New in Scotland

New Members - Introduce yourself, and say a few words
jansman
Posts: 13622
Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 7:16 pm

Re: New in Scotland

Post by jansman »

cadpat wrote: Sat Jun 26, 2021 3:25 pm Thanks for the suggestion. Ordinarily, I would do something like that but there are two obstacles; firstly the house is rented and secondly, it is a listed building and all the doors and windows are original and cannot be replaced or modified.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have a decommissioned wood burning stove which is still in situ and would take an hour to put back into use so for me at least, minimal heating should not be a problem if I get on top of the wood storage situation.
I am primarily solid fuel here. I snag wood wherever I can. I NEVER pay for it. I back it up with coal. It takes a bit of work, but if we have power cuts etc. heating will never be a problem. Without meaning to sound harsh, get on top of the wood situation. You have the ideal back up heating- if not primary. Use what you have available. ;)
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.

Me.
cadpat
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Jun 23, 2021 3:06 pm

Re: New in Scotland

Post by cadpat »

It's a matter of space, nothing more. Before my landlord changed the heating system, I pretty much only used the stove and used the oil when things got unbearable.
jansman
Posts: 13622
Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 7:16 pm

Re: New in Scotland

Post by jansman »

cadpat wrote: Sat Jun 26, 2021 4:15 pm It's a matter of space, nothing more. Before my landlord changed the heating system, I pretty much only used the stove and used the oil when things got unbearable.
Aah, space can be a problem where such a volume of fuel is involved.
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.

Me.
Yorkshire Andy
Posts: 8733
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:06 pm

Re: New in Scotland

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

cadpat wrote: Sat Jun 26, 2021 3:25 pm Thanks for the suggestion. Ordinarily, I would do something like that but there are two obstacles; firstly the house is rented and secondly, it is a listed building and all the doors and windows are original and cannot be replaced or modified.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have a decommissioned wood burning stove which is still in situ and would take an hour to put back into use so for me at least, minimal heating should not be a problem if I get on top of the wood storage situation.
Ours is rented but i don't need to do any changes to the building I've made a wooden cover plate for the air brick in the lounge which I can secure With rubber well nuts (rubber expansion nuts) the diesel heater is free standing .. no alterations to the building or structure.. and it gets round the no lpg or paraffin heaters term in our lease ;)

Along with a bio ethanol heater but with the pandemic ethanol got silly expensive
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If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
cadpat
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Jun 23, 2021 3:06 pm

Re: New in Scotland

Post by cadpat »

The house is solid stone, no cavities and no airbrick. I explored all possibilities when I wanted to put power in my shed which is kind of attached to my house by a diagonal corner. The only hole anywhere when the windows and doors are closed is the letterbox - I suppose that might be an extreme option.

Can you run the diesel heater on heating oil which is about 30% of the price (it has been a lot less)? I looked into running a Land Rover on heating oil (post SHtF when the laws don't matter) and learned that the only real difference was viscosity and that adding the right amount of oil would make the difference negligible.

Unfortunately, my oil tank went when the biomass system was installed but I always kept it topped up and fantasised (in a very sensible way!) about driving around post-apocalyptic Scotland with abandoned cars (and zombies!) everywhere.
cadpat
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Jun 23, 2021 3:06 pm

Re: New in Scotland

Post by cadpat »

Those heaters remind me of the Herman Nelson heaters we used in Norway. It's a long time ago but I think we draped something like a parachute over the two most forward rotors (of a Wessex V) with the Herman Nelson blowing hot air into it so that the mechanics could work without being completely frozen. I don't think it was completely by the book but sometimes improvisation is necessary.

By the way, can I ask why my posts are being moderated in this thread but not in other sections?
Grw862
Posts: 0
Joined: Tue Aug 10, 2021 2:48 pm

Re: New in Scotland

Post by Grw862 »

I'm rural highlands and I understand completely the power and communication issues.
I've always kept my heating separate from my electric. I used to keep the cooker separate too but now I have a small camping stove and bbq for use during power cuts.
Looking into ham radio later down the line.
cadpat
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Jun 23, 2021 3:06 pm

Re: New in Scotland

Post by cadpat »

There are plenty of resources out there to help get going with ham radio, free courses, YouTube videos and I just joined a Discord channel to take my Full License - hopefully in October.