Alternative Heating

[Hardulph]

We are in a similar situation, no chimney, all electric, just bought a super ser and bottle after costing out a woodburner and insulated flue. If you like the aesthetics of a woodburner Calor do a provence portable gas heater that looks just like a woodburner.

[bobo14988]

We are using methane gas from a pig farm out our bug out bunker. It provides a good source of gas for cooking and heating, we also use a propane heater to provide additional help, but we have focused more on retaining heat and insulating our bug out.

[okra]

We have a wood burning stove and have spent most of today chopping and sawing wood. Now have quite a supply which will keep us warm and will allow us to cook a hot meal if the power goes off.

[Optimystic]

At last!!!

Weve finally found someone that can put a wood burner in for us without charging the earth.. We will be heating the house via this thru the winter now rather than using the lecky!!

[desertman]

Excellent! depending on the size of your room or what rooms you wish to heat, I would go for a 4 and half kilowatt woodbburner/multi fuel etc - 5 KW plus are not only more expensive but by building regs you have to have an independent ventilation vent in the wall to ensure any fumes are extracted. I have a 4 and half KW and it is ideal, not only warms up the two living rooms downstairs but after an hour or so the heat creeps upstairs..brill! I chuck any old thing in that burner (Charnwood) and always have a kettle on top ready for a brew or washing up! another reason to get one, saves on your electric kettle and gas water systems
Hint - try not to burn too much sea driftwood if you live on the coast like me, the salts play havoc with your flu liner after time...also do not burn treated timber, same applies
I burn mostly timber that has been cut at least a year ago and much older if I can get it- seasoned etc

I also have a few back up butane heaters and bottles, to be used when the power goes out - I also have a camping double burner and grill works on butane, a mountain camp stove that works off fluid liquid, a number of paraffin oil lamps and shedfulls of candles! you can never have enough candles! useful for lighting that woodburner if the wood is damp etc
I have never tried the japanese paraffin heaters, I know of them and may look into it...problem is paraffin this yeear has nearly doubled in price...2 months ago the average price was around 8.99 per 4 litres..I nearly passed out!! good job I have some stored from when it was 3.99..!

[dizzydays]

At last!!!

Weve finally found someone that can put a wood burner in for us without charging the earth.. We will be heating the house via this thru the winter now rather than using the lecky!!

Brilliant....I was just going to advise getting more quotes before you rule out the idea but I see you've done that. I had about 4 idiots who told me it couldn't be done, no way as I've no chimney and there was talk about building regs, being too near elec cables and all sorts of tosh. I'd about given up and had one last visit from someone who was brilliant. I ordered the stove online which worked out cheaper, and we drilled through 2 ft of granite to put the outside flue up. The only thing I should have done and didn't was a bird cover on the top. Make sure you get that as I had to do it separately after a succession of dopey birds fell down the flue!!

DD

[Optimystic]

Ah yes... will defo get the bird thing... my mums had a couple drop in on her..ive a cat that would love it!!..lol

Weve got a 5KW one going in which should be able to heat the room its in plus the upstairs room that comes off that room and hopefully seep out thru the hall to heat that too.. Got a 5 week wait as he is quite busy but fingers crossed by new year we will have it in and ready for use.. cant wait to see the back of those lecky bills!!.. over £100 a month at present!

Also we have bought our first ever thermals... wonderful for being outside n still keeping toasty.. all i need to do now is find a solution for my hands as i cant stand wearing gloves! Makes me want to rip my fingers off just thinking about them!..

[TorNicho]

Guys, I wouldn't completely rule out Solar panel-inverter-heater.

I've been looking to extend my Solar system (add a few planets hear and there )
400w (4 panels) on ebay @ £380
2000w inverter @ £150
1200w Halogen heater @ £15
100Ahr x2 Deep cycle Batteries @ £65 (£130)

I currently have the inverter, heater & batteries and 120w solar set-up.

The halogen heater has 3x bulbs (bars) each being 400w (USE ONE AT A TIME)

If the sun is up for 6 hours, and solar cells are running @ 50% efficiency, that gives at least 3 hours of FREE heating...

I know its all very expensive, but that set-up should run for several years.

Also been looking into simple solar water heating. black plastic tube with the water slowly cycling through it.

My Dad has been messing around with a parabolic mirror in Florida. 13" mirror focused in an area the size of a 5p piece. He was reading 350 degrees Celsius, Imagine cycling water past that.

What I mean to say by all this, is that you can do unlimited & free heating @ home, without having to purchase loads of volatile gas. Initially the gas may be cheaper, but in you need to keep buying it, with my path, it is free from the outlay.

Your choice though

[Moony]

Forgive me if I'm being stupid, but 120w panel at 50% is 60w x 6 hrs is 360wh. Which will run one 400w halogen bulb for just under 1 hour. Or am I missing something ?

[jansman]

Because of the roof direction,solar is out for us. We do do solid fuel though. Our place is 110 yrs. oldso chimneys are not a problem. We used our LED lanterns for a month upstairs,as the wiring was shot. The LED worked well. I reckon that with solar recharge(which I have) our heating and lighting are sorted. Forget fridges and freezers etc. this is SHTF.
Wherever you live there IS a solution.