once). The walls will get cold in those areas and condensation will have those rooms covered in black mold within the year. You gotta keep the whole place warm (above the dew point)!

 

[Mountain trapper]

Wood heat makes sense IF you can cut your own wood, or pick up scraps from a local sawmill. In many places firewood can cost $300 or more per cord. If you can cut your own its only the cost of fuel to run your chainsaw and for hauling it home.
We have several thousand acres of timber surrounding our home so firewood is "free" for us.

 

[Mountain trapper]

.

 

[user 6493]

Propane is the way to go,,, unless you don't mind the mess that goes along with wood heat

 

[GaRp58]

We are collecting dry corncobs, pinecones and dry sunflower heads from out garden and the surrounding fields within a few miles of the house. Free heat and good for starting a cold wood stove. Nobody can turn off my heat. All paper and cardboard we get from shopping is also used for starting from a cold stove. Nothing is wasted, first lesson of survival. Heat only when needed, save when able and dress warm or snuggle closer...live free, Gary

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

We are collecting dry corncobs, pinecones and dry sunflower heads from out garden and the surrounding fields within a few miles of the house. Free heat and good for starting a cold wood stove. Nobody can turn off my heat. All paper and cardboard we get from shopping is also used for starting from a cold stove. Nothing is wasted, first lesson of survival. Heat only when needed, save when able and dress warm or snuggle closer...live free, Gary

How are your kids in Germany doing Gary? Praying they have a wood stove and sufficient wood.

 

[Propwash]

Thanks for the replies doods and gals, I'm still processing them but am tending towards a "dry" (ie non-oil filled) electric radiator at the moment because i can't see what advantages an oil-filled one would have.
And as i see it, an oil one would take longer to begin heating the room because it'd have to heat the oil first.
Luckily I live in a small 3rd-floor flat which heats up quickly, but I might get some expanded polystyrene ceiling tiles so heat doesn't escape through the ceiling.
In fact most homes ceilings are too high anyway which means we're wasting cash and energy heating the empty space 3 feet above our heads, so I might try to get some really thick tiles i(f they make them), to fill up most of that space..

 

[Helen Back]

If your ceiling is tall, maybe try a ceiling fan and run it so it blows the warm air back down.

 

[Mountain trapper]

If your ceiling is tall, maybe try a ceiling fan and run it so it blows the warm air back down.

A ceiling fan is a good idea. We have 3 of them, one in the shop and two in the house, bedroom and living room. I'm going to add two more ceiling fans before next summer, one in the TV room and another in the wifes hobby room upstairs. They move a lot of air.

 

[DrHenley]

Thanks for the replies doods and gals, I'm still processing them but am tending towards a "dry" (ie non-oil filled) electric radiator at the moment because i can't see what advantages an oil-filled one would have.
And as i see it, an oil one would take longer to begin heating the room because it'd have to heat the oil first.
Luckily I live in a small 3rd-floor flat which heats up quickly, but I might get some expanded polystyrene ceiling tiles so heat doesn't escape through the ceiling.
In fact most homes ceilings are too high anyway which means we're wasting cash and energy heating the empty space 3 feet above our heads, so I might try to get some really thick tiles i(f they make them), to fill up most of that space..

Hang a false ceiling using insulated ceiling tiles. Most offices here have those. Then you can put lights flush with the ceiling wherever you want.

 

[rainingcatzanddogs]

Thanks for the replies doods and gals, I'm still processing them but am tending towards a "dry" (ie non-oil filled) electric radiator at the moment because i can't see what advantages an oil-filled one would have.
And as i see it, an oil one would take longer to begin heating the room because it'd have to heat the oil first.
Luckily I live in a small 3rd-floor flat which heats up quickly, but I might get some expanded polystyrene ceiling tiles so heat doesn't escape through the ceiling.
In fact most homes ceilings are too high anyway which means we're wasting cash and energy heating the empty space 3 feet above our heads, so I might try to get some really thick tiles i(f they make them), to fill up most of that space..

There are also these foam insulation boards. R-10 (2")was the highest R-value I found here easily available. They are lightweight and the ones I used in the cabin ceiling came prescored to fit between studs.

 

[GaRp58]

How are your kids in Germany doing Gary? Praying they have a wood stove and sufficient wood.

Hi sis, my son is unemployed at the moment, living off my MREs I left him and has not enough money to feed his visiting kids when they come. He is dependant on his landlord and the state for the gas to heat...except for a 800 watt infrared wall heater I left there. As long as he has electricity, he can survive with that. My daughter and her fiancee have about $ 6000.00 a month net and are presently helping my son to survive. They eat often together and only live about 3 miles apart, thank God. NEITHER of them has any alternative heating or water purifying ability. My daughter also has minimal food stored for maybe a few weeks....If the SHTF in Germany, they could only cuddle in blankets, or come here...if they can even get enough gas/diesel for the trip and all the roads are not blocked by military vehicles or the side roads from those trying to bug-out....not happy at all, but I cannot influence them at the moment.

 

[MNwr786]

Thanks for the replies doods and gals, I'm still processing them but am tending towards a "dry" (ie non-oil filled) electric radiator at the moment because i can't see what advantages an oil-filled one would have.
And as i see it, an oil one would take longer to begin heating the room because it'd have to heat the oil first.
Luckily I live in a small 3rd-floor flat which heats up quickly, but I might get some expanded polystyrene ceiling tiles so heat doesn't escape through the ceiling.
In fact most homes ceilings are too high anyway which means we're wasting cash and energy heating the empty space 3 feet above our heads, so I might try to get some really thick tiles i(f they make them), to fill up most of that space..

We have both dry and oil-filled heaters, and although the ceramic ones heat much faster, the oil-filled ones don't leave you with an instant chill once it cycles off. The hot oil continues to heat the room after the unit's internal thermostat shuts it off.. They are much safer if they tip over too because they have no hot spots. If you are stuck heating with electricity only, I would use both. Just mind your flat's electrical ratings. Small apartments are known for packing lots of outlets on the same breaker.

 

[Propwash]

Yeah, most ordinary houses including mine were originally built with rooms that are about 8 feet high, so maybe all future house builds should be regulated to have rooms that are only about 7 feet high so that we wouldn't have to heat the unwanted air space above our heads.
Here's DrHenley's pic of a typical room again, and i've shopped in what I mean, namely the empty space above the red dotted lines is useless and serves no useful purpose because the ceiling is unnecessarily too high.
Of course as members have said, we can always fill in that space with thick layers of lightweight expanded polystyrene insulation tiles..

 

[rainingcatzanddogs]

Yeah, most ordinary houses including mine were originally built with rooms that are about 8 feet high, so maybe all future house builds should be regulated to have rooms that are only about 7 feet high so that we wouldn't have to heat the unwanted air space above our heads.
Here's DrHenley's pic of a typical room again, and i've shopped in what I mean, namely the empty space above the red dotted lines is useless and serves no useful purpose because the ceiling is unnecessarily too high.
Of course as members have said, we can always fill in that space with thick layers of lightweight expanded polystyrene insulation tiles..

My cousin is 7'2" tall and his sister is 6'5. They aren't liking doorways much less a whole short room.

There is already enough regulation in building...if you want shorter ceilings, build them and if they sell, it will be a thing. If they don't...then that is on the builder. No need to use government to take even more choices away from people. Government regulation is part of the reason for the energy mess in the first place.

 

[Propwash]

We have both dry and oil-filled heaters, and although the ceramic ones heat much faster, the oil-filled ones don't leave you with an instant chill once it cycles off. The hot oil continues to heat the room after the unit's internal thermostat shuts it off.. They are much safer if they tip over too because they have no hot spots. If you are stuck heating with electricity only, I would use both. Just mind your flat's electrical ratings. Small apartments are known for packing lots of outlets on the same breaker.

Thanks but iI'm still trying to figger out the 'dry' or 'oil' thing..
For example suppose I set the thermostat to 22 degrees C, (regardless of whether it's a dry or oil radiator), I presume it'll switch on the radiator when it senses the room temperature is below 22, then switch it off when it senses the temp has climbed to over 22, and so on up and down like a roller coaster throughout the day.
So because dry's and oils both do roller coastering, why is one any more cost-efficient than the other?

 

[GaRp58]

So because dry's and oils both do roller coastering, why is one any more cost-efficient than the other?

The cost efficient question is not there. Only the time to heat and how long the heat is stored in the oil. Neither one is cost efficient, only the price in purchasing and the weight to move it around your house if it is not on wheels...

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

Saw this yesterday and thought many people could benefit from it. Especially those in Germany.




There is a Bermese guy I saw who uses the manure from 20 cows to heat and provide cooking for numerous houses via this method…but on a larger scale. Cool huh?!!