Heating in Winter

http://www.cbc.ca/player/Radio/ID/2323998883/

I listened to this broadcast on "Rewind" a few weeks ago. It was about the Ice storm in Quebec. Of interest was the "after the fact" effect a lot of people had. Purchases of wood stoves went through the roof "after" the storm, and the city had to plead with citizens to stop using them as the air quality really started to suffer in the city..

More interesting was the psychology of Montreal and how a disaster played out. The shortfalls, but also what worked. It was a really interesting piece. Worth listening too. It may relieve some of the paranoia that we would expect, but also bring some insight into the unexpected too.

Ah, memories....
I remember people putting food outside on balconies...
I remember widespread breakins...mine included...
I remember the price of candles going from 33 cents to 2 dollars each
I remember the concerns about the water treatment plants running out of backup generator fuel...
most of all, I remember how unprepared I was back then...
Never again!

Another option is the Cozy or Williams convection heaters.. A Just add propane. No electricity, and much more efficient than running a Gen for heat.

http://www.gasheaterstore.com/Williams-2509621-Monterey-Top-Vent-Wall-Furnace--25000-btu--Propane-LP--10-Year-Warranty_p_80.html
I have installed a few of these for "clients" and they work great..

Denob, we also were in the thick of the Ice Storm of '98 with no electricity for 2 weeks, out in the country with four young children. Our woodstove saved us from evacuation or freezing to death. We managed to buy a generator to pump water but it was the heat factor that was the most significant.

Can anyone tell me why this:

is safe for indoor heating and this:

isn't? They're both propane. Does the Mr. Heater have more complete combustion or something?

Sorry about the massive pics.

I just bought two Buddy heaters, Now although they state clearly that they are for outdoor use only, I opted to buy them for indoor use because they have a sensor on them that will turn the heater off if the Oxygen levels drop too low.

So using them in combination with battery operated Carbon Monoxide Detectors (in case the sensors fail) makes the Buddy Heater the safest Propane indoor heater I've found so far.

It has to do with the low oxygen sensor and tip over set switch. Now I have used both indoors myself, although I am using the bigger version of the Buddy Heater.

I'm going with solar heating.
A descent sized array will provide most of the heating and hot water for a home, even up hear in Canada.

For some good diy info: http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/WaterHeating/water_heating.htm

Thanks for the link Vadim. That site has lots of intersting content and is well worth a look.

Wealth of information! Thanks Vadim.

Thanks. Our plan of wood stove, along with a system like this is far more economixal than others we were loking at!

Ya, it's one of the best sites I've bean able to find, everything from calculating the heat needed for a home, to information on building panels.
I've bean trying to convince my parents to install a setup like that for years, I rent atm (hoping to change that in a few years) so not a choice for me.

We're actually looking into a great looking system, built in Canada. Up until now, there were very few options that allowed you to heat with fuel sources (including wood), because it would void your warranties. Napoleon is the first one I'm aware of that will allow you multi-fuel options, including a Propane, Electric, AND Wood combo. You can check it out at: http://www.napoleonheatingandcooling.com/products/hmf200/ . If anyone actually has seen or has one of these systems, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.

My neighbours have an oil/wood combo furnace - it works fine for them although the people who owned the house before them complained that there was alot of soot or something that got everywhere (although she was an extreme clean freak). You should also review any Home Insurance policy that you have because some don't like wood as the main heat source. Most policies will at least add an additional 'wood stove' surcharge ($50 for me).
That Napoleon system looks pretty cool!

At the Sunflower Farm workshop last weekend, Cam briefly touched on the importance of wood heating as a sustainable, low-carbon footprint method to warm your home.

He acknowledged at one point that it may be difficult for some city dwellers to obtain firewood, and mentioned a couple ways to do so. We didn't go in-depth but I had a point I wanted to raise, and forgot.

That point is - as a landowner - the frequency and severity of storms seems to have increased over the last 20 years. As a result, we barely keep up with all the fallen trees on our properties.
I know lots of other landowners in the same boat and most of them are falling far behind. It's very likely that you could help them and get your firewood for effort-in (free). You would gain a valuable heat source, build key relationships and learn some valuable bushcraft.

I would caution against showing up with an electric saw however... lol Most farmers and other landowners cut for 6-8 hours and only a gas chainsaw can last that long.

I tend to think equivalent to heating consideration in a colder climate would be insulating to achieve a more environmentally sustainable balance .

my plan so far - pop can heater & backup battery pack for a few days of electric oil heat on low; close off unnecessary rooms; solar cooker for food; wool blankets for cuddling..so far.
when i can afford it - solar genny...nice and quiet. just for heat/cooking, no lights...don't want to give away that I'm set up, bad neighborhood and all.