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True my parents always had kerosene heaters, and a tank of fuel on the property. They could heat a few small rooms for months if really needed. The bigger issue is losing the frozen food during an extended electrical outage.
That's one reason (among others) that I finally got a whole house propane generator. Unfortunately the startup load for the heat pump was too much for the generator to run that, but it powered everything else in the house, so i could run small electric heaters instead of the kerosene ones. However, I still kept them just in case. I have a natural gas whole house generator now for my current home. I figured out pretty quickly that I would always have to have power for the sump pumps, or I'd have a flooded basement during a bad storm with a power outage. The nice thing is that the generator will run the A/C here as well as the gas boiler for heat, which is a win-win for me, plus I have gas hot water and cooking as well.
For me, it's not "if", but "when" and also "for how long"?
For me, it's not "if", but "when" and also "for how long". I've got backup power, a wood stove, and woodpile which started out the season well-stocked, but is looking scraggly now.
If the outage lasts longer than a week I'd need to make arrangements for refueling.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mikala43
Can you elaborate on that?
For example, I thought if a car was not turned on, an EMP would not damage it.
So when it comes to home generators, are referring to a whole house generator? The ones that automatically switch on if power goes out? For our house, we just have a big, but moveable dual fuel generator that we manually hook up when needed.
Not that I have a lot of knowledge in this area, but I am assuming you are not talking about these. I don't think an EMP would damage it when it is just sitting in our garage and not hooked up. Could be wrong.
There's a lot of FUD on the Internet (and in print) about the effects of EMP, we really don't have a lot of practical experience with intentional EMP events and what would or would not be affected.
If you were deeply concerned about getting power back up after an intentional EMP attack or major solar event, there are only a couple devices inside a portable generator which could possibly be damaged by an EMP -- so buy spares of those, stick them in a metal box, and ground that box to your cold water pipes and you can sleep soundly again.
Duel fuel generator that can power the whole house with transfer switch. 6 20# propane tanks full, three vehicles full of gas. Natural gas water heater and furnace.
I don't think it would be a huge problem surviving a power outage and severe weather.
Might not be comfortable and enjoyable, but not fighting for life.
Everyone, every area and every house is different.
When I am trying to gauge a problem like this, I just go through my normal day-to-day routine, while keeping in mind "how would this work without electricity and what are my options?"
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If you are in the city,, like I am, buy some kerosene lamps. They put out a lot of heat. Move yourself into one room and fire up the lamps. I have a fireplace, but those are lousy for heating a house. And I don't have much firewood, but did get enough I can burn one fire. (I will be moving soon, so didn't want to buy more.) Dress warm, wear socks and a hat if it's bad. I usually sleep in a knit hat if it's cold.
Several years ago i was experimenting with a type of solar collector as an alternative heating system.
The issue with this type of heat source is storing the heat for release in a controlled way when there isn't an input.
Now what i was working with was a parabolic dish as a collector which worked fine as long as you had the proper focal distance. directing the beam into a thermal mass would store the heat and the mass-density-attained internal temp = potential of heat which is released at a factor dependent on the differential temperature of the area to be heated until the heat sink and the ambient temperature reach parit at which time the stored energy is basically exhausted.
I'd thought of this as an emergency backup system that could be stored and brought out as needed to heat inside a room or apartment if needed. No exhaust, no noise, no chemicals or fluids, the only real issue was the same as any other alternative system, it only worked with available sunlight.
However, it did prove to me that using thermal mass in your window during the day, then putting a blanket or other barrier behind the mass in the window to keep the heat in, it can help keep some heat in a small well insulated room.
Another option is use a candle inside an inverted ceramic flower pot that has a drain hole in the bottom, (now top), light the candle, put the pot over it, and you have a small radiant heare.
The mass can be something as simple as a large ceramic flower pot.
I'm just putting this in here as something that might help someone in an emergency.
If someone had a couple warm flower pots or a flower pot heater, and a table tent and a sleeping bag, it could keep you alive with the power out in cold temperatures. It wouldn't be a lot of extra heat, but it could help.
the "tea light and candlepot trick" doesn't actually make any more heat that the tea lights alone produce
Quote:
Originally Posted by MTSilvertip
Another option is use a candle inside an inverted ceramic flower pot that has a drain hole in the bottom, (now top), light the candle, put the pot over it, and you have a small radiant heare. The mass can be something as simple as a large ceramic flower pot.
I'm just putting this in here as something that might help someone in an emergency. If someone had a couple warm flower pots or a flower pot heater
The "flower pot" idea has been discussed here before. burning a candle under an inverted ceramic pot doesn't work any more efficiently than the candle by itself.
Each adult human produces about the same BTUs as 3-4 candles, so you're actually better off inviting your neighbors over instead of burning a half dozen candles!
Quote:
Originally Posted by MTSilvertip
Several years ago i was experimenting with a type of solar collector as an alternative heating system. The issue with this type of heat source is storing the heat for release in a controlled way when there isn't an input.
The idea of using a thermal mass to collect solar energy for the cold of night does have merit, but you literally need tons of thermal mass for it to be effective.
The "flower pot" idea has been discussed here before. burning a candle under an inverted ceramic pot doesn't work any more efficiently than the candle by itself.
Each adult human produces about the same BTUs as 3-4 candles, so you're actually better off inviting your neighbors over instead of burning a half dozen candles!
The idea of using a thermal mass to collect solar energy for the cold of night does have merit, but you literally need tons of thermal mass for it to be effective.
True, however using the flowerpot to catch and then radiate out the heat in a very small space has the same effect as a kudlik which is an Eskimo oil lamp used to bring up temperatures in an igloo. Better than nothing.
I've used a small popcan alcohol stove in a snow cave while winter camping. Amazing the difference a small amount of heat can make.
If you're heating a house, yes, you need tons of heavy material. If you're trying to survive in a blanket tent, any heat is a plus.
You can design a house with a sun room full of heavy stone and concrete planters to serve as passive heat sinks that can radiate heat into the house at night. However, for emergency purposes, unless those elements are already in place.
All I'm trying to do is give some options to keep alive in an emergency as outlined in the op.
But you still have to have body fuel to warm up the sleeping bag, quilts.
And a secondary heat source is very nice for the psychological lift a warm room brings.
True, but that's just food. I have enough food stored to last longer than any cold spell. I agree you should have a secondary source as a backup. I do trust the power grid will stay up (I tend to prep for realistic events, not one in a million end of the world type events), and given I live in a place where the power grid failing would be a sign of much bigger problems than just cold weather, I tend to not prep that as much.
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For me, it's not "if", but "when" and also "for how long"?
the "tea light and candlepot trick" doesn't actually make any more heat that the tea lights alone produce
