How do you heat your house during a power failure?

**ironmaiden** · 10-31-2005, 10:25 AM

Growing up whenever we had a power failure, my father would put big pots of water on all the burners of the gas stove and "steam" heat our house.

In this house we had two furnaces - the previous owners put in an addition and added a second furnace instead of adding more steam radiators. Well, the 1960's furnace would work when there was a power failure. So the house wasn't as toasty, but good enough. But we just replaced it this summer and so that method is out.

**pkellyc** · 10-31-2005, 10:34 AM

I have never had to but I would use my fireplace. I guess you could get a kerosene heater my mil has one for just this purpose.

**YankeeMom** · 10-31-2005, 10:36 AM

We have a woodstove

Also our hot water heater & cooking stove/oven are both gas.

**Dedlered** · 10-31-2005, 10:40 AM

The fireplace..

**jlxian** · 10-31-2005, 11:00 AM

We have a woodstove also.

The gas stove has electronic pilots, but the burners can be lit with a match. I'm guessing we will be out of luck on the hot water heater since it has an electronic pilot also.

But the woodstove keeps us cozy.

**KKCondrey** · 10-31-2005, 11:05 AM

Hmmm.....we don't have a way to, but last year while pregnant and they were calling for bad weather, our next door neighboor offered us one of her kerosene heaters to use. And she offered it to us again after Paige was born and they were calling for snow and ice.

Growing up we used the fireplace.

**Valerie in WA** · 10-31-2005, 11:07 AM

We are all electric and do not have a fireplace. I've looked into kerosene, but I haven't bought one yet. I have some concerns about burning kerosene indoors. I looked into a generator, but the cost for one large enough to run our heat pump is $2500!!

Not to mention the installation and wiring. I should look into a generator that could run a space heater.

So, until I either break down and buy a kerosene heater or find some other wonderful form of heat, here's what I've come up with:

1. Live in the girls' room. Dh stripped their room down five years ago and it is very well insulated on all four walls, although it's on a corner, so it has two exterior walls.

2. Use the propane campstove (outdoors) to heat water for hot water bottles. I have one, but if my dollar stores are carrying them, I'll buy several more.

Not much of a plan, is it? If anyone has ideas for me, I'm open.

**Chea** · 10-31-2005, 11:38 AM

We have a kerosene heater and a small container of unopened fuel for it.
Never thought that I could use the gas stove though. Great tip!

**seadream** · 10-31-2005, 11:42 AM

We have a kerosene heater and we did have to use it last winter when we got hit by an ice storm and had no power for 3 days

**nodmicks** · 10-31-2005, 11:43 AM

Woodstove while praying the pipes wouldn't freeze!

**sunshine** · 10-31-2005, 02:22 PM

Woodstove, gas range/water heater. . . blankets in the windows and doors. . . . make tents over the table, and sleep on mattresses under that. . . . rice bags, heated on the wood stove or gas oven. . . .

If I have to, I'll bring in the dog-- he's huge, and warm! We could move to the barn. Lots of hay and straw, and animals to keep us warm.

**mom22grls** · 10-31-2005, 02:31 PM

I don't.

Our furnace is gas, but I'm pretty sure you need electricity to make it run.

We've got a camper that uses propane....we could stay in that and use battery power....not for a long time, though......we'll be getting a generator as soon as the funds are there.

I'd *really* like a woodstove..........our house was built for it...we have a chimney, but the part to the house was drywalled in by the previous owners.....we've just never thought about it.

**staceyy** · 10-31-2005, 02:56 PM

We have a gas furnace, an electric space heater and a fireplace. I would hunker down in the family room where the fireplace is located. We have plenty of down comforters.

**hollyhill** · 10-31-2005, 03:06 PM

Well we get frequent and long power failures.

Our gas fireplaces (2) are manual and so wiell keep the house warm.
Our problem is if the power goes out we have no water! We have a well and an electric pump. You can not manually get water out of it because it is 300ft. deep.
So when the power is out we can't flush our toilets etc.

So the when ever it gets very windy we run around filling all our bathtubs with water.

We do have a lot of camping equipment. Propane stoves, laterns etc.
So as long as we have water we are OK.