Hello everyone,
we heat our house with geothermal energy and are very satisfied with it. When we built the house, we included a chimney, but we never installed a fireplace. By now, we are not really keen on having one. The house stays evenly warm due to its relatively good insulation value, so there is hardly any desire to cozy up by a fireplace.
However, the reports about power outages make me somewhat uncertain. We could probably manage through a 1- or 2-day outage. But if the power went out for a longer period in winter, we have no alternative heating option. Therefore, we are considering installing a small wood stove. Prices for them are, of course, very high, and availability is sometimes ridiculous. It would also need to be connected properly. Do you think it still makes sense?
we heat our house with geothermal energy and are very satisfied with it. When we built the house, we included a chimney, but we never installed a fireplace. By now, we are not really keen on having one. The house stays evenly warm due to its relatively good insulation value, so there is hardly any desire to cozy up by a fireplace.
However, the reports about power outages make me somewhat uncertain. We could probably manage through a 1- or 2-day outage. But if the power went out for a longer period in winter, we have no alternative heating option. Therefore, we are considering installing a small wood stove. Prices for them are, of course, very high, and availability is sometimes ridiculous. It would also need to be connected properly. Do you think it still makes sense?
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Pinkiponk23 Oct 2022 08:45K a t j a schrieb:
Yes, yes. At least that’s what the sellers claim. On some marketplaces, you can specifically select "fast delivery." There are still a few of those... I do think it’s possible, but I still want to point out that with the term "delivery time," it’s not always clear what exactly is meant:
In connection with our new single-family home build, we ordered several items (furniture, sanitary fixtures, toilets, decorations, etc.) where the delivery time was stated as, for example, about 2 weeks, but this did not refer to the delivery time to the end customer’s home (and it was not clearly specified). Instead, it referred to the period during which the supplier expected to receive the goods from the manufacturer. Then we regularly received messages about delays and so on... meaning that for us, the end customers, the delivery time information was useless. I’ve only recently become aware that delivery times don’t necessarily refer to the arrival at the end customer anymore.
Honestly, I don’t quite understand the purpose of this, and I hope that this interpretation of delivery time will be reconsidered.
schubert79 schrieb:
I recommend the common prepper websites online.But those are not products for indoor use, they are for outdoor… that’s what I asked about. I would appreciate a description of how to find indoor devices 😉
Winniefred23 Oct 2022 12:26I personally like wood-burning stoves, and we are even having a traditional tiled stove installed this spring (that wasn’t possible for this winter anymore). You can definitely still get a simple wood stove. They are just more expensive than before the war. Whether you can get firewood is something you’ll have to check. There have been some panic buying and stockpiling here as well. But you can also get lucky.
The government does recommend certain emergency supplies, and the lists can be found online. I hadn’t prepared for a long time either. But now we have. We have enough food and water stored for about 2-3 weeks and can cook without electricity, and the food keeps well without power for quite some time. Also things like candles, matches, and so on. In the worst case, you end up using what you bought later for other purposes. I bought wool socks and polar fleece jackets. We already had blankets and similar items. You definitely can’t go wrong with that. We have two children, and I just wanted to sleep more peacefully knowing I can feed my family for a while and that no one has to suffer from the cold. There’s nothing wrong or panicky about that. I don’t think we will actually need these supplies in that way, but if we do, at least we’re somewhat prepared.
The government does recommend certain emergency supplies, and the lists can be found online. I hadn’t prepared for a long time either. But now we have. We have enough food and water stored for about 2-3 weeks and can cook without electricity, and the food keeps well without power for quite some time. Also things like candles, matches, and so on. In the worst case, you end up using what you bought later for other purposes. I bought wool socks and polar fleece jackets. We already had blankets and similar items. You definitely can’t go wrong with that. We have two children, and I just wanted to sleep more peacefully knowing I can feed my family for a while and that no one has to suffer from the cold. There’s nothing wrong or panicky about that. I don’t think we will actually need these supplies in that way, but if we do, at least we’re somewhat prepared.
ypg schrieb:
These are not products for indoor use, but for outdoor… that’s what I asked about. I’d appreciate a description of how to find indoor devices 😉 You can’t, and that’s well known.
Seriously, if in doubt, I would buy a small workshop stove for a low price. Check what’s required for connecting it. I imagine keeping one ready with some wood stored. If a blackout really happens, it can be set up quickly and will keep the house warm. You can also heat water on it. As a backup, that’s completely sufficient, and the chimney sweep doesn’t come by every few months with costly fees. An inspection wouldn’t matter to me during a power outage.
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xMisterDx23 Oct 2022 19:08One should not interpret the fact that the police, energy providers, emergency services, etc., are preparing for a major blackout as an indication that such a blackout is imminent.
It is simply their job to be prepared, because in an emergency, everything needs to happen very quickly. You can’t afford to hesitate for weeks like with a pandemic.
The rest has already been said. You’re way too late, even if you still manage to get a stove now, the technician or chimney sweep will probably just laugh and say, "I’ll come in April," then hang up...
And preparing against a blackout like that is pointless... a colleague of mine once put it very well:
“Then you might as well buy an assault rifle. Because if there really is a blackout lasting three or four days, people will head to where the chimney is smoking warmly.”
It is simply their job to be prepared, because in an emergency, everything needs to happen very quickly. You can’t afford to hesitate for weeks like with a pandemic.
The rest has already been said. You’re way too late, even if you still manage to get a stove now, the technician or chimney sweep will probably just laugh and say, "I’ll come in April," then hang up...
And preparing against a blackout like that is pointless... a colleague of mine once put it very well:
“Then you might as well buy an assault rifle. Because if there really is a blackout lasting three or four days, people will head to where the chimney is smoking warmly.”
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