paraffin heater

[bob the builder]

I'm a little worried about our lack of back up heating in case of prolonged power outage cooking is fine gas stove and trangia both with plenty of fuel (more wanted). We plan to move out of rented accommodation in 6 months so can't do much at the min I want somewhere with a fire place. Thinking of getting a paraffin heater but how safe are they to use in the living room?

Or is there something better we can use?

[tigs]

not as safe as a gas heater but safe enough

[m4me]

I have a similar problem myself.

I am going to explore the cost of opening a chimney so that I can install a solid-fuel burner, but I do have a gas fire at the moment. It might sound simple, but don't underestimate the power of a wool blanket - wool maintains heat retention capabilities even when wet and is naturally water repellent. If you have a look on some of the army surplus sites, you might be able to find a 100% wool blanket that will certainly keep you warm throughout the winter.

[Yorkshire Andy]

I have a similar problem myself.

I am going to explore the cost of opening a chimney so that I can install a solid-fuel burner, but I do have a gas fire at the moment. It might sound simple, but don't underestimate the power of a wool blanket - wool maintains heat retention capabilities even when wet and is naturally water repellent. If you have a look on some of the army surplus sites, you might be able to find a 100% wool blanket that will certainly keep you warm throughout the winter.

or a great coat

i got one of these last winter (Not from this seller) and i ended up getting another cut one down so it was like a long jacket and left the other one LONG.....

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-WARSA ... 2a31e9cfb7

Yes they took the p155 out of me at work wearing it in the factory until we run out of heating oil..... then i got to get my own back big time


Only issue i had was the mothball smell but it slowly very slowly gets better


Ive got a calor heater most now have a cut out / yellow flame warning if its not happy with the air supply

http://www.delonghi.com/en-INT/products ... nt=details

[bob the builder]

Gas fire would possibly be better but it's storing the gas the cylinders are bulky and heavy and not really up the just incase item I'm looking for. The paraffin heaters I'm looking at are about 2 foot high and you can boil a kettle on the top an added bonus.

Wool blanket is a good idea but I know the wife will still complain so most of prepping is to keep her sweet no matter the situation.

[unsure]

if you plan on using parrafin for anything make sure you have plenty of ventilation which inturn sort of defeats the object of having heaters .

just a word of warning .

there used to be an old drunk that lived next door to me , just him and his dog . he had a parrafin heater and double glazing , the dog went to sleep across the bottom of the internal door that lead out in to the hall way thus blocking the only exit for fumes . they did find him after a few days when no one had seen are heard from him .

[Yorkshire Andy]

if your using a cooking or heating appliance invest in a Carbon Monoxide alarm..

i got one of these last year from Asda on offer at £8 It lives in the garage it goes "posh" camping with me just in case...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/16091948 ... =83&ff19=0

(Got a mains powered one in the house but will likely be useless in a power cut probably when you need it the most.

[ForgeCorvus]

Yorkshire: I've got a coat like that, theres a place a mate found that sells them but only in bulk. He put an order together(some other great stuff too) and a lot of us got them....Like a pallet load
Mine cost about 15 notes in the end
I might have to ask him about it and start a thread for a Group-Buy



Re: Burning anything indoors without a proper tested flue. Get a CO detector* and make sure it works, if you don't you're a bloody idiot......And possibly a dead idiot

Suitable fire extingusher would be a good prep as well


* I know in Grannie's day they didn't have them, but people didn't have the degree of draft-proofing thats common nowadays...... And people still died

[RockingDad]

We currently have an open gas fire into a chimney and I already have a wood burner purchased and ready to go in. ... the costs from quotes we have had range from £1800 to £ 2500 and thats without the cost of the burner. You can do it yourself adheringvto part j (I think) building regs and get it certificated by your local building control for about £150. Ive costed parts to do it myself at about £600 and thats with a 25 year flue.

I already have three winters worth worth of seasoned processed wood to burn.... I enjoy the wood chopping splitting with an axe... its therapeutic. Unseasoned wet wood in a wood burning flue destroys them!

Rockingdad

[junmist]

We have been thinking of heating too, we use to have a moveable gas fire years ago when I was a child, we have looked at them again but I do not have the strength to change the bottles over so I too have been toying with paraffin heaters. But what is really worrying is how little alterative there is out there and how much the alterative cost, with heating going up and people on low incomes they have you over the barrel. How many of us now have an open fireplace that we could use for our heating I bet not many