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Heating Rooms with no mains power

Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2020 9:54 pm
by DigitalTwin1
Can anyone suggest the best ways to heat a room with no mains power or gas? A coal fire/log burner is not a possibility unfortunately. I've looked at portable heaters powered by gas bottles - are these worth it in terms of do they give off a lot of heat? Are there any alternatives? anyone could suggest? Thank you :)

Re: Heating Rooms with no mains power

Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2020 10:10 pm
by Yorkshire Andy
They work but you get lots of condensation care must be taken to supply flesh air and a carbon monoxide alarm is a must

If you rent check your contract most prohibit LPG or paraffin

Re: Heating Rooms with no mains power

Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2020 11:19 am
by diamond lil
Industrial space heaters are small but very powerful. Calor gas fires work fine but do give off a fair bit of moisture.

Re: Heating Rooms with no mains power

Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2020 11:57 am
by jansman
One or two forum members use bio ethanol fireplaces,with fair results I believe.Outside of gas and ethanol,I don't see what is possible If I am honest. One way or another the Eco Guilt Police will legislate against every fuel bar electricity in my lifetime. They will prise my multi fuel stoves from my ( probably) cold,dead hands! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Re: Heating Rooms with no mains power

Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2020 6:06 pm
by grenfell
Do you have access to electricity somewhere else and do you really need to heat the whole room? An alternative could be personal heating. It's an old idea , i used to have a flying suit that had heating elements in it that worked on 24 volts. On another forum recently there was a discussion about keeping warm on site and it seems companies such as makita make heated clothing powered off their bog standard cordless batteries. I did ask if anyone still uses a donkey jacket with a piece of string around it and let's just say the response wasn't wholly positive :D

Re: Heating Rooms with no mains power

Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2020 7:56 pm
by rik_uk3
If you live in the UK you don't have to heat a room, it simply does not get cold enough.

Invest in good clothing and sleeping bags, how do you think high altitude climbers and teams on Antarctic field trips manage? Good clothing, good sleeping bags, warm food and drinks. Get your personal insulation sorted out and make sure you have ample supplies of fuel for the emergency stove you'll cook on. Pitch a small tent in your main room which will trap body heat while your in your sleeping bag.

Work on the basis you'll have NO mains fuel/water/sewage that way any that remain will be a bonus.

Re: Heating Rooms with no mains power

Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2020 8:02 pm
by jansman
This is rather timely. I have been to view a rental property with my daughter. It is all electric. Now, Chez Jansman is all electric, but we do have solid fuel heating. If the grid goes down, heating is an issue.

Mind you, the spare room will now remain an ‘emergency’ bedroom for when SHTF again! :lol: :lol:

Re: Heating Rooms with no mains power

Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2020 8:29 pm
by jansman
rik_uk3 wrote: Tue Nov 17, 2020 7:56 pm If you live in the UK you don't have to heat a room, it simply does not get cold enough.

Invest in good clothing and sleeping bags, how do you think high altitude climbers and teams on Antarctic field trips manage? Good clothing, good sleeping bags, warm food and drinks. Get your personal insulation sorted out and make sure you have ample supplies of fuel for the emergency stove you'll cook on. Pitch a small tent in your main room which will trap body heat while your in your sleeping bag.

Work on the basis you'll have NO mains fuel/water/sewage that way any that remain will be a bonus.
That first sentence is not strictly true...

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK535294/

Re: Heating Rooms with no mains power

Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2020 8:36 pm
by korolev
I follow a couple of self-build camper groups on Facebook and there is a lot of talk of "Chinese Diesel Heaters"
Would one of them do the needful ?

Re: Heating Rooms with no mains power

Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2020 8:39 pm
by Yorkshire Andy
korolev wrote: Tue Nov 17, 2020 8:36 pm I follow a couple of self-build camper groups on Facebook and there is a lot of talk of "Chinese Diesel Heaters"
Would one of them do the needful ?
I've been oggling them for a bit but can't justify it . Only snag with those is you need a decent 12v leisure battery and a way to charge said battery.. camper van simple start vans engine and the split charge relay bangs the charge in

Ideally the unit needs to be outside with the warm air ducted through the house wall

Even modern nightheaters can hammer a battery (speaking to a hgv driver a few days ago with a 19 plate tractor unit)