No central heating, best energy saving heat tips for large house? Electric blankets, etc.?

Samara

Hi everyone :)
I'm living in a very large, 3-story house with 7 other of my college buddies (and I mean "college" synonymously with "thrifty"). Even with the bills split, our energy costs are still coming out to be pretty pricey. We refuse to turn on the central heating (the idea of how much energy it would take to fill up this house strikes fear into my currently frozen heart) and are trying to discourage each other from using personal heaters in the rooms, but it's getting to be pretty desperate/icy here! I had suggested that everyone invest in an electric blanket instead of a personal heater as I've heard they're less energy consuming, but does anyone else have any tips for keeping warm in a frugal way? We need to have our chimney cleaned in order to use it, but I've heard that if it's not a very good one it may end up making your house colder because it sucks up all the oxygen.. and uh.. I don't know, I'm a Psychology major, but I've also been reading up on articles that suggest insulating... big umm metal things cylinder things... something about keeping in heat radiation... or something... Um, clearly I don't know what I'm talking about here... we're just looking for some simple ways to keep the house warm (p.s. especially me! I live in the basement aka dungeon encased in cement) and cut down on our bills. Any suggestions/tips/words of encouragement welcomed!

Bonus point to a good answer for my brilliant new joke: How many college girls does it take to stay warm in a 3-story ice cave?
Also, several of us have sliding glass doors in our bedrooms. Is there anything that can be done to help with heat retention regarding them?

Answer
Frugally I will answer:

Fireplace - as seen as you are not using it, cover it up to prevent heat loss.

Glass doors - hunt around the charity shops for curtains and use string or a broom handle to fix them above the doorways. If you cannot find curtains to fit, you could sew some together. Likewise, if they are only thin, double them up.

Walls and ceiling - hunt around and see if you can find any patterned furniture drapes and use drawing pins to fix to the walls and ceilings. The fabric layer works similar to wearing clothes to keep warm, and if you find nice patterns, can make a room feel and look very snug. If your ceilings are high, hang the fabric so that it appears lower, as a smaller room heats quicker.

Floors - carpet any floor that is bare (you can often get offcuts from carpet fitters very cheap, or at house clearances).

Rooms - if the house has large rooms, consider separating them with drapes, so that the places you spend the most time, such as the bed or couch/sofa area, are small, so that they retain heat easier.

Stairways - consider fitting curtains to both the top an bottom of each stairway.

Windows - If you use blinds, get some curtains either for replacement, or to go over the blinds.

Kitchen - whoever the last person is to use the oven, get them to leave it open, as it will help heat the room.

Light candles in the rooms you are in, as these let out heat (saves on electric too) - just keep them away from anything that might burn.

Again, if you have large rooms that are not fully used, get some empty cardboard boxes from you local shop and fill the part of each room you do not use - okay, it doesn't look great, but it's temporary and works well in retaining heat as each box is a separate compartment.

Get into the habit of closing all doors after you, even if you are only leaving the room for a moment or two.

Layer your clothes - this works better in keeping you warm than a thick bulky layer. You could even wear a dressing gown over your clothes (well, you did ask for frugal)

Invest in a hot water bottle. What I do quite often, is fill glass bottles which have a screw top lid with boiling water - they work great.

Eat plenty of energy foods, as if your house is cold, you will need it to help you stay warm.

Take up a hobby for indoors which will keep you moving - you will stay warmer whilst moving, compared to sitting reading or watching t.v. The more active you are, the warmer you feel.

Make (or buy) draft excluders for the bottom of the doors (fabric sausages).

Assuming you have a landlord, speak to them about insulating the loft/attic and fitting a chimney cylinder, so that you can have a wood fire.

Electric blanket work in theory, but once you get them, you are less likely to actually do anything about taking the chill out of the air. And when you count 8 of these (one for each of you), paying for them and then paying for the electric, you would probably be better off just heating the lowest room in the house (which luckily is yours) and letting the heat rise to warm the rest of it.

These are just a few, very simple, very frugal ways of keeping the cold at bay.

what is the difference between electric stove & electric cooker?

hemant mal

answer required for helping custom clearance

Answer
I don't think there's much difference between them. Stove may be a more American word for cooker. "Stoves" is a brand name for cookers though. An electric stove can also refer to a wood burning stove (like a free standing fireplace) but I guess that's not what you're referring to.

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Best way to build a fireplace against a brick wall?

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Brielle

One of our walls in out living room is brick and we would like to have a fireplace there. How would you suggest building one? It has a gas pipe hookup but we are also looking at electric ones. My husband can lay bricks, tile, stone, whatever. He can also make a mantel. We would really appreciate any tips or suggestions!

Answer
visit a hearth store, they have many options for vent free gas fireplaces, since you already have the line there its your best option, you can buy them with the mantel or without, if its a zero clearance model it will only produce heat out of the front and so the brick is a moot point. i recently installed one in my living room and constructed my own mantel for it, took me about 20 minutes to install and alother 30 to build the mantel, very easy

Help with a natural gas venting question please help!?

Q. We are finishing our basement and we are going back and fourth between an electric fire place and a gas fireplace. I want gas but I don't know if it can be vented properly. We don't have an existing fireplace so we have to get something called a "zero clearance fire place". Its like the insert that goes into a fire place you just case around it with some sort of decorative casing. Anyhow the only outside wall available to us is underground and under a front window and in a flower bed. It can't be vented up to the roof because... well its in the basement and we can't have a vent pipe going through our living room. How is venting done in this case or can it be done. There is no where else in the basement it can go I'm at a loss. Also the electric fireplaces say they will only heat 400 sqf.....the area to heat is at least 800 square feet. And we live in Canada so we can't get the vent free ones.

Answer
They make a new fireplace that vents in PVC but they are pricey. From what I have seen of them they can have longer runs that would allow you to run it down the wall farther and just box it in.

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Best way to build a fireplace against a brick wall?

electric fireplaces on clearance image

Brielle

One of our walls in out living room is brick and we would like to have a fireplace there. How would you suggest building one? It has a gas pipe hookup but we are also looking at electric ones. My husband can lay bricks, tile, stone, whatever. He can also make a mantel. We would really appreciate any tips or suggestions!

Answer
visit a hearth store, they have many options for vent free gas fireplaces, since you already have the line there its your best option, you can buy them with the mantel or without, if its a zero clearance model it will only produce heat out of the front and so the brick is a moot point. i recently installed one in my living room and constructed my own mantel for it, took me about 20 minutes to install and alother 30 to build the mantel, very easy

Help with a natural gas venting question please help!?

Q. We are finishing our basement and we are going back and fourth between an electric fire place and a gas fireplace. I want gas but I don't know if it can be vented properly. We don't have an existing fireplace so we have to get something called a "zero clearance fire place". Its like the insert that goes into a fire place you just case around it with some sort of decorative casing. Anyhow the only outside wall available to us is underground and under a front window and in a flower bed. It can't be vented up to the roof because... well its in the basement and we can't have a vent pipe going through our living room. How is venting done in this case or can it be done. There is no where else in the basement it can go I'm at a loss. Also the electric fireplaces say they will only heat 400 sqf.....the area to heat is at least 800 square feet. And we live in Canada so we can't get the vent free ones.

Answer
They make a new fireplace that vents in PVC but they are pricey. From what I have seen of them they can have longer runs that would allow you to run it down the wall farther and just box it in.

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what is the difference between electric stove & electric cooker?

electric fireplaces on clearance image

hemant mal

answer required for helping custom clearance

Answer
I don't think there's much difference between them. Stove may be a more American word for cooker. "Stoves" is a brand name for cookers though. An electric stove can also refer to a wood burning stove (like a free standing fireplace) but I guess that's not what you're referring to.

fire place remodeling?

latina_per

Hi, we are wanting to remodel our fireplace and replace the brick with manufactured stone and well the fireplace is like 5 feet tall and we are wondering, with moderate ceiling height and a very small living room, which would make the fire place NOT make the room look smaller, a floor to ceiling fireplace or just a shorter one? thanks

Answer
You did not state if your existing fireplace was a wood burner, gas, gas logs, or electric. It makes a difference.

It would be best if you called your local building inspector and inquire about "codes" for fireplaces in your area. Also your homeowners insurance company might have some questions about remodeling a fireplace.

I know of a case that the family did not follow codes and a fire did excessive damage to their home. the insurance company did not pay as they did not follow instructions and allow for proper clearances from combustible materials.

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Question for Propane Guy.. heating an unfinished basement? part 2?

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Chatter Bo

1st Im sorry, I meant to rate YOUR answer as the best answer, so that reply when i rated was directed to you. 2nd, so ALL the vent free heaters, even the fireplaces arent safe to run 24/7?? how could we vent a vented one from the basement? could it go out a window? does it have to be higher than the top of the house? thats what we were told but we were told that by someone who wasn't educated in heating, i mean it sounds right but I have no clue so I figured I'd ask you.

Im renting the basement off my sister and need heat. come spring when I save enough money Im going to move but until then, Im worried im going to freeze. they dont want anything major installed and they dont want me to tap into their furnace because it costs too much to heat the house never mind adding another floor for them to heat.

would a couple electric heaters work? or a vent free fireplace? i know those are sold for use in homes. could a small pellet stove work and if so, could it be vented out a window?

and yes, one whole side is in the ground, so that 1 whole side is concrete. the other 1/2 of the house is 1/2 concrete and 1/2 insulated foundation. its a walk out basement.
"There are some fireplaces that can be vented using a "snorkel kit". Basically it comes out the basement wall at ground level and up about a foot on the outside wall. They can't be installed unless you have a bit of exposed basement at ground level on the outside."

So could we use a window for the snorkel kit? like keep one window open and then block the rest of the window somehow? even if we had to put a brick foundation under the stove to raise up the stove & make it level to the window? I doubt my sis would let me drill into the wall and speaking with her today, i dont think even electric heaters are an option due to electric bill.

see I cant afford to get someone in here to just look around, id like to have a plan and then have someone come in and do it.

Answer
As you could clearly see from my previous answer, I feel very strongly about vent free heaters. There is a very good reason that they are illegal to operate anywhere in Canada, many other countries and several of the US states. They are putting products of combustion into the air you are breathing. I would certainly never allow one in any home that I or any member of my family live in. They are that potentially dangerous. Especially if you are planning on using it for primary heat.

There are some fireplaces that can be vented using a "snorkel kit". Basically it comes out the basement wall at ground level and up about a foot on the outside wall. They can't be installed unless you have a bit of exposed basement at ground level on the outside. It does not need to be vented above the roofline. These appliances are what is called "direct vent". They take air from outside, burn it with the fuel and expel the burnt gases back outside. The flame does not communicate with the air inside the building that you are breathing. Much safer! Personally I look forward to the day when all appliances are of this design.

Fireplaces are not really meant to be run as a primary heat source either, but if you have a furnace heating the rest of the house then a fireplace for the basement area isn't too bad.

As I said previously, you really need to have someone knowledgable come in and determine the best option for you. Basements can be tricky for venting appliances properly.

Electric heaters would be safer than a vent free gas appliance, but they are very expensive to operate. I would explore a gas appliance first. It will be more expensive to install but cheaper to operate.

What ever way you decide to go, make sure you read the manufacturer's certified installation and operating instructions to make sure the appliance is suitable and legal to operate indoors!

Be warm ,but be safe!

Edit: Yes I have seen a window opening used for a vent before. But you have to block off the entire window. It can not used as a window anymore. A solid panel will have to block the entire opening and be sealed and the vent run through the middle of that. The gas supply line can be routed through there as well as long as the clearances are sufficient.

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Zero clearance fireplace has rotted firebox ceiling...?

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Tate

I have a zero clearnace fireplace in my home. The room that it is in had some extensive water leaks prior to me purchasing the home. They have since been fixed (new roof/seal/etc)... Come to find out, the ceiling of my fireplace has rotted through.

The fireplace has metal sides and ceiling with a brick back. The chimney is in good condition. I have had several fireplace folks look at it. I am told it's not repairable. I am told the cost to put a new zero clearnace in is ~$4,000-$6,000.

I'm told I can't put a fireplace insert or gas insert in its place. I do not want electric logs or gas logs. Is this all true? Can I get something in there for less than that? Can I have a wood burning insert? Stove?

Answer
Take it to a metal shop and have them weld a new top on it. A small welding shop can fabricate one and weld it on. as long as you can bring it to them and reinstall it. shouldn't cost too much. Good Luck. some units have loose brick that can be removed unless it is a wall. You may also look into placing a wood burner in its place. I put one in my cottage inside the old fireplace and looks and works great.

Question for Propane Guy.. heating an unfinished basement? part 2?

Chatter Bo

1st Im sorry, I meant to rate YOUR answer as the best answer, so that reply when i rated was directed to you. 2nd, so ALL the vent free heaters, even the fireplaces arent safe to run 24/7?? how could we vent a vented one from the basement? could it go out a window? does it have to be higher than the top of the house? thats what we were told but we were told that by someone who wasn't educated in heating, i mean it sounds right but I have no clue so I figured I'd ask you.

Im renting the basement off my sister and need heat. come spring when I save enough money Im going to move but until then, Im worried im going to freeze. they dont want anything major installed and they dont want me to tap into their furnace because it costs too much to heat the house never mind adding another floor for them to heat.

would a couple electric heaters work? or a vent free fireplace? i know those are sold for use in homes. could a small pellet stove work and if so, could it be vented out a window?

and yes, one whole side is in the ground, so that 1 whole side is concrete. the other 1/2 of the house is 1/2 concrete and 1/2 insulated foundation. its a walk out basement.
"There are some fireplaces that can be vented using a "snorkel kit". Basically it comes out the basement wall at ground level and up about a foot on the outside wall. They can't be installed unless you have a bit of exposed basement at ground level on the outside."

So could we use a window for the snorkel kit? like keep one window open and then block the rest of the window somehow? even if we had to put a brick foundation under the stove to raise up the stove & make it level to the window? I doubt my sis would let me drill into the wall and speaking with her today, i dont think even electric heaters are an option due to electric bill.

see I cant afford to get someone in here to just look around, id like to have a plan and then have someone come in and do it.

Answer
As you could clearly see from my previous answer, I feel very strongly about vent free heaters. There is a very good reason that they are illegal to operate anywhere in Canada, many other countries and several of the US states. They are putting products of combustion into the air you are breathing. I would certainly never allow one in any home that I or any member of my family live in. They are that potentially dangerous. Especially if you are planning on using it for primary heat.

There are some fireplaces that can be vented using a "snorkel kit". Basically it comes out the basement wall at ground level and up about a foot on the outside wall. They can't be installed unless you have a bit of exposed basement at ground level on the outside. It does not need to be vented above the roofline. These appliances are what is called "direct vent". They take air from outside, burn it with the fuel and expel the burnt gases back outside. The flame does not communicate with the air inside the building that you are breathing. Much safer! Personally I look forward to the day when all appliances are of this design.

Fireplaces are not really meant to be run as a primary heat source either, but if you have a furnace heating the rest of the house then a fireplace for the basement area isn't too bad.

As I said previously, you really need to have someone knowledgable come in and determine the best option for you. Basements can be tricky for venting appliances properly.

Electric heaters would be safer than a vent free gas appliance, but they are very expensive to operate. I would explore a gas appliance first. It will be more expensive to install but cheaper to operate.

What ever way you decide to go, make sure you read the manufacturer's certified installation and operating instructions to make sure the appliance is suitable and legal to operate indoors!

Be warm ,but be safe!

Edit: Yes I have seen a window opening used for a vent before. But you have to block off the entire window. It can not used as a window anymore. A solid panel will have to block the entire opening and be sealed and the vent run through the middle of that. The gas supply line can be routed through there as well as long as the clearances are sufficient.

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Help with a natural gas venting question please help!?

electric fireplaces on clearance image

We are finishing our basement and we are going back and fourth between an electric fire place and a gas fireplace. I want gas but I don't know if it can be vented properly. We don't have an existing fireplace so we have to get something called a "zero clearance fire place". Its like the insert that goes into a fire place you just case around it with some sort of decorative casing. Anyhow the only outside wall available to us is underground and under a front window and in a flower bed. It can't be vented up to the roof because... well its in the basement and we can't have a vent pipe going through our living room. How is venting done in this case or can it be done. There is no where else in the basement it can go I'm at a loss. Also the electric fireplaces say they will only heat 400 sqf.....the area to heat is at least 800 square feet. And we live in Canada so we can't get the vent free ones.

Answer
They make a new fireplace that vents in PVC but they are pricey. From what I have seen of them they can have longer runs that would allow you to run it down the wall farther and just box it in.

Is it okay to put an electric fireplace in a loft area?

MC

Answer
Since your heater is electric, it will not "use up" the air, like a kerosene or propane heater that is unvented will . . .having said that the next issue you ought to worry about is how hot the thing gets, there is usually a standard warning label about which surfaces of the heater get hot and (if it is a good one) the "clearances to combustables" that it can safely operate within . . .the last issue is a watts n amps thing . .most household circuits are 15 or 20 amp, and are designed to SAFELY operate at 80% of that rating, that is a 15 amp circuit will safely run 12 amps continuously, and a 20 amp circuit will safely run 16 amps continuously . .to find out how many amps your heater is, there ought to be a label (the UL label) somewhere on it that states how many watts it uses. Dividing the watts by 120 volts will give you the amps it uses . .cut to the chase a 1920 watt heater will run continuously on a 20 amp circuit and a 1440 watt heater will run continuously on a 15 amp circuit, BUT (!!!) that is assuming there is nothing else on the circuit breaker . . . which is pretty unlikely .

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