Why not heat my house w heat lamps?

[john61ct]

I live in a 250 y.o. weatherboard farmhouse, last renovated in the 60's, big and very very leaky barely insulated.

Total oil heat bill is $1400+ per month.

Other modern homes in the area also on heating oil, everybody uses oil around here

might get up to $2-300 on average.

 

[Hummina Shadeeba]

That’s crazy that amount of money to heat ur house. No matter how much money I have I’m cheap and probably wouldn’t even heat it. Get a couple hundred usps tyvek envelops and staple them up and then buy a nice bike maybe every month instead.

 

[markz]

:lol: I thought a $300 water bill was excessive for a leaky toilet. Its back to a normal $80-$100/m.

$1400/m in heating oil means its not a well sealed home/barn, others prefer to live in newer construction with the latest heating and cooling methods, then deal with old homes with old windows, creeking floors, putting up plastic window covers to help reduce draft. Well any home built in the last 20 years is fine, much older then that n you need to worry about asbesto's from the mid 90's and off gases from paint, carpet etc. Speaking of off gases, spray foam insulation done improperly is common enough, means its a literal tear down no matter what. Can get quite expensive if you dont look into the applicators insurance provider.
https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=2046367
The home owners look rich.

Whenever you see "cozy" in an advertisement, usually means old and drafty. Other terms to look out for is "Unique" those terms could also mean its a heritage building which is a whole head ache unto itself, even if your a hippy and into old homes you should still stay 100 miles away from "heritage" buildings. Costs are double, and takes 3x as long to build because of all the approval processes. You can't just paint a fence, no no you need approval, its worse then a condo board.

That’s crazy that amount of money to heat ur house. No matter how much money I have I’m cheap and probably wouldn’t even heat it. Get a couple hundred usps tyvek envelops and staple them up and then buy a nice bike maybe every month instead.

 

[john61ct]

No matter how much money I have I’m cheap and probably wouldn’t even heat it.

Then all the pipes freeze and burst.

Fortunately my rent includes utilities, so not my problem

 

[Dauntless]

This is a large place divided to apartments?

 

[markz]

Usually rent include heat but not electricity when dealing with any corporate rental company.

I have found a few condo's in my area that include all utilities but I think its to offset the 550 sqft space, or unit in bad area like above entrance doors, next to elevator. For those condo buildings I havent looked to see if the normal 750+ sq ft units also include free utilities. If that be the case then the condo fees are what pays for it, but the condo fee's I've seen for those buildings are not bad.

In the case where electricity is included, then it'd be wise to invest in a crypto-currency farm or legal personal use grow op of a plant or two or whatever is legal for your area.

When your dealing with private rentals, then its more common for utilities to be included.

Obviously everywhere is dealing with higher vacancy rates for commercial property, and I am quite surprised at how home sales have done over covid. I think many people have down sized because they just couldnt afford the big houses anymore, or maybe its just all that free government money floating around.

 

[Matt Gruber]

i tried 1 and i really like a warm spot on the floor, so i took an old cord and made up a 2nd, for those really cold mornings. just turn them on for an hour to add some preheat to the stall 8)
they plug into a GFI

 

[Chalo]

I live in a 250 y.o. weatherboard farmhouse, last renovated in the 60's, big and very very leaky barely insulated.

Total oil heat bill is $1400+ per month.

I guess once you singlehandedly establish runaway global warming, your heating bills will decrease.

 

[neptronix]

I live in a 250 y.o. weatherboard farmhouse, last renovated in the 60's, big and very very leaky barely insulated.

Total oil heat bill is $1400+ per month.

I guess once you singlehandedly establish runaway global warming, your heating bills will decrease.

:lol:

 

[JackFlorey]

I live in a 250 y.o. weatherboard farmhouse, last renovated in the 60's, big and very very leaky barely insulated.

You need one of these:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EGP-6

12 megawatts should keep the house nice and toasty.

 

[Dauntless]

I live in a 250 y.o. weatherboard farmhouse, last renovated in the 60's, big and very very leaky barely insulated.

Total oil heat bill is $1400+ per month.

I guess once you singlehandedly establish runaway global warming, your heating bills will decrease.

Instead of that EGP-6 BIll is offering, why don't we chip in and get him a gassifier? And maybe a Dingfutser. (Sterling engine.) Let's indoctrinate him on the whole European approach to generating your own.

I suppose the $1,400 is at peak, right now, year 'round probably averages out half that. I still think this just has to be a multi unit dwelling, my whole fall/winter probably would be around $1,400 if I was willing to pay and be comfortable.

 

[nicobie]

Maybe he meant It took $1400 to fill up his oil tank.

 

[john61ct]

Nope, per month, and yes for the whole farmhouse, which is shared between multiple "families" in the modern sense of the word.

Goes down to 2-400/mo in the shoulder season

no cost at all from late May into October, boiler turned right off.

It's part of a large "designated" historically compound with a dozen separate buildings, managed by a Trust with a large endowment. Its Board determined that retrofitting the insulation envelope of this building would cost more than knocking it down and rebuilding from scratch

and any mods I believe require going through the National Register.

So even if our rents didn't cover the fuel bills. . .

 

[Dauntless]

It's part of a large "designated" historically compound with a dozen separate buildings, managed by a Trust with a large endowment. Its Board determined that retrofitting the insulation envelope of this building would cost more than knocking it down and rebuilding from scratch

and any mods I believe require going through the National Register.

And these are the things that are going to make for the interesting stories of that new Spanish Inquisition, the Great Reset. Or just some government office set up to review just this sort of situation. Possibly they decide the buildings can stay but the people must go.

So there's this old hotel near me, built in 1922. I can imagine what it took to keep the guests warm. By 1965 it wasn't a hotel anymore, which is a shame. But the offices and shops it was converted to don't have people in them overnight. It's still an historic building, built by the company of the legendary (At least in Orange County) Charles Chapman. Nephew of the real legend, "Johnny Appleseed" Chapman.

Another I'm familiar with, the Nimitz Hotel in the Hill Country of Texas, was operated by the parents of Admiral Nimitz. Now it is the Nimitz Museum of World War II. Another place that would probably be a killer to heat for guests if it was still used that way.

 

[markz]

Not very environmentally friendly is it, wasting all that heat, using all that oil. Pays lots of wages up here, being top importer.

 

[Hummina Shadeeba]

Even in my short life buildings/houses of the past weren’t as heated. As a kid my parents would tell me to put on a sweater and now they’ve got a digital screen controlling the temp and it’s at 68 all day. I fight with my girlfriend to keep it down to 65.

 

[Matt Gruber]

EV makers have figured out how to not heat the interior, yet keep you comfy-
they heat the seat and the steering wheel :thumb:
reminds me of my kitchen table heater

 

[Dauntless]

EV makers have figured out how to not heat the interior, yet keep you comfy-
they heat the seat and the steering wheel :thumb:
reminds me of my kitchen table heater

Actually, I'd prefer the warm air over the warm seat. The first problem I have in cold is with my sinuses. I shock others running around in the 55 outside with no jacket, no nothing. But It's my sinuses that don't want to stay outside.

 

[markz]

Thats because it takes less watts to heat the steering wheel and seat then heating air with btu's. It eats up to much battery power. EV's might be fine for warmer climates then wintery cold snowy Northern USA and Canada. The good thing is you can always plug in a cab heater running off a wall outlet at your home, maybe secondary auxillery powered battery warmers are available..... until you dont come back to home base. Not all parking lots have block heater outlets for each parking stall. If they do, they are not always turned on. When I was watching Justin do his cross country ride, he mentioned he never even knew of parking lot stall outlets, for someone growing up in warm, overcast Sooke, BC (Van Isle) and Vancouver its understandable. Where it reaches 0C(33F) and its an emergency, or snows. https://vancouver.ca/people-programs/shelters.aspx "We activate warming centres when the temperature drops below a certain point." also quote "Temperatures at or below 0°C, or "feels like" 0°C with wind chill" Click on extreme weather response on the link. Its not extreme by any means. Alberta deals with that on a regular basis and no there is no emergency declared.

 

[Matt Gruber]

EV makers have figured out how to not heat the interior, yet keep you comfy-
they heat the seat and the steering wheel :thumb:
reminds me of my kitchen table heater

Actually, I'd prefer the warm air over the warm seat. The first problem I have in cold is with my sinuses. I shock others running around in the 55 outside with no jacket, no nothing. But It's my sinuses that don't want to stay outside.

i haven't tried any EV seats but if it works like my table heater, warm air will rise and you will breathe that warm air :thumb: but 3 feet away will be cold, so the whole area does not feel heated (but it has to rise some)
My nose will start to run riding my bike, unless i inhale thru my mouth, then no problem :thumb:

 

[marty]

Wait can someone tell me this basic thing: isn’t all the electricity going into a bulb either turning to heat or light? If so I don’t see how an incandescent bulb would be inefficient at producing heat as I think the energy in the actual emitted light is very small.

Don't matter how ya cook it, a watt is a watt. 1500W heater makes the same amount of heat as 15, 100W light bulbs. Old style incandescent light bulbs that is.

Okay, the REAL story. Heat from any light source is thermal loss, same as heat from your electric bike is thermal loss. It is an inefficiency, only a pure accident that it also is useful in a cold house. Any light from a heat source is light loss, an inefficiency. More light, less heat.

A 1500w heater makes MUCH MORE heat than 10-100w lamps. How much more depends on the type of lamp. The old style incandescents would produce so much more heat and less light, which is why they are gone. Your car headlight produces I think as much light as a 60w incandescent would, but it's not as hot. Because it creates the light on lower wattage and doesn't waste as much on heat.

Assume that where you write "1500w heater makes MUCH MORE heat than 10-100w lamps" is a typing mistake. 15x100=1500.

Sorry Dauntless but I think you are wrong. I realize that arguing with Dauntless about electricity is like arguing with Jesus about religion. I do enjoy a challenge. Kind of like boxing with Muhammad Ali.

I explain. Watt is a measurement of how much electricity something uses. 1000W light bulb or a 1000W heater running for 1 hour will use the same amount of electricity. Start up usage will be a little different for different equipment. Now surprise a 1000W light bulb or a 1000W heater will make the same amount of heat.

Lets do a test. How to measure heat. BTU Got no idea about that? Get two identical enclosures. How about Easy-Bake Oven Fun oven heated by a 100W light bulb. In one oven put a 100W light bulb. In the other oven put a 100W heater. Run both for one hour. Measure temperature. Yep both are the same.

 

[marty]

All this talk about heat. Don't forget about humidity. Heated air can be way too dry. People need the proper humidity for lots of reasons. Dry itchy skin is one problem caused by dry air. In my house we have a big plastic humidifier. Just a moving belt and a fan. It holds about 10 gallons of water. I fill it about once a week. If windows get foggy humidity is too high. Turn adjustment down a little.

Increasing the amount of humidity in the air makes ya feel warmer at a lower temperature.

Also with increased insulation, beware of indoor air pollution. Open the window.

 

[Hummina Shadeeba]

Increasing the amount of humidity in the air makes ya feel warmer at a lower temperature.

i read humidity makes you colder if the temp is cold.
https://lhtcooling.com/why-does-it-feel-colder-when-its-humid/
https://www.brennanshvac.com/articles/humidity-temperature-strange-link-know

 

[markz]

Well this video is on purifiers but also talks about humidifiers.

Aint no news that the Dyson Purifier sucks big time! Honeywell aint much better.
A $10 fan, $60 filterete filter and $5 worth of tape is the better bang for the buck for purifiers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uZKBlwLEFs

So depending on the minerals or other inpurities in the water source for the humidifier, could put more particulates in the air.

 

[marty]

Increasing the amount of humidity in the air makes ya feel warmer at a lower temperature.

i read humidity makes you colder if the temp is cold.
https://lhtcooling.com/why-does-it-feel-colder-when-its-humid/
https://www.brennanshvac.com/articles/humidity-temperature-strange-link-know

Think you might be thinking if your clothing gets wet. Like in the rain. Or hot and sweaty. Yea you will feel colder.