Heat without power

[92ThoStro]

Get a wood burning stove =]. Ours heats the house to 70 easily, we have gotten it over 80 upstairs from continuous burning. It's about 68 right now closed down on a slow burn. You can find wood cheap, people on craigslist give it away when they have trees cut down too. You will need a log splitter though. We have enough stored for over 2 winters. We do have 750 gallon lp tank, but it's way too expensive to fill, and the house is too old and inefficient, so it's only when we are gone for long periods of time, and don't want the pipes to freeze.

If you don't want to pay for a wood burning stove or a generator, go to tractor supply and get their portable kersone or lp heaters. Make sure you get CO detectors.

 

[BKExpress]

I have a couple of these. They work very well and hook up to normal propane tanks. However, a kerosene heater is probably best IMHO. If you can spring for a generator I would also recommend that. Then, you can run electic space heaters as well as other "essentials" like TV, microwave, etc.

 

[BKExpress]

++ on the CO detectors.

 

[DCM8513]

Thanks for the info guys. Looks like I've got some homework to do. After reading I think I'm leaning toward the kerosine. If stocked up on some kerosine in the fall how long would it last?

 

[BKExpress]

5 gallons of kerosene goes a long way...I use it ONLY if power goes out for an extended period of time. If you plan on using it for power outages, I would buy 5 or 10 gallons max. JMHO. Others may say stock up on more. Five gallons should last at least a few days if not longer.

 

[Kmcinnes]

We run with a wood burning fireplace, and generators if needed. Fireplace works great and it makes for some hot times with the Mrs. when your snowed in if you know what I mean!

 

[Donnelly]

Thanks for the info guys. Looks like I've got some homework to do. After reading I think I'm leaning toward the kerosine. If stocked up on some kerosine in the fall how long would it last?

Family Emergency Planning


Check that link. Fairly informative.

 

[ClydeB]

Thanks for the info guys. Looks like I've got some homework to do. After reading I think I'm leaning toward the kerosine. If stocked up on some kerosine in the fall how long would it last?

Really depends. You talking about storing or run time on a given amount of kerosene?

Here's what I have done. Mainly as a result of that ice storm of 2008 where I was out of power for a week.

What I do is take a 55 gallon metal unlined drum over to the fuel place and fill it up when needed. That's my primary storage. And not had any problems with it since early 2009. I figure with the fuel consumption of what I have for spare heating. A full barrel will give me almost 11 days of 24x7 constant heat.

Also have some of the blue 5 gallon totes

that I use to transport the kerosene from the barrel (with a hand pump from TSC) to bring into the house. I left 5 gallons in the tote last spring with no treatment and it was fine this fall.

I use one of those 23k duraheat kerosene heaters that you can normally get at most hardware stores Welcome To yourheater.com - Duraheat, Kerosene Heater Replacement Wick, Kerosene Heaters, Duraheat Kerosene Heaters, And Duraheat Heaters At www.yourheater.com (The DH2304 one). Mine sees semi regular use in the colder months. Unheated basement and hideously expensive electric heat. My run time on a full tank of 1.9 gallons is usually around 10 hours. Or .19 gallons per hour.

 

[10-32]

I have a couple of these. They work very well and hook up to normal propane tanks. However, a kerosene heater is probably best IMHO. If you can spring for a generator I would also recommend that. Then, you can run electic space heaters as well as other "essentials" like TV, microwave, etc.

Personally I'd stay away from the Salamander style heater for use in your home.

 

[10-32]

5 gallons of kerosene goes a long way...I use it ONLY if power goes out for an extended period of time. If you plan on using it for power outages, I would buy 5 or 10 gallons max. JMHO. Others may say stock up on more. Five gallons should last at least a few days if not longer.

Five gallons may last a few days but what if something happens and you need a weeks worth? Kero does store for a very long time. I've kept some up to 3 years and it burns fine.

Remember the Rules of Three. Three 5 gallons containers should give you a nice cushion for a week without heat.

 

[IndianasFinest]

My house was built in 2007, and is all electric. I couldn't afford a big enough generator to run the 15,000 kw resistance coil heat so I installed a wood burning stove. I'm not sure if the heat works in my house anymore, and could care less !! I did have a few large kerosene heaters before the wood stove for emergency. My electric bills went from $350 in the cold months down to barely $100.

 

[DCM8513]

Thanks for all the input guys. Im definately going to go with the kerosine. Now i need recomendations for which heater to get. My house is about 750 square feet and would like to find someting to heat it entirely without stressing it. Also, do they make kerosine generators? That would be my next purchase and figured it would be nice to be able to use similar fuels if im storing it.

 

[IndianasFinest]

My house is 2750' square, and I had two 35,000 btu kerosene heaters. I never had to use them, but my plan was to close off certain areas with blankets to contain the heat. If you only need to heat 750' propane may be a better option. Those Mr. Buddy heaters work really well without the inherent kerosene scent. I've seen 100 gallon propane tanks on Craigslist for really cheap which would last you a good while.

 

[10-32]

Thanks for all the input guys. Im definately going to go with the kerosine. Now i need recomendations for which heater to get. My house is about 750 square feet and would like to find someting to heat it entirely without stressing it. Also, do they make kerosine generators? That would be my next purchase and figured it would be nice to be able to use similar fuels if im storing it.

From what I've been told by a diesel mechanic and a truck driver is Kero and Diesel are basically the same thing. Kero is the cleaner of the two. Kero is also used to "winterize" diesel fuel (helps keep it from gelling in freezing weather).

I don't know if what I have been told is totally true or not but if what they have told me is true, you should be able to run Kero in a diesel generator. Maybe someone else here can verify this info.

 

[XDLover]

Kerosine is a good source. We keep a large Heater for that purpose but also have a generator and use tower heaters in previous outages of power.

 

[mike4]

Of course the best answer varies with budget, home setting, and what you already have to work with. I went the same path as Bikerdad61. Already have LP gas heat but the concern is running the furnace blower and electronics. Scored a vent free gas log for low cost when they were selling them out at end of season to provide a zero electricity heating option.

That provides a good fixed base solution here, but the fully portable options have two advantages. 1) If you move your solution moves with you to a new home. 2) If friends or relatives get hit but you don't you can help them out.

 

[Timcor3]

Amazing how we rely on so many amenities these days. The pioneers would laugh at us today.

 

[gunman41mag]

I would get a " H O T " girlfriend

 

[HavokCycle]

kero is indeed the cleanest, but in general, anything that is powered by it can be considered multi-fuel, running on kero, diesel, jet fuel, and #2 fuel oil. i think there's another one in there somewhere. DO NOTE, there are exceptions to this.

only 1-K kero burns exceptionally clean, to be used indoors. DO NOT make the mistake of trying to heat your home with diesel in a wick heater, you'll choke and die within short order.

 

[mfirem19]

Kerosene is the way to go. I like the lp heaters but fire hazard goes up since its open. Although you do have to have proper ventilation for kerosene.