Keeping warm without power

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kevprep85
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Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2017 7:52 pm
Location: Manchester

Re: Keeping warm without power

Post by kevprep85 »

featherstick wrote:A few years ago, SWMBO was away and DS (3 years old at the time) and I were left in the house. There was a snowstorm and subsequent transport and supermarket chaos (didn't bother us though).

I’m pretty warm-blooded anyway, so decided to do a bit of a trial. I didn’t turn the heating on, instead we layered up as much as we needed, to see how we got on. The house was a compact mid-terrace, 2-up, 2-down 1900 build with good insulation and draughtproofing.

I noted that the internal temperature got down to about 16C but didn’t fall any lower. DS and I wore slippers, socks, thermals, shirts, jumpers and occasionally an overlayer of fleece and were very comfortable. When going out we only had to put an anorak and boots on. Normal activity levels and hot drinks helped.

However after a week or so of this we both got colds. Difficult to know whether we would have done anyway as we usually do. But it was an interesting demo of how life can continue w/o central heating.
when it dropped to 16c what was you taking a reading from? i only ask because a house i rented had a digital dial for the heating and no matter how cold it wouldn't drop below 16c
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shocker
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Location: cornwall, near england

Re: Keeping warm without power

Post by shocker »

At the farmhouse where my mum and dad live, me and my dad plumbed the central heating with pushfit plastic pipes and rads from Screwfix. It took us a couple of years but we didnt have to pay anyone, and it left us money to get the roof fixed. We had to have an accredited engineer in to connect up the heater to keep the warrantee, which wasnt cheap but it turned out for the best. We bought an oil-jet fired Rayburn range with built in heater and, being a new model, went wrong constantly and had to be replaced twice until they discontinued the model and gave us the new type.

The piping is simple for central heating with the new triple walled plastic pipe with pushfit connectors, but it may be a good idea to get someone to plan it out for you if you do not know much about the subject. I know bugger all except what I have done, but my dad had been a boiler engineer among his many, many jobs. So, he was able to make a good plan for the system which was a great idea because either of us could work on it independently on of each other depending on who had time and who was well enough.

These panels sound fascinating, I must take some time to research them, however we don't have the central heating on at the flat. Its very well insulated and we have the Bitcoin miners and the server running full time so that gives us all the heating we need. Dries our washing too, we havn't used the tumble drier for a couple of years now. :D
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jansman
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Re: Keeping warm without power

Post by jansman »

The carbon crystal panels are infra red. Very economical. We have two types, 600w and 400w. Our rooms are small (with doors) and easy to warm. Each of tha bedrooms has a 600w panel, but the front bedroom is colder, so there is a 400 w one in there too to beef it up. The front reception room is the same. The only exception is the bathroom and in there is a bathroom friendly fan heater, which is very effective.

There are videos on YouTube showing these infra red panels. In fact some of the old buildings in by the Scottish National Trust now use them.
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diamond lil
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Location: Scotland.

Re: Keeping warm without power

Post by diamond lil »

I've got a coal fire and a calor gas cooker. The fire is never off apart from at most a couple of months in midsummer. That way it heats the stone walls and the house stays warm all the time, apart from the north-facing back rooms that are baltic in winter.
And I knit a lot of socks :mrgreen:
featherstick
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Re: Keeping warm without power

Post by featherstick »

kevprep85 wrote:
featherstick wrote:A few years ago, ....... But it was an interesting demo of how life can continue w/o central heating.
when it dropped to 16c what was you taking a reading from? i only ask because a house i rented had a digital dial for the heating and no matter how cold it wouldn't drop below 16c
Little garden centre alcohol thermometer for greenhouse/outdoor use.
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shocker
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Joined: Sun Jan 22, 2017 5:39 pm
Location: cornwall, near england

Re: Keeping warm without power

Post by shocker »

Yup, a properly built chimney breast is the original storage heater. 8-)
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jansman
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Re: Keeping warm without power

Post by jansman »

diamond lil wrote:I've got a coal fire and a calor gas cooker. The fire is never off apart from at most a couple of months in midsummer. That way it heats the stone walls and the house stays warm all the time, apart from the north-facing back rooms that are baltic in winter.
And I knit a lot of socks :mrgreen:
Its how we are. We have two chimneys,and the big one rarely loses heat.Like you,it is only unfired for about 10 to 12 weeks max.When the stove goes out in that one,the brickwork is still very warm in the morning .
In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: It goes on.

Robert Frost.

Covid 19: After that level of weirdness ,any situation is certainly possible.

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nickdutch
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Re: Keeping warm without power

Post by nickdutch »

Bioethanol fireplace for a flat with no chimney :)
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junmist
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Re: Keeping warm without power

Post by junmist »

Thermal curtains on outside doors as well as at windows, old fashion door sausage's to stop drafts, and a nice dressing gown should keep you warm though I'm going to look into those heating panels that have been mention.
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Arzosah
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Re: Keeping warm without power

Post by Arzosah »

jansman wrote:So,we continue with our solid fuel stoves and now we have wall mounted carbon crystal panels throughout.Nothing has changed really,apart from not having to worry about the boiler going wrong!
Quoting from a post of yours on page 2, jansman, sorry - I'd never even heard of carbon crystal panels, they sound fascinating - I've googled, and I see others are interested in what you've written too :D

Shocker has got me interested as well: "we don't have the central heating on at the flat. Its very well insulated and we have the Bitcoin miners and the server running full time so that gives us all the heating we need. Dries our washing too, we havn't used the tumble drier for a couple of years now. :D"

I have wondered about bitcoin mining :oops: