Heat when the powers out, your experience.

[Comet]

So I awake this morning to my wife saying "It's cold!". Yes honey, It's 19 degrees outside. No, its actually cold inside. My set up eventually will include a generator wired up to run only the gas boiler, refrigerator, and freezer (lights optional). I completely forgot about the programmable thermostat that runs on AA batteries to trigger the boiler. Electricity was on, circulating pump was pushing 70 degree water (supposed to be 160) but the thermostat wasn't asking for heat because it was.....DEAD! I hope I can locate the old mercury thermostat switch I took off years ago. Stupid electronics are wreaking havoc on my old analog brain!!!

 

[Comet]

We have a chimney but the liner is falling apart. I've often thought about the propane insert but that can get expensive to feed.

 

[Comet]

Oh. I HAD piles of aa and aaa but I also have kids who like to use their portable devices. The devices take aa apparently. There will now be a seperate stash somewhere undisclosed in the house.

 

[kybishop]

I am currently only using one wood heat source to curb the propane usage of the gas furnace. It is also our backup heat. It is a Vermont Castings Defiant from the 1970's my father purchased and put in. There are three other fireplaces in the house and one other thimble opening for another stove.

The house is out in the country and access to it can be flooded at times by the Kentucky River. I have considered several alternative heat sources. I plan to keep the Defiant wood stove as it puts out a ton of heat. I will probably keep one of the old fireplaces as wood as it is a large stone fireplace. These are both on the first floor. A third fireplace on the first floor is a really shallow one that I plan/hope to install a large cast iron propane gas stove in front of. Looking for a direct vent model and vent it out the chimney. Not sure which model yet, been looking... Jotul, Vermont Castings, Empire, Lopi etc. Probably looking for 30,000 BTU and up.

Second floor has another shallow fireplace and the other stove thimble in the wall. These are at opposite ends of the house. May go with another gas stove up here, a small one. Not sure. Thought about two wood stoves but that gets pretty time consuming and dirty to keep up with. The one Defiant is close to the door so keeping wood for it is not that difficult. As we age though it gets a bit harder... Not sure I could keep up with more than one and if I were under the weather having a gas stove or two would be lovely.

Considered an outside wood furnace, solar and radiant floor heat for the first floor as well. Time and money...

I just completely rebuilt the Defiant. Had a cracked fireback.

Years of living with kids in the house, I never seem to have enough AA and AAA batteries...and I seem to never think about cleaning the oil lamps till right before a big storm is about to hit, just in case.

 

[Comet]

Oil lamps abound in my house. I have used them outside with citronella oil so a thorough cleaning is in order for indoor use again. Soap stone is amazing for heat retention/radiance. Wood can be time consuming but so worth the effort. The heat from a good wood stove is like no other. My dad has an outdoor wood burner. Seems like lots of maintenance and when he travels, my cousin has to feed the beast. Thanks for the insight. I am reverting back to being a Luddite.

 

[jeffro109]

Natural gas "logs" as a backup to the gas/electric furnace/heat pump that dies when the power goes away. Would like to have a wood burning something, but have not gotten anywhere with it due to lack of a chimney/good place for one.

 

[ScottT]

I used to have a Defiant. Great stove. I dont think you can go wrong with Vermont Castings. A Heater Buddy could work in an emergency.

 

[Comet]

I have the radiant propane for camping. It would warm a room. There's room for gas logs in the coal burning hearth. Chimney is shot.