Hello,
I’m currently seriously considering buying a wood stove to heat the house in case of emergency. If placed in a good location, like a stairwell or similar, it can provide quite a bit of warmth for a small house.
At the current rate, fossil fuels will soon be worth their weight in gold.
I’d like to know what others who still heat with fossil fuels think about this. Photovoltaics and solar panels can’t be installed quickly or without significant investment, and electricity for heat pumps isn’t getting any cheaper either.
Firewood can usually be found somewhere for free, so I’m planning to use the summer to install a fireplace as a backup.
Good luck
I’m currently seriously considering buying a wood stove to heat the house in case of emergency. If placed in a good location, like a stairwell or similar, it can provide quite a bit of warmth for a small house.
At the current rate, fossil fuels will soon be worth their weight in gold.
I’d like to know what others who still heat with fossil fuels think about this. Photovoltaics and solar panels can’t be installed quickly or without significant investment, and electricity for heat pumps isn’t getting any cheaper either.
Firewood can usually be found somewhere for free, so I’m planning to use the summer to install a fireplace as a backup.
Good luck
W
WilderSueden9 Mar 2022 15:55motorradsilke schrieb:
It probably depends on the season and how long the heating is off. Let’s assume the worst: a power outage lasting several days. You would still need to ventilate since even a mechanical ventilation system wouldn’t work. If there’s no sun during that time, the indoor temperature would eventually approach the outside temperature.I would doubt that too. A few years ago, we experienced a heating failure in November. It wasn’t really cold outside, but temperatures were already in the low single digits. The building is from around 1980, so concrete, more or less uninsulated, with numerous thermal bridges caused by protruding balcony parts. Our windows face WNW, so limited sunlight. Even then, after two days, the indoor temperature was still around an estimated 15°C (59°F). With a KfW40 standard house, you’re already close to a passive house. Without power, cooking is basically off the table, probably showering too, and moisture generation should be limited. I would pragmatically recommend minimal ventilation for 2 days under these conditions.
motorradsilke schrieb:
You don’t ventilate there either, do you?In December, I usually keep the window closed. Occasionally, I ventilate when the kids are playing upstairs. However, the waste heat from people is missing then.
Tamstar schrieb:
And the heated living space is underneath as well...
Not really. The floor is insulated too. Passive house. Heat loss to an unheated attic—insulated or not—is undesirable.
I am rather pessimistic about this: If we experience a multi-day power outage, or gas supply interruption, or oil shortage, nothing will really work anymore, and we will probably have completely different problems. Either I am a true prepper, or I avoid these isolated ideas... Without electricity, you really won't get far.
R
Reinhard84.29 Mar 2022 21:09I suspected I wouldn’t be the only one thinking about this, so I’m glad to see the response. I have an unused fireplace and will ask the chimney sweep how to reactivate and use it.
Regarding firewood: if you don’t just use split firewood but also thicker branches and pallets, there is still a lot available for free at the moment. Or I could use the “human heater” 😉.
Regarding firewood: if you don’t just use split firewood but also thicker branches and pallets, there is still a lot available for free at the moment. Or I could use the “human heater” 😉.
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