best way to heat a home when power goes out?

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  • bradg

    Member
    May 12, 2017
    50
    We have a pellet stove. Pellet stove only uses a few hundred watts, so if you combine that with a generator, you have more than enough current to stay warm and have lights and a fridge.
     

    tjaw

    Member
    Nov 14, 2014
    81
    Monkton, MD.
    Kohler 16kW gen is fine...

    ...unless/until the contracted propane provider fails to provide. Almost everything is electric here, except for the oil-fired furnace, which will be fine unless/until the contracted heating oil provider fails to provide...
     

    Sloopjonb

    Member
    Feb 5, 2016
    44
    Natural gas if you have it or propane. I burned wood for years then converted to nat. gas, so when the power goes out it doesn't effect the heat much. I rarely use my main central heat.
     

    jjjefferson

    Member
    Aug 22, 2011
    21
    Laurel, MD
    Old fashioned way

    I use a wood fireplace that was an option when we had the house built.

    Since the lot had some hard wooded areas behind it....I have fuel both on the ground and standing.

    Sure...everyone was putting in gas....I have gas heat/hotwater....I picked the wood fireplace "for just such an emergency." We've used it a dozen times for power outtages.
     

    Overwatch326

    Active Member
    Aug 13, 2016
    365
    I always wanted a wood stove in my home for this purpose, but that's not going to be an option for now.

    Sure we could be talking about the end of the world, but let's say a snow storm knocks out power for several days. What are good an easy ways to keep the home warm enough?

    Sure I could just get in my arctic sleeping bag to prevent death, but that won't keep the pipes from freezing.

    If you don't want to make any alterations to your home, then yeah, a generator's probably your best bet. We use a propane stove, which is hooked up to a large tank outside. The install isn't too bad on changes to the home; you typically just have to drill a pass-through for the propane line to the stove. The one we have does use electric for the fans and sparker, but you can use a candle lighter to ignite the pilot light, too, and it'll burn just fine. It puts out a lot of heat even without the fans running, so that might be an option for you.
     

    Pinecone

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 4, 2013
    28,175
    ...unless/until the contracted propane provider fails to provide. Almost everything is electric here, except for the oil-fired furnace, which will be fine unless/until the contracted heating oil provider fails to provide...

    Doesn't your oil furnace have a combustion blower? And either a blower or pump to move the heat around?

    Still need electricity.
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,680
    FYI; 185 F

    Keep in mind it is still going to need a heat differential to run and functions largely by acting as a heat sink and blowing air over the heat sink.

    If it is just place in front of it, even if there is warm air converting past it, you won’t have the thermoelectric working and generating power.

    It’s about the temperature difference between the base and the ends.

    The 185F would be the stove it is actually sitting on vs room temperature above/around the top of the fan.
     

    mangleu

    Active Member
    Jan 29, 2020
    100
    I always wanted a wood stove in my home for this purpose, but that's not going to be an option for now.

    Sure we could be talking about the end of the world, but let's say a snow storm knocks out power for several days. What are good an easy ways to keep the home warm enough?

    Sure I could just get in my arctic sleeping bag to prevent death, but that won't keep the pipes from freezing.

    I'd stick with gas, but if you have plenty of access to wood and can deal with the labor involved it's a good secondary option.
     

    Mightydog

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    My propane Vermont Castings fireplace with electric blower and Ecofan on top. Keeps my cathedral ceiling living room quite toasty.
     

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    govwontletmebuycoolguns

    ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 3, 2010
    3,879
    DPRM
    Have my oil boiler with the backup generator (actually 2), and a wood stove to boot. During the winter I use the wood stove more than the boiler to heat the house....boiler basically just used for domestic hot water. Installed a transfer switch last year so I wouldn't have to run extension cords through the house....can run the boiler, freezers, fridge, well pump and both sump pumps.
     

    FrankOceanXray

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 29, 2008
    12,028
    No one mentioned the outdoor water boilers.

    See them up colder climates... But .. just not sold on them.
     

    euler357

    ,
    Industry Partner
    MDS Supporter
    Apr 6, 2011
    584
    Odenton, Marylandistan
    I got this last week to heat my garage workshop while I'm using it. It's about 25'x30' with 10' ceiling and it heats it from 45/50deg to 65deg in under an hour. I did put in a CO detector also but so far there have been no issues. I've got it connected to a 30lb propane tank with a low-pressure regulator. In an emergency, I could move this into the house

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DPZ56KU
     

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    JoeRinMD

    Rifleman
    Jul 18, 2008
    2,014
    AA County
    I have a wick-type kerosene heater that I use for my workshop, with an oscillating fan behind and above it to circulate the warm air. It does fine at bringing the temp up in the shop, and if moved into the family room upstairs, would probably protect the plumbing by making that room toasty while keeping the rest of the house above the freeze point. I'd use my generator to power the fridge and freezer, a few lights, and the oscillating fan.

    795561922334.jpg


    JoeR
     

    JoeRinMD

    Rifleman
    Jul 18, 2008
    2,014
    AA County
    We’ve run a kerosene heater in our basement. Only issue we’ve had is when the fuel runs out the house starts smelling of smoke.

    Yup...made that mistake too. Using K-1 kerosene, the heater smells very little, unless I hold down the "light" button too long, let it run out of kerosene, or don't lower the wick completely when I want to turn it off.

    JoeR
     

    euler357

    ,
    Industry Partner
    MDS Supporter
    Apr 6, 2011
    584
    Odenton, Marylandistan
    I thought about Kerosene but I have a 500gal propane tank for backup heat for the heat pump that could be connected to the propane heater if the power outage is longer than 30lb propane tanks can support. I'm calculating 1.3 lbs / hour when run continuously which isn't likely to be the case since it does have a thermostat and produces a lot of heat. Probably cycles about 25% on in the garage. Kerosene also requires rotation since it has a 2-5 year "shelf life." It's probably not an issue if you are using it regularly anyway though.
     

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