Emergency Heating Options?

[Big_Willy]

Hi all.

With the recent power outages in Saskatchewan, I got thinking about my options if the power is out for an extended time during a cold winter.

My home is a one story with unfinished basement. My natural gas mid-efficiency furnace is about mid-house, in the basement. All utilities snake out from the furnace room. Fresh air is piped to the furnace room for the furnace and natural gas hot-water heater.

In the event of an unexpected power outage, what source could I safely use to keep the basement/house from freezing?

[HunterDave]

A generator outside and an extension cord. Good idea for July thunderstorms to power the sump pump as well.

[jr_80]

Back up generator. Installed properly with a transfer switch.

[CaberTosser]

A decorative natural gas fireplace on each level. They don't require outside power unless they have a blower kit, even then they fire and convect, just no forced air from them.

That or a wood burning stove in the bsmt.

If you bsmt is unfinished I hope at least the foundation walls are insulated, if not, get on that.

[Dean2]

Natural Gas Fireplace in Basement and main floor. Get one that doesn't need 110 to run, there are many that produce their own 500 MA voltage to run the gas valve and fire the burners. They throw enough heat to keep the basement and main floor from freezing.

Wood fired stoves have insurance issues but they are a reasonable option too, as long as you have access to wood.

If u use a generator for power, make sure you turn off the main coming into the house so you don't have a problem when the power comes back on. If you have a Genac or similar installed you will need an electrician to ensure the proper switching gear is in place.

[Big_Willy]

Yes.

A home generator would be the ultimate answer. There are some real nice ones out there today.

I do have a small RV-style, but, have been told the power they generate is "dirty" and would have to be filtered before powering a furnace.

Spending $3000-5000 for a permanent back-up unit seems overkill.

I could add a wood/pellet burning appliance when I finish the basement.

I was more thinking of something ready-access and portable like a construction heater or .................

[BUSHRVN]

Or just cut the power supply to the furnace and put a normal extension cord end plug unit in and when needed, just unplug it from the house supply and plug it into an extension cord routed in from a generator outside. I've done this so that I can grab my 3000 watt (inverter style, clean power)camping generator from the garage and move it out back and quickly plug in the furnace and other things if needed.
When the time comes to replace my water pump I will go with the 120 volt option instead of the 240 volt one I have now so that I can have water at this time as well.

[elkhunter11]

If you understand basic wiring, you could hook the furnace directly to a generator to provide heat. My father used a 2000watt Honda inerter unit to power his furnace in an emergency. You could also use a portable forced air heater and direct the heated air through a basement window. Some units use hoses, and can direct heat to more than one location.

[KegRiver]

I acquired two pump house heaters that I intend to install next summer.

They require no power and take up very little space, but they are small so not enough to keep the house warm, only enough to keep things from freezing.

For most of my life I had wood heat, either as the main source of heat or as backup to a gas furnace.

If I could cut and haul the wood now, that is what I would want.

[Jayhad]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

A generator outside and an extension cord. Good idea for July thunderstorms to power the sump pump as well.

That's the ticket there, I looked at a permanent backup genset and went with a 4500w portable for about 15% of the cost of genset

[Flight01]

Originally Posted by Jayhad

That's the ticket there, I looked at a permanent backup genset and went with a 4500w portable for about 15% of the cost of genset

My dad also has a 4500. Works great . Runs the blower on his wood furnace and fridge and freezers and an electric hot water tank (dual elements but on low demand only one kicks in)

I’ve been thinking the same. But perhaps one that is dual fuel, gasoline and nat gas

[sgill808]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

A generator outside and an extension cord. Good idea for July thunderstorms to power the sump pump as well.

This. Has saved my ass many times.

[Ken07AOVette]

I have a 17kw Generac natural gas generator hard wired into the house that also runs the garage. The oven is nat gas as well.

I also have a electric start 6500w honda / coleman generator that I really should sell.

[Flight01]

Originally Posted by Ken07AOVette

I have a 17kw Generac natural gas generator hard wired into the house that also runs the garage. The oven is nat gas as well.

I also have a electric start 6500w honda / coleman generator that I really should sell.

How much you want ?

[Ken07AOVette]

How does $650 delivered to Ft Mac sound? My son works there, I would give him $50 to take it to you.

[Flight01]

Deal if you can hold off till new year . I’m headed to Hawaii for 14 days

[sgill808]

Originally Posted by Ken07AOVette

How does $650 delivered to Ft Mac sound? My son works there, I would give him $50 to take it to you.

You've sold more stuff on random threads than buy and sell lol. Good work

[Ken07AOVette]

Originally Posted by Flight01

Deal if you can hold off till new year . I’m headed to Hawaii for 14 days

Done, I will take it off facebook. Etransfer works

Originally Posted by sgill808

You've sold more stuff on random threads than buy and sell lol. Good work

r.p.r.t.

[Flight01]

PM sent

[Red Bullets]

I had a coal and wood stove in the basement. It was converted to natural gas with simple piping. I could disconnect the gas, pull out the piping and burn wood or coal too. The nice thing was it was functional as a stove and had a water chamber on the side to keep some water hot all the time. In the summer if it was too hot to cook in the main floor kitchen it was always nice and cool in the basement to cook meals.

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by Red Bullets

I had a coal and wood stove in the basement. It was converted to natural gas with simple piping. I could disconnect the gas, pull out the piping and burn wood or coal too. The nice thing was it was functional as a stove and had a water chamber on the side to keep some water hot all the time. In the summer if it was too hot to cook in the main floor kitchen it was always nice and cool in the basement to cook meals.

Sweet!

[Red Bullets]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

Sweet!

Had a similar but nicer wood and coal stove in the main kitchen until we got natural gas around 1980.

[buckbrush]

Another thing is keeping a good supply of wood on hand if using wood to heat.
We have a fireplace with a blower, it's not efficient.

Our power was out for 4 days once, snowed in with -20/-30 weather. We hadn't used the fireplace for long periods of time before. It used about 10x as much fuel as the wood stove we had in our other house.

The day the power came back on we were down to our last row of firewood.

I also know of people who had generators but no gas during the outage.

What ever you need to keep it running, have some fuel on hand.

[elkhunter11]

I had a wood stove installed as part of my basement development. It puts out a lot of heat, and doesn't burn a lot of wood, but it requires electricity to run the blower, so I still need a small generator to run the blower. The upper floor will not be overly warm, but I would be fairly comfortable in the basement.

[BUSHRVN]

Originally Posted by buckbrush

I also know of people who had generators but no gas during the outage.

What ever you need to keep it running, have some fuel on hand.

And be sure to run it once in a while, dump the stored extra fuel in your vehicles once in a while and get fresh fuel and make sure it’s NOT ethanol gas!!!!
I also use premium gas and on my last run of summer I put fuel stabilizer in the generators tank and run it a bit.
This way I know I won’t have a fuel problem if I need it in the dead of winter.
I also fire it up a few times during winter of warm days just to charge up the battery and get the fuel moving.

[gpgriz]

Originally Posted by BUSHRVN

Or just cut the power supply to the furnace and put a normal extension cord end plug unit in and when needed, just unplug it from the house supply and plug it into an extension cord routed in from a generator outside. I've done this so that I can grab my 3000 watt (inverter style, clean power)camping generator from the garage and move it out back and quickly plug in the furnace and other things if needed.

This is what what I've done.
Haven't needed it yet, but worked when i tested it.

[Xbolt7mm]

Originally Posted by Red Bullets

I had a coal and wood stove in the basement. It was converted to natural gas with simple piping. I could disconnect the gas, pull out the piping and burn wood or coal too. The nice thing was it was functional as a stove and had a water chamber on the side to keep some water hot all the time. In the summer if it was too hot to cook in the main floor kitchen it was always nice and cool in the basement to cook meals.

Beautiful stove man!!!!!!

[hogie]

Finally installed a transfer switch in my house. Prewired reliance model that will run 10 circuits in total. 50 amp hookup to generator.

Went with a champion generator, 11250 peak watts 9000 running watts. Really good deal on it at Costco last year. Had the electrician check it out after the install to see how clean the power is coming out. He was impressed, said not to worry about ruining any electronics with it.

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by hogie

Finally installed a transfer switch in my house. Prewired reliance model that will run 10 circuits in total. 50 amp hookup to generator.

Went with a champion generator, 11250 peak watts 9000 running watts. Really good deal on it at Costco last year. Had the electrician check it out after the install to see how clean the power is coming out. He was impressed, said not to worry about ruining any electronics with it.

Watt did it cost you for the switch and then the install if you don't mind sharing. Thanks.

[hogie]

Originally Posted by Dean2

Watt did it cost you for the switch and then the install if you don't mind sharing. Thanks.

I don't have the bill yet for the install but I'm thinking around $2300 in total including buying the generator. Going to 50 amp is more expensive. The 30 amp ones can get in kits that have everything except the wire to run to outlet . They are a few hundred dollars cheaper as well.

Wouldn't need as big of generator either. I think I paid around $900 for generator. I think the Costco in St Albert still has them there. Been a few months since been there. Canadian tire wanted a few hundred more for the same thing

I figured spending a bit more would be worth it. We can be comfortable in a power outage. Heat , water , septic and a couple of areas in house that are usable. I turned on everything on switch to check draw. Not even close to what it will run. Lots of room to run cords if needed .