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How to Stay Warm During a Winter Power Outage
Now that the winter months are upon us, we need to be prepared for power outages. How do you stay warm if the power goes out during a cold winter storm? Here are some points to consider:
Move to One Room
Instead of trying to heat the whole house, focus your attention on heating just one room of the house. Everyone’s body heat in one room is a great help to keeping everyone warm. Try to pick a room that gets a lot of natural sunlight and has a heating source. Ideally, you would pick a windowed room on the southwest side of your home.
“We’re Not Heating the Neighborhood!”
Like your parents yelled at you as a kid, “We’re not trying to heat the neighborhood!” Try to plug up all those leaks where the heat is seeping out of the room. Stuff towels and small blankets into window sills, door frames and other areas where the heat is leaking out.
- The 10 Costliest Natural Disasters in U.S. History -
Shower Curtains Over Windows
You’ll want to keep heat in your room but still allow natural light to enter the room from a window. A great way to help you do that is with a shower curtain. Remove the shower curtain from the bathroom – without power no one is going to want to take a cold shower anyways. Carefully tape or attach the clear shower curtain to the wall so that natural light can come through the curtain but it prevents hot air from leaving through the window.
Rugs or Carpet
Make sure that heat isn’t escaping through the floor either. Take rugs and mats from around the home and lay them down in your room. Add a few layers between you and the cold floor.
Tents in the Living Room
A great idea that we have seen is to set up tents inside your living room. One family had a tent for the boys and a tent for the girls. This trapped in the heat to an even more confined area inside their living room.
Put on a Hat
“[The] reason we lose heat through our head is because most of the time when we’re … in the cold, we’re clothed,” said Richard Ingebretsen, adjunct instructor at the University of Utah School of Medicine. “If you don’t have a hat on, you lose heat through your head, just as you would lose heat through your legs if you were wearing shorts.”
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Leave During the Day
You don’t want your home to become a cold dungeon. Make the family go outside and soak up the rays during the day. Obviously, if there is a winter storm, you’ll have to stay indoors. But make the house a warm location to return to at the end of the day instead of a cold jail.
Eat Before You Go To Bed
By eating before you go to bed, your body will be digesting during the night time – keeping you a little warmer than normal as you sleep.
How Do You Stay Warm?
When the power goes out, what do you do? Provide your comments below to tell us how you stay warm during a power outage.
You might be interested in:
How to Winterize Your Home
26 Lessons from Hurricane Sandy
You do not mention any clothing except hats. Please check out the science at http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2011/02/body-insulation-thermal-underwear.html for the great usefulness of synthetic thermal underwear (not cotton, it does not wick and can kill you in cold weather because when wet it lets body heat escape). Note: the clo-value is a US measurement unit
December 6th, 2012 at 3:31 amLucky for us we have a fireplace. We can seal off the livingroom and gather sleeping bags for everyone. We can cook over the fire, play games(until dark) and then it’s bedtime for all.
December 6th, 2012 at 4:42 amI wear as many layers of clothes as necessary inside. Sometimes that is a t-shirt, a heavy shirt and 3 wool sweaters; and long underwear, heavy trousers and wind pants over that. The wind pants work wonders. Of course, heavy wool socks in shoes that are not too tight, or down or fiberfill booties. About 5 blankets on the bed at night. Dressing this way, I don’t need to use the heat at all. My electric bill is about $30 a month. You better be a loner, though. Friends won’t tolerate such a cold house.
December 6th, 2012 at 5:06 amOur kids really enjoyed the winter we had to set up the tent inside the house. Stayed comfortable, but even more important to them was it was fun. They loaded it up with their stuffed animals, and played. Making the time pass without computers and/or television.
December 6th, 2012 at 5:33 amLayers of lightweight cotton clothing is one way that I have kept warm during the winter months. When I was a child, my mother and grandparents also had wool and thermal blankets for sleeping. I live in southwest Texas where it doesn’t get cold for very long, but I still use lightweight layered clothing and a sweater when we do get a cold snap.
December 6th, 2012 at 6:17 amI have an inverter for my car that I got off of solar1234.com and I can connect little heaters to it. I also have a mr heater it runs of little bottles of propane.
December 6th, 2012 at 6:59 amWhen the power goes out, we stay warm by going into the den. We have a gas fireplace there.Having it on low does a great job. We profer to cook outside on the gas grill, which we keep several extra 40lb tanks of fuel in storage.
December 6th, 2012 at 7:43 amSo this might be an obvious thing, but isn’t it true that 9 months after blackouts, power outages, etc. that there is a spike in babies being born?
I suppose that it would be hard to get all “lovey” with kids around, but it sure keeps me warm! (We don’t have any kids in the house).
Another idea is to cuddle up with your dog/cat. I tell you, even in the middle of winter I don’t need to sleep with covers if I have my dogs and cat up on the bed with me. They are 100 lb boxers and LOVE to cuddle. My cat is just a 13 lb long haired tortie and her favorite place is laying directly on my chest. Her purrs put me to sleep while I can almost guarantee they have heat emitting cells in their body. Awesome in the winter, not so awesome in the summer.
December 6th, 2012 at 7:45 amI use mylar emergency space blankets between the drape and it’s lining to keep the heat inside the room and not escaping through the window.
Inside storm windows (using plastic and double sided tape) also help.
Put foam insulation behind the electric and light switch faceplates to help with those little drafts. You can buy a package of pre-cut inserts.
A rolled up towel at the bottom of the entry door is a great, cheap draft stopper.
December 6th, 2012 at 7:47 amThis is always been my greatest fear. I have no fire place in my home and often wondered what i would do in a situation like this. I have a basement and found that it is actually warmer down there than upstairs during a power outage. I purchased a severe weather sleeping bag at WalMart for $40.00. I like the tent idea inside a room, so that will be my next purchase.
December 6th, 2012 at 8:42 amOur house has an old inefficient wood burning fireplace. However, there are some fairly inexpensive ways to increase the efficiency of a fireplace like ours. Last year we purchased a new wood grate called “The Grate Wall of Fire”. Our fireplace now throws out much more heat into the room. In the case of a winter power outage, we’ll close off the room that has the fireplace and use that for our “warm room”. We have a stash of firewood seasoned and ready to go!
December 6th, 2012 at 9:03 amCandles. Stock up on cheap candles and burn them around the room. It generates both heat and light and cheers the atmosphere.
December 6th, 2012 at 9:13 amI think my favorite idea is the tent inside the house. That makes things fun and contained.
December 6th, 2012 at 9:38 amThe candle idea must be used careful but if you do use candle put up your mirrors as well it spread the light around.
December 6th, 2012 at 10:39 amecho all of those but plumbing problems is the risk if you dont frost stat the rest of the house…taking the chill off kitchens and bathrooms and runs of pipework but tenting the main living area and any small amount of body heat and a flame free heater and hot drink help during a power outage..prey for a short while only
those prone to the problem are those that make do without the plumbing…but drain down over winter months isnt so common
December 6th, 2012 at 11:00 amWe have a wood-burning stove that does double duty as a cook top. It was the only reason we were able to stay in our home during a 10-day outage due to an ice storm.
December 6th, 2012 at 11:28 amI recently saw an article about using 3 planter pots put together with a steel dowel rod and turned upside down over a candle to make a heater for a small area…has anyone tried this? Does it work?
December 6th, 2012 at 11:42 amIt looked interesting, and like it might work. My friend just looked at me like I was crazy. I’m going to purchase the stuff and try making it anyway, but just wondered if anyone else saw this and maybe has tried it.
Your outdoor solar lights can be brought into the house at night too
December 6th, 2012 at 12:24 pmThe three pot planter does work. And if I had three pots laying around I would use it in a pinch. But if I were going to be getting prepared for an emergency situation I would start collecting “Soap Stone” It is quick to heat up and radiates the heat hours after the heat source is gone. All your doing is heating up XX and getting bonus heat from that object, might as well heat up things that will retain heat better than clay. At least in my opinion.
I would also get some magnifying glasses and some stone or metal and use the sunlight magnified to a point to create additional heat sources, for slow cooking and radiant heat. This too a stone could be used as a cooking surface/ heat source.
December 6th, 2012 at 12:24 pmWe have a wood stove and keep well supplied with wood over the winter. The stove will just about cook us out of the huge room it is in so we don’t even have to close it off. It will heat a good portion of the rest of the house as well. We can also cook on it, so it can do double duty. A fireplace comes in second to a wood stove as the majority of the heat from a fireplace goes right up the chimney, although it’s certainly better than nothing!
December 6th, 2012 at 12:35 pmWe get out our emergency candle. It is smoke and smell-less so it is safe to use indoors. We move to one are of the house, bring in all the blankets and put on our sweats. We have had the power go out in snow storms and our room stays toasty enough we can usually move throughout the room without a chill. We do all of the things listed, but we add the emergency candles.
December 6th, 2012 at 12:44 pmWe purchased a Kerosene heater that can heat up to 1000sqft. It was about a 100 bucks on amazon, and the kerosene is fairly inexpensive, about 10 dollars a gallon at Lowe’s. It is safe for indoor use, and the fuel is stable enough for storage. So that is our plan, plus things mentioned above, like sealing off doors and windows, pulling out our 0 degree sleeping bags, and closing off rooms not being used.
December 6th, 2012 at 12:58 pmwe install bubble wrap in our single pain windows in this old 1921 house and it sure helps…
December 6th, 2012 at 1:07 pmWarm bricks in your fireplace. Carefully wrap in many layers of old blankets or towels to avoid burns to skin.
Cuddle with wrapped brick in sleeping bag or place at bottom of bag to keep feet warm.
December 6th, 2012 at 1:23 pmI have wall sconces in every room that hold candles safely up out of reach.
December 6th, 2012 at 2:16 pmThe hand warmers are great too, put them in your shoes.
December 6th, 2012 at 2:24 pmI read all the comments on how to keep warm during a storm outrage BUT no comment about using the bathroom when needed. Say water pipes are frozen and can’t get water in the commode. Help
December 6th, 2012 at 4:38 pmWe use hot hands toe, body, hand and insole foot warmers.
December 6th, 2012 at 4:57 pmAlso ThermaCare back/hip wrap. Also their neck warmers.
We keep these items in our cars also. If your stuck in trafic , you won’t freeze.
@gigi greene. Good question. Any ideas readers?
You might consider using MRE heaters. Just wrap them around pipes, activate and thaw.
December 6th, 2012 at 5:57 pmWe have lived off the grid for 20 years, we heat our 1200 sq ft house with a wood burning cookstove, its great to cook on, [chech out http://www.lehams.com Bakers choice] Lehmans is a non-electric catalog for the Amish and us. For a bathroom you can use a 5 gal bucket with sawdust and a seat or you can use you toliet with a shopping bag and tie it up and dispose of it.
December 6th, 2012 at 6:19 pmi have the things to make the terracotta pot warmer thing. i forgot the name, found it on fb. am curious about the soapstone. i’m on the top floor, of an apartment. i plan on sealing myself in and hangin’ out in one room (w/4 cats). kinda freaked about how i will really keep warm for long term “bug in”. looking into those little cast iron stoves. i can rig that up safely. can only do what i can…
December 6th, 2012 at 6:41 pmWe rely upon redundant backup electric generation/storage systems. A whole house propane generator with 500 gallons of propane on the property is the first line of defense. Secondly,an older gas powered generator can provide power to all critical household support systems; pellet stove or gas furnace for heat, refrigerator, freezer, water heater and water pump. Finally, I use a 600 watt DC to AC inverter with a pair of deep cycle batteries when it’s not appropriate to waist fuel on a generator, like during the early morning hours while sleeping.
December 6th, 2012 at 7:00 pmDuring our week long outage after Sandy, my wife and I would heat up a big 5 gallon pot of water on the propane burner. We’d take the hot water into the shower and just use a cup to shower with the hot water. Any water left in the pot, we covered, and then wrapped the pot with towels. It would keep a small room ,(bedroom or bathroom) warm for up to 8 hours!
December 6th, 2012 at 7:09 pmCandace check at your nearest airport for Jet Fuel!
You would want straight Aviation Jet Fuel without any additives. As good or better than Kerosene.
The stores here in California charge about $10.00/Gal. for kerosene The Automotive service stations that have kerosene charge $7.00/gal.
At the Airport, Jet Fuel goes for $5.55/gallon!!!
December 6th, 2012 at 7:12 pm@gigi
Really depends on how your home and plumbing is laid out. Might ask a trusted handy-person friend for suggestions.
I’d try to shut off and drain (or at least remove the pressure) from any taps you wont need – that might save some burst pipes later. Leaving a tap dripping water helps keep it from freezing. RV antifreeze in the commode tank and bowl will keep the standing water from freezing solid. Put a little down the sink drains too.
One possibility to prepare now, if your circumstances allow, might be to “T” off a new water line near where the water main enters your home using a burst resistant water line like PEX. Wouldn’t have to be fancy or expensive, just a piece of flexible PEX pipe and a shutoff valve at the end. An indoor garden hose basically. That way, you might be able to keep one source of clean water available, and carry buckets/pails to the bathroom to flush.
If nothing else will work, then store lots of 5-gallon buckets and fill the bathtub. Add RV antifreeze to both, and use that for flushing water until it runs out. Good luck.
December 6th, 2012 at 9:18 pm@gigi
Sorry if this is a duplicate…
Really depends on how your home and plumbing is laid out. Might ask a trusted handy-person friend for suggestions.
I’d try to shut off and drain (or at least remove the pressure) from any taps you wont need – that might save some burst pipes later. Leaving a tap dripping water helps keep it from freezing. RV antifreeze in the commode tank and bowl will keep the standing water from freezing solid. Put a little down the sink drains too.
One possibility to prepare now, if your circumstances allow, might be to “T” off a new water line near where the water main enters your home using a burst resistant water line like PEX. Wouldn’t have to be fancy or expensive, just a piece of flexible PEX pipe and a shutoff valve at the end. An indoor garden hose basically. That way, you might be able to keep one source of clean water available, and carry buckets/pails to the bathroom to flush.
If nothing else will work, then store lots of 5-gallon buckets and fill the bathtub. Add RV antifreeze to both, and use that for flushing water until it runs out. Good luck.
December 6th, 2012 at 9:22 pmEating before bed is a great idea in cold weather, as your body needs fuel to generate heat. During cold weather survival training in the military, we would have “hot wets” including hot soup, hot chocolate, etc. before bed. It provides not only energy, but the heat of the liquid warms you as well. Also, we would fill our canteens with hot water and throw them in the bottom of our sleeping bags to warm them up and keep us warm longer. Layering is very important for warmth as well. We would start with silk or polypropylene which breathes and keeps you from trapping moisture next to the skin, then a layer of fleece, and then a Goretex windshell to keep us insulated from the chill wind and rain or snow. Layering indoors can be done in a way to allow you to be comfortable in lower temperatures as well. Finally, candles can provide a surprising amount of heat, along with light for a small space. Just make sure you have enough ventilation.
December 6th, 2012 at 10:43 pmDuring winter power outage can create a problem for anyone.But you really shared well tips to handle the power outage in winters.
December 7th, 2012 at 3:26 amDaniel. I hope you are not using propane heaters in closed rooms. They produce CO (carbon monoxide) which is deadly. If you are using any combustible, pay very close attention to CO levels. Watch for headaches, pinkish skin, confusion (a final stage), etc.
December 7th, 2012 at 2:23 pmDon’t forget about your pet and livestock, if a storm is coming make sure all your buckets and waterers are clean and full. I keep 2 250gallon water tubs in the horse barn and i have 2, 5 gallon buckets in each stall and fill all of my extra buckets too. I do the same in the chicken house and use 5 gallon water bottles like they use in office water coolers. Usually the water buckets in our bank barn don’t freeze when the animals are in they have good body heat. Last year I was working out of town (working in power restoration) and heard about a gentleman who was running out of water for his horses, he had been using snow but by the 9th day of the power outage the weather turned warm and the snow had all melted. So don’t forget about your animals! And have extra feed on hand because if the stores are out of power you can’t buy anything, and don’t wait till the last minuet to buy a generator, all the tires near me were sold out of generators 4 days before Sandy hit us in Pa. Also trim the trees around your house to lessen your chance of power loss! If you are the only one out on your power line you will probably be one of the last to get power back on. Single service calls are usually the last on the list.
December 7th, 2012 at 2:51 pmGREAT TIPS everyone, thanks for sharing!
My tip is to use some kind of a “reflector panel” behind your fires, candles, and lights to nearly double/tripple thier output! This is especially important during storm, winter, emergency etc. when your access to supplies may be limited/hindered. In most situations much of your heat/light is being absorbed into the environment, instead just redirect it so you can use it!
Same goes for absorptive materials, don’t waste them… When cold weather camping, we place various size round stones around our fire (not in the fire) to absorb heat; then we put them into a lighlty insulated bag and put it inside our pockets and sleeping bags; it acts like a portable heater and keeps our hands, butt, bellys and/or feet warm for hours! I made our “hot stone pouches” out of fire resistant material I bought (cheap) at the fabric store.
December 7th, 2012 at 3:12 pmYou all gave great suggestions. One that everyone missed is the bathroom issue. Don’t waste good water flushing the toilet. Wait until it starts to become foul (urine only)it will flush easily. Collect all your gray water and use that to flush your “duty”. Conservation of good water is really important if there is no electricity at the water plant to pump water to your homes. You don’t know how long the power will be down.
December 7th, 2012 at 3:50 pmOne day pretty soon I’m going to try this: The drill thing…
Invite everybody over you think is going to show up during a power outage…children, their friends, next-door neighbors, mother-in-law?…for a cookout or something. Get the conversation started about what to do in a power outage. Secretly siphon all the gas out of all the vehicles…about 6:00pm, cut the main breaker.
Then you’ll find out how to make it during a power outage…all the way around.
Praying “I” don’t fall apart!
December 8th, 2012 at 5:38 amWe’re in a “warm winter” area– rarely gets below 40F, but for those of us who consider 70F to be “freezing”, that’s still too cold for comfort. Two of the best things we’ve done, are to install double-paned windows and a tile roof. Both have, essentially, insulated the house– not just to keep out the cold of winters, but also, the heat of summers. As a bonus– they also have reduced the level of “outside noises”; we rarely here traffic now, unless we have the door open.
December 8th, 2012 at 5:46 pmI live in the northwoods of Wisconsin. I have been through power outages of a week or more in 20 below zero weather. My water system (pump and pipes) are in the basement. I have hooked up a wood burning kitchen stove down there. When it’s cold and power is out, it warms the basement so well that the pump and pipes don’t freeze. Enough heat goes up through the floors that the toilet and pipes upstairs don’t freeze either. It keeps the floors warm and provides a house temp of about 56 degrees average. Only drawback is that it has a really small firebox so someone has to keep it going.
December 10th, 2012 at 10:29 amHighways closed, trees down from 2ft of snow & 13 days w/o power from snowicane sandy. Hauled water from our nearby creek to flush toilet. Car charged kids portable dvd player for nightly movies. Cozy fireplace. Bar-b-q food, snacks, roast marshmallows, camp soup. Wait, we’re supposed to be suffering? Just like camping! We did this in July after the windstorm, except 5 days no power & it was very hot! Thank God I live in WV!
December 10th, 2012 at 1:03 pmWe use the 3 “C”‘s….clothing, carbs, and chimney. Layers upon layers of clothing, loading up on carbohydrates, and using our fireplace to cook, bake, boil water for hot drinks, and for heat. I guess that you could add a 4th c…..cuddling!
December 10th, 2012 at 3:57 pmGood ideas. Do be careful about ‘sealing off’ a room if you are burning fuel in a fireplace or (especially) if you are thinking of a portable gas or kerosene fire, people die from this! A BBQ inside could do the same.
December 16th, 2012 at 3:54 amI like the idea of getting outside during the day. We were stuck at home last year for a few days but the walks in the snow were magical.
You DO NOT want to use aviation or jet kerosene in a kerosene heater REGARDLESS of cost. Aviation kerosene or Jet A, contains more sulphur than K-1kerosene. It does not burn as clean as the K-1does. Go to the service station and get K-1 from the pump.
December 29th, 2012 at 5:34 pmheat up water over candles a humid room is warmer then a dry one
December 30th, 2012 at 8:14 pmI printed out the instructions for draining my pipes (there would be no internet if there is no electricity) and bought a couple of gallons of antifreeze to pour into the toilet, washing machine etc. Make sure you get the kind suitable for houses — not cars.
Then I bought two Kandle Heeters. It is amazing how much heat they provide. You can use 5 oz jar candles or 50 hour liquid paraffin lamps, available at restaurant supply houses. The liquid paraffin lamps work better. I bought a case of them on line.
I bought a solar panel but it didn’t work and the company wouldn’t refund my money. I wish I had a fireplace!
February 9th, 2013 at 4:21 amOne of my favorite things to help keep warm is by using newspaper. Layer newspaper in between your layers of clothes. Another is to take house bricks that have been placed in your fire while cooking. Once your done cooking remove the bricks and wrap in tinfoil being careful because they are very very hot. Then I would nest the tinfoil wrapped brick in some newspaper and place inside a cast iron pot with a lid. Bring inside the tent to keep warm will throw off heat for hours.
February 9th, 2013 at 4:28 amI can tell you, having been building on a house over 2 winters with no heat in it, that if you have south facing doors/windows, you can build a temporary “greenhouse” off the South and or West face of the house w/ boards and heavy plastic sheeting (a local greenhouse gave us some when they replaced their covers). Even in temperatures below freezing, it will get upwards of 80 degrees in the “south porch”, so we open up the doors and windows on that side and let the heat flow in. The trick is to find a window on the opposite side to effect a draft through the house, and it can be a challenge, depending on the wind direction. We can heat a huge space on some days, just by capturing “sunlight”!
February 9th, 2013 at 7:03 amKerosene heaters are much safer than gasoline and unvented propane heaters; far less carbon-monoxide is emitted. Naturally, you’ll want to crack a window or door for ventilation.
February 9th, 2013 at 8:00 amFor fuel – in the US, you can substitute diesel fuel for kerosene. Modern diesel has virtually no sulphur. However, some heaters don’t like it, or the wicks clog prematurely. The wick problems also are frequently caused by dyed kerosene. If available, you want “clear” kerosene.
As for heaters, I recommend those that use all cotton wicks, which run both dyed kerosene, diesel, and dyed diesel. These heaters include Omni-15, Kerosun “Rainbow”, any Perfection, and Aladdin “Blue Flame” heaters.
We heat about 50% with these heaters, and they are very safe. Kerosene / diesel is not volatile in the same manner as gasoline. If you throw a lit match in a bowl of kerosene, the match will extinguish.
I like the fact that you’ve suggested things that were not bought specifically for the purpose of a power outage. A word about my experience with fireplaces is that fireplaces work fine when temperatures hover just below freezing, but if the temperatures plummet, a fireplace will draw heat from the room in order to keep the fire going. Also if using a propane or kerosene heat source, having a monitor to carbon monoxide levels may mean the difference between life and death. Candles may be cheap, but they also can lead to oxygen depletion. Plants inside your home and in the room will literally improve the atmosphere in that room both to help deplete the carbon monoxide and will also help keep the humidity up in the room and therefore making it seem even warmer.
February 9th, 2013 at 8:42 amGo to a motel.
February 9th, 2013 at 10:05 amA lot of great tips. One thing about candles. Don’t use your scented candles for light and heat. They are intended for short term use only. The scent can cause headache and nausea if they are used for more than a little while. Emergency candles are the best for light. They are unscented, burn longer and often with less mess from melting wax. As all ways, use caution with any open flame.
February 9th, 2013 at 10:18 amHave some solar outdoor lights you can bring in for lighting inside. Saves on batteries and will charge through a window.
February 9th, 2013 at 10:47 amI save cat litter jugs and store water in them for toilet flushing I usually wash and clean them using a little clorox in them so you could even use them for drinking water they are easier to manage then a bucket. Layering is a good thing but since we heat our home with a wood stove and have a propane cook stove we are covered for just about anything. I also have knitting needles that light up so they help to pass the time and do something productive.
February 9th, 2013 at 7:12 pmI have a few stand alone heating sources that don’t require electricity. Vent free gas fireplaces and Kerosene heaters are always a good option. I also have some dual fuel natural gas/propane fireplaces and a ethanol fireplace( get one that uses liquid not gel) you can make your own fuel them. Another good option is a military surplus m 1941 multi-fuel heater. you’ll need to prefab a simple hearth(brick pavers work well) for it and build a flue pipe that will let you vent out of a window. cut a hole in a peice of 3/4 plywood 4 inches larger than what you need for the flue and then flash it with metal and fire proof foam(the orange can).
February 10th, 2013 at 3:09 pmWe just survived two days of the blizzard of 2013 here on Cape Cod with no power or heat. Those two indoor 40 degree days, cooking over a fireplace or butane burner, are it. Kerosene indoors illegal in MA and too dangerous IMO. Down sleeping bags and jackets all day, no hot showers. Writing this note from clean, warm, wifi-enabled, cheap off-season motel room, last one in town full of freezing, in-the-dark, tired, dirty folks. Not fun here. You have to know when to hold and when to fold. Will stay here until power returns and heat available.
February 10th, 2013 at 7:24 pmThere are handy propane heaters by Mr Heater. I have the “Big buddy” it runs off the smaller propane tanks (2 for $6 at big box stores) or with a hose a 20 lb tank. It has a pilot light that will go out if the oxygen content gets too low in the room, when the pilot goes out a thermocouple gets cold and shuts off the gas. You can also put 4 D cell batteries in it and it will blow out hot air in addition to the radiant heat. If you have a fireplace consider that a fire burning in the house sends the majority of the heat up the chimney, and warm air, that warm air has to be replaced from somewhere, and that somewhere is likely from outside where it’s already cold. If you’re going to burn, consider purchasing a fireplace insert, the ones with fans in them won’t work if you have no source of electricity but at least they send less heat up the chimney. A small generator or inverter system will run the fans even if they don’t have the power to run your home heating system. If you have an electric range consider a small “coleman” type stove either liquid fuel or gas. Cook in a sun room or in another room you can crack a window in and make a hot meal with hot drinks. That warms you a lot more than eating cold food.
February 14th, 2013 at 8:59 pm