Home Heating: Newsletter Challenge (01/02/07)

Yes sir, about the space heater. First of all you should be asking this question of a certified electrician. Second, I am a certified electrician and I can tell you with 100 percent certainty The chance of fire is compounded so many times and in so many ways from space heaters. Get rid of the space heater now ! You have central heating USE IT!!

If your furnace breaks and you must use the space heater Temporarily, Then follow these instructions

1. If your dwelling utilizes aluminum wiring and it has not been checked by a certified electrician in the past 5 years call your electrician and get the wiring checked.

At the very least the connections on All components in the circuit ie:plugs switches lights and circuit breaker MUST BE CHECKED AND RE TIGHTENED before using an electric space heater on THAT circuit. No exceptions !! Welcome to aluminum wire!!

2. Do not under any circumstances use an extension cord of any type what so ever. you plug the heater DIRECTLY into receptacle. Again No Exceptions!!

3. DO NOT PLACE ANYTHING ON TOP OF THE CORD. NOT THE RUG. NOT THE COUCH, NOT ANYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ENTIRE LENGTH OF CORD TO BE VISIBLE AT ALL TIMES!!!!! you guessed it NO EXCEPTIONS !!!!

4. Check the plug end often for signs of melting, warping, burning.. SMELL IT !! What is the first thing you think of after you smelled it?? If it's not happy thoughts Do not plug it back in!!

5. If there is a High setting on your space heater DO NOT USE IT!!! LO or MED only.

6. If you can tip the heater over in any direction and it continues to run, UNPLUG IT AND THROW IT IN THE GARBAGE IMMEDIATELY!!!

7. If for any reason any light in the dwelling or connected to the dwelling FLICKERS when the heater turns on, UNPLUG HEATER IMMEDIATELY AND CALL ELECTRICIAN. ALSO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR FIRE OR SMOKE FOR NEXT 24 HOURS AS FIRE MAY HAVE ALREADY STARTED AND MAY BE BURNING SILENTLY IN THE WALLS !!

8. Most people do not know this information if you have read this consider yourself warned. Now, if you don't allready know about flammable materials do yourself a favour and let your wife take care of the heater.

Please take care of yourself and loved ones AND REMEMBER IN THE CASE OF EVERY RULE MENTIONED ABOVE SOMEONE HAS DIED TO MAKE IT A RULE..

JUST TALK TO ANY FIRE CHIEF OR FIRE INVESTIGATOR.

Rene-b@rogers.com

Even w/copper wire, confirm the integrity of the receptacle.

Those damm push in connections [where the wiring connects to the receptcale, behind the cover plate], while time savers for the construction crews, aren't made to carry any load.

Last year when my refrigerator would kick on, the lights in 1/2 the house would dim.

I replaced or rewired every outlet & switch, using the screwdown connections.

Problem solved

Dying in an electrical fire would just screw up your day.

In response to all the critics of electric space heaters I would just like to say use copper wires and 240V.

In Australia it is rare to find central heating, the main reason being that the climate is much warmer than Europe and continental USA. As a result by far the majority of heating is done with space heaters plugged into standard 10 amp General Purpose Outlets GPO. Copper wiring is the norm and I am not even sure if it is legal to use aluminium wiring, I have certainly never seen any used for house wiring.

The fact that a house fire caused by a space heater is a rare event in Australia shows that they can be operated safely. The reduced current drain, general awareness and reduced heating demand are all factors that effect the prevalence of fires but if used correctly thy are safe and certainly less likely to start a fire than an open fireplace.

As for the burning of wood, this is a niche solution. If all the heating requirements were filled by the burning of wood we would run out of trees an breathable air very quickly. If you are away from populated areas and are using trees that have naturally died then this is an economic and environmentally viable solution. On the other hand in built up areas it is an absolute nightmare.

It depends on where you are but for the major cities in Australia the most cost effective heating, excluding the equipment cost, is reverse cycle air conditioning. This is because it only transfers energy rather than trying to generate it. The heating system that produces the least pollution per unit of energy however is natural gas. I replaced my oil fired heater with a gas fired system around 10 years ago as back then on a per unit of energy basis natural gas produced a cost saving of 50% and I believe it is now close to 75%. To give you some idea of how cheap it can be the main power generating station for Adelaide is gas fired not coal. If natural gas is available it is defiantly worth investigating. Gas is less polluting than any other form of heating with the exception of hydro, wind and debatably nuclear, generated electricity. I must admit that the company that supplies my gas bills me in Mj or mega joules so its easy to compare the cost of various energy sources. For those that think that electricity is cheaper than gas I would suggest you contact you gas company and find out the energy content of the gas then do a comparison with other forms of energy. You will find that gas is nearly always cheaper.

As to adding moisture to the air, yes humid air feels warmer than dry air and this is because it has a higher enthalpy or energy content. If you add moisture that energy needs to come from somewhere so it will either mean cooler air or increased fuel consumption. Read my previous posts and learn how to read a psychrometric chart, it will save you a bundle in heating and cooling costs.

What Guest (Rene-b@rogers.com)wrote is completely true and should not be ignored, ever.

Also remember that electricity is rarely a cheap form of heating anyway (even as a 300W bulb as someone mentioned before!). As heat energy has to be converted into electricity usually....use the heat of fuel directly, it saves on conversion losses etc!

Much better is a woodburning stove, but such a fire needs maintaining! practically all the time....as does coal....

As I wrote earlier, I have recently installed a Pellets stove, it has all the qualities of wood (maybe not quite as cheap depending on where you get your wood from!) but it can be controlled electronically with regard to switch on and off times and even an older person can load pellets, you just need to have a smaller pail or bucket, depending upon your muscular abilities AND NO CHOPPING OR CUTTING REQUIRED!!!

Full central heating can also be achieved....

ITS FANTASTIC. Check the web out for details.

I live in the Northeast and had exactly the same concerns a year ago. I have a large dog and was also concerned about fires from space heaters. I looked into the issue and found Econo-Heat. It's a 2' x 2' ceramic wall panel heater. Mounts to any wall with just four screws, projection of about 1 1/2". Instead of using radiant heat to heat the home, this panel heats (using only ~ $0.04/hr energy - 425 watts) by convection. Air in the room naturally flows up through the space behind the heater and heats. I also have severe allergies so the fact that there's no forced air is a major plus. Also, there's no moving parts, so mechanical issues are N/A. It is safe for children and animals as the surface temperature never gets hot enough to burn your skin. And, if you use it with an appliance timer when you're not home, you save even more!

This heater has proven to reduce my gas bills by at least 35% and also maintains a very comfortable (all around you) air temperature in my house!

So - you want more heat, less cost, and no fire risk? Go get an econo-heat. http://www.eheat.com/

ps. they're only $70-ish. :)

The simple answer is to heat smaller spaces. I live in a large house by myself. I don't bother to heat rooms that I don't use. I close them off so the heat stays where I am. Sure it confines me but I have a 2500 square foot house and last year I used less than 500 gallons of propane for the ENTIRE YEAR. That includes cooking, hot water and heating. From April to early October I use about 100 gallons. Once the temps start dropping into the teens my use goes up. I use the other 400 gallons between october and late march. Next year-more insulation, better windows and some passive solar.

Not at all a clever scientific answer but it works for now.

To avoid fournance or equiptment that can cause fire, use a Heat Pump. It's electrical but has COP as high as 8-12, that means that the energy consumption is not to large. It can be set to a desired tempeture and humidity. Making the correct arranges, it can be used also in summer to cool the spaces.

Armando Silvera

A heat pump COP of 8-12?!

Here in Switzerland, roughly 50% of new homes have heat pumps installed and I have yet to see a unit (even groundwater based) with a COP much greater than 5. Nonetheless, as long as electricity is cheap and generated cleanly (i.e. without coal), a heat pump can be an economical and environmentally friendly method of home heating (and cooling) - naturally in conjunction with increased insulation, double-glazed windows, weatherstripping, reduced nighttime thermometer setting, etc. etc. etc.

Hello.

The only chance of acchieving a COP of 7-8 is if the heat pump works together with a solar system which raises the brine temperature significantly and if the radiator system area is very large or if floot heating is used. A COP of 8 will probably only be possible during day time in March.

In mid-Europe a COP of 4-5 can be acchieved with a ground based heat pump. Further north a cop of 3-4 is possible. It is all about the brine temperature.

Heat pumps can also be used in fairly un-isolated houses, if a large model is used (up to 15 kW).

Here in UK wet central heating is more popular than warm-air. Underfloor heating coils use less energy than wall-mounted radiators because they run at a lower temperature, also if your feet are warm you feel comfortable.

In Spain I remember the family I stayed with sat around a circular table with a heavy velvet tablecloth draped over our knees, and a small charcoal burner under the table - warm as toast!

The complete answer, though, is better insulation - the greenest energy is energy that's not used

John Egan

This may be the first house for the family, what is required is a little education on the operation of the system

The furnace should be serviced at the beging of the heating season by a furnace technician, replace filters, and clean out the conbustion chamber etc.

Some people refer to a central heating as forced air or gravity air.

Where it could be a gravity or a water presure system, if it is this type have all the connections bleed, may have to do it more than once.

Forget about using the space heater.

Ask questions from the person that is servicing the unit and auxilary equipment.

Go out side and enjoy the winter at the lower temperatures, when coming home you will be greated with a warm cofortable house at 68 F

Three points.

1) Raising the humidity is a sure way to end up with mold growing behind dressers and up against cold corner walls. Been there tried that. Nasty stuff!

2) Sheep are best. They are rated as 120W of dissipation. That's why people got shuttled into mangers in olden times. Humans are only 90W.

3) I have lived in this house for the last 4 years WITHOUT heat. It gets 20F here. Misery comes easy. The single most effective thing you can do to feel more comfortable is to wear a warm hat. Your 90W mostly leaves your head. If you put a hat on it has to find a way out elsewhere. Your hands heat up within five minutes and your legs in another five minute. You can drop a thermostat 2-3F if you just wear a hat. Try it it works. (a warm hat like a beanie)

PS. I installed an 80kBTU forced air furnace system last summer.. Now we are toasty. :)

I'm amazed to see all of the responses to this challenge. So here is mine.

1. Build a house with 6 inches of Styrofoam in every exterior wall, ceiling and floor. Considering how little heat goes through a Styrofoam cup, you can appreciate the value of a home insulated in such a way.

2. All windows should be double glazed, argon filled and slide opening. Mine are warm to the touch on the inside when frosted over on the outside.

3. I have a kerosene fueled Monitor heater. Air is piped in around the outside of the exhaust pipe so that the heat of the exhaust is transferred to the incoming air. The exhaust is slightly warmer than the outside air. The combustion chamber is pressurized a little to increase the efficiency. Kerosene burns at 135,000 BTUs per gallon.

4. My wife knits wool socks, gloves, sox, scarves, hats and sweaters and stays out of my shop.

5. I cut a tree down on the south side of our house to get more light in winter for our house plants which also heats the house up so much that the Furnace cuts off an hour after the sun is up.

6. The house is sealed up so well that I like to completely vent the house every couple of weeks and sometimes because it gets too warm.

"Build a house with 6 inches of Styrofoam in every exterior wall, ceiling and floor. Considering how little heat goes through a Styrofoam cup, you can appreciate the value of a home insulated in such a way."

Styrofoam might be a good insulator but it is also a serious fire risk. The stuff is highly flammable and give of really nasty substances like cyanide when it burns. There are much safer, easier to install more efficient insulation materials.

Styrofoam should be avoided, at all times, as home insulation for several reasons, the most important being that it is flammable and give off toxic fumes.

I remember reading in Popular Science more than 30 years ago that the air which is heated in a furnace should be drawn in from the outside to retain the humidity.

Unfortunately, I have never been able to use the information. Where I live in Brazil, I usually get through the 'winter' with a long-sleeved shirt!

I was thinking we were trying to get the house warmer, not rebuilt. But if you want to rebuild, go with Insulated Concrete Forms {ICF}. I have used them in the past, VERY easy to do it yourself. They go together like Lego blocks! Some manufacturers of these blocks require quite a lot of 2x4 supports. These supports can be used later for the interior framing. Very cost effective. The walls can be up to 50 R factor. They are also very much noise eliminating. With the right windows, you could live on a main road, and not be interrupted by normal traffic noises. These forms are made of styrofoam, with either a styro web or a plastic web. The plastic webs can be as wide as 24 inches, but normally 6 to 12 inches, for a house. The open area in between the inner and outer styro walls is filled with concrete along with rebar, both horizontal and vertical. Good for hurricane, tornado, and earthquake resistant housing. By the way, some manufacturers even offer the ICF as a roof/floor form. The rebar will hold the roof and walls together, the wind will NOT blow the roof off! You will use an HVAC system up to 1/3rd smaller than a stick built house of the same size! That is a savings over the entire lifetime of the house. It also REQUIRES an outside air heat exchanger, to preheat fresh air as it comes into the house. This is also needed because the house is almost completly air tight. The forms I used were from Reddiform, but there are several other companies to look at. There is a lot more info about ICF's I did not include. I will leave any further want for info up to you, who are interrested.

If the family installs a whole house humidifier the temperature in the home will feel warmer. Or they may choose a direct vent space heater fueled by LP on Natural gas this has been the answer in many of the homes in the Northeast.

Insulate your loft.... Wear a hat to keep your head warm. I've heard that 4/5 of your body heat is lost through your head!!

Seriously though, loft insulation of at least 250mm (10inches) of glass fibre or equivalent insulation will save a fortune in lost heat compared to a poorly or un-insulated loft space.

Or just wear more clothes. By keeping the body's extremities warm, comfort is easily found in a cool house. Coming from a cold and wet climate (Manchester, England) I find thick socks help immensely ;o)

Build a Solar Air Heater:

I just read an article in Mother Earth News where a man heats with an inexpensive solar air heater. Here is the link:

http://www.motherearthnews.com/alternative_energy/2006-12-01/Build-a-Simple-Solar-Heater

The answer that follows is a good one but there are a number of important cautions:

1 Do not use a furnace-mounted humidifier as they usually divert 10% to 20% of the hot air flow back to the return air duct, through the humidifier; this often results in colder rooms at the end of duct runs. It also often results in a poorly-cleaned humidifier (out of sight is out of mind) and then occupants get ill from mold debris delivered through the hot air registers.

2 Remember to clean the room humidifiers on a very regular basis (every two weeks at a minimum) as they too can breed a whole array of biologicals that can make occupants sick. Just a vinegar wash and a rinse does well if you do not let the filth get out of hand.

Jim H. White System Science Consulting

Formerly "Senior Advisor - Building Science" @ CMHC in Ottawa, Canada

Buy humidifiers for the rooms the family uses most.

Humidifiers increase the relative humidity of the air. This is especially useful in winter when there is little moisture in the air. Winter air can be very dry and make 68 F feel more like 65 F. A humidifier can make the room feel like it's 70 F. When there is little relative humidity, sweat can evaporate easily, making it feel cooler than it really is. When there is high relative humidity, sweat cannot evaporate as easily, making it feel warmer than it really is.

In my experience, humidfying air takes a tremendous amount of heat either from a heat generating device or from the surrounding air, so it seems like little gain to make the air feel warmer while at the same time making it cooler. Dehumidifiers, on the other hand, have the added advantage of not only removing excess humidity, but also of returning heat to a room, and it does so not by resistance heating but by motors and a heat pump.

Michael Moreland

Mendocino, CA

AOFBE:

1. leave the thermostat where you find it comfortable for you. [If one can't be comfortable in one's own home, what's the point of paying to live in one?]

2. Get a thermal image of your house on a cold day, and insulate, caulk, and\or repair until there are no red areas, and few bright yellow ones. This is a [more or less] one-time process that amortizes well over time, so the actual investment in energy conservation [read reducing energy losses] grows smaller as time passes.

Many of the solutions proposed actually substitute direct consumption of oil with the indirect consumption of so-called fossil fuels, or by consumption of some other substance. [Let us not forget that electricity is generated primarily with oil or gas, so any 'solution' that expends additional electrical energy is suspect, if one considers the actual NET savings achieved by lowering one's thermostat.]

Another issue touched on, but not really explored, is the amplification of percieved discomfort caused by the operation of electro-mechanical thermostats with resistance heat anticipators. These devices usually do well to maintain the temperature set point within +\- 3 deg F. In practical terms, your typical thermostat, which is set to 68 deg F actually allows a NORMAL temperature variation between 65 and 71 deg F. Most modern electronic set-back thermostats can be adjusted down to a +\- 1 deg F. differential.

FWIW, experimentation has disclosed that dropping night temps more than 8 deg F. from the day setting actually waste money due to the increased length of time it takes the heating system to recover from lower differentials.

Heat anticipators are adjustable, at least on the old mercury T'stats I am familiar with. They can be adjusted down to less than 3 F. Also, Humidity knows no bounds! It cannot stay in one room, unless the room is extremly well sealed. The moisture will dissipate throught the whole space {house}.

Comfort at what expense? Condensation would be collecting on the windows at 68F.

Just to throw a spanner in the works, various people have mentioned maintaining a comfortable temperature but comfortable for who? In my house I like the temperature to be slightly on the chilly side, that's comfortable for me. Other people like it to be closer to blast furnace levels so we're constantly turning heating on & off. How can you maintain a level that suits everyone?

What works well for me is a 40 gallon fish tank in the room where we spend most of our time. The water evaporates naturally and you get to enjoy watching the fish.

I have been a New England resident for many years. My house was built in 1768, so I have learned quite a few things about how to keep warm. Plastic on the window is a good start. Use a high-quality shrink film; otherwise it's like looking at the scenery through wax paper. Some kind of foundation insulation is a must. I used snow when we used to get it, and have also used bags of leaves and hay bales. Nix on the last two; they provide a great haven for mice. I have switched to styrofoam sheets which I cut to size. They work very well in keeping the heat from escaping through the stone foundation. And of course, install a good-quality wood stove with modern re-burn technology. Don't forget, wood warms you three ways: when you cut it, when you split it, and when you burn it.

Now as far as the suggestions to get dogs and a woman to keep you warm, I disagree entirely. Cats, preferable the smaller shorthair breeds like my three Siamese will sleep under the sheets and provide excellent spot warmth, and don't shed hair and fleas like dogs. And really, a man is a much hotter commodity than a woman. My man is like a living furnace, and with him in the sack I can open the windows on a -5 degree night a still sleep really warm.

Lastly, I would tell the subject family to stop worrying about their "feelings", get off thier @$$es, and go do something that will warm them up.

Where i come from in Northern Ontario, it routinely reaches -40degrees for extended periods of time during the winter. When this happens, on sunny cold mornings you can actually see moisture in the form ice crytals in the air. If you catch the sun the right way you can even see it being "sucked" out of houses via roof vents, gable vents, soffit (sp?) etc. Although humidity might theoretically be the best way to make a house comfy warm in the winter, its been my experience that it actually speeds up heat being lost from inefficiencies in construction. Furthermore, the wet air being lost to the outside has more heat capacity to remove heat energy than dry air. I think a space heater set on its lowest setting (will not play havoc with the thermostats) and/or good gentle air movement in the house will circulate warm more efficiently. -OR- Put on another layer!!

Make your own Biodiesel and burn it instead of furnace oil. It is a direct substitute

and can be made from waste cooking oil available at restaraunts. (they pay to have it taken away)

The cost of making your own fuel will be less than 1/3 of the furnace oil price, so you will be able to turn up the heat.

As a side benefit you will pollute less and the fumes from your chimney will smell like french fries.

mmmm...

I would install a heat pump.

If anyone would like to discuss about the initial inversion and operating costs then try a financial analysys... not enough data in the problem statement? then don't discuss.

Having lived in both very humid climates and very dry climates I believe that humidification, while it may make breathing easier often makes one feel colder not warmer because the cooling capacity of the air is greater and also evaporating water to raise the humidity requires additional energy, further cooling the air or requiring more energy to maintain the temperature. Moister air flowing over the skin cools the skin more than drier air flowing over the skin. In a humid climate I have become thoroughly chilled in a car traveling at 55 mph with the windows open while in a dry climate at the same speed I was perfectly comfortable.

I would instead suggest sealing all doors, windows, electrical outlets, and any other ways that air may enter (or leave) the house. In many homes there is often a 5 degree F difference between the perimiter and the core of the house, more if there is a strong wind. Sealing (weather proofing) the perimiter reduces drafts, reduces heat loss and reduces fuel oil consumption. The most effective way to weather proof a building is with foam in the walls, ceiling and under the floor - best installed during construction, as foam stops the flow of hot or cold air, which bat insulation only slows down.

What % should we strive for in a typical 3 bedroom house?

A voice from Sweden, in the north of Europe.

My family (2 adults and 2 children) consumes 10000 kWh including heating, lighting and hot water each year. No other heat source. Temperature could drop to below -20 centigrade in the winter.

The house is built in 1979 and insulated with 8 inches (0,2 meter) glass wool in the walls. 28 inches (0,7 meter) of glass wool in the attic. 3-glass windows. 125 square meters. Warm and cosy inside, 21-22 centigrade. 100 W per centigrade difference in/out is the energy need.

A solar heater system covers 60 % of hot water needs. Yes it works even during winter.

An inversed AC (heat pump air/air) keeps the house warm inside until -10, then we add some heat with our electrical radiators.

In houses with central heating and water radiators in Sweden it is common to install heat pumps which provide both heating and hot water (water/water).

Oil is far to expensive, almost nobody is heating their homes in Sweden with oil anymore.

We are in fact responsible to our children to use energy in a smart way. The best way is to insulate and use heat pump technology I think. The sun could also help out.

I live in the Northeast US. We have a 1/2 finished basement, currently unused and unoccupied. I run a dehumidifier all summer in the basement which I have set at 50%RH. In the winter, I have to run a humidifier in the main living area upstairs, otherwise the dreaded dry sinus thing. My basement tends to stay relatively warm in the winter (in the 60's) without running the zoned heat down there. I don't know what the RH will be in the winter, I just purchased the dehumidifier this summer, since I noticed good ol mold starting to grow.My question is, rather than running both the humidifier upstairs and the dehumidifier in the basement, if I leave the door open from the basement to the main floor, will some of the humid air rise, and off-set my electric bill? If so, will it be "bad" humid air?

Leaving the door open may or may not relieve the RH problem. The open door will assure equallizing the vapor pressure between the basement and upper floor. The problem is the difference between the dry bulb temperatures of the two areas. Since "cool" air tends settle, being more dense, the air between the two spaces will stratify. If you devise a system to circulate the air between the two areas, you could equalize the RH. Now wheither that would result in 50% RH would be anyone's guess. By measuring the wet bulb and dry bulb temperatures, the RH can be determined. With a dry bulb temperature of 75 dF, and 62.5 dF wet bulb, you can obtain 50% RH. You can make a wet bulb thermometer by wrapping a themometeer with a piece of absorbant cloth, saturating it with water and moving it back and forth, rapidly through the air, until you obtain the maximum "depressed" temperature, which will be the wet bulb temperature. 70 dF dry bulb, and wet bulb temperature of approx. 58 dF will produce 50% RH; and 65 dF dry bulb and 54.4 dF wet bulb will produce 50 % RH.

Hope this helps.

________________________________________________________________________

When I ponder, I sits and thinks, sometimes I just sits.