Many areas around the country are accustomed to suffering power outages during storms. Depending on the severity of the storm and the type of damage caused, these issues may leave residents without electricity for hours, days or weeks.
When the weather is cold, this means traditional methods of home heating come to a standstill. Preparing in advance allows families to be ready when the emergency strikes and ensures safety and survival.
Space Heaters for Emergency Heating of Your Home
Very few brands and types of fuel-based portable space heaters are appropriate for indoor use. Check product descriptions and ensure that the heater is approved for heating indoors or outdoors. Indoor versions should have carbon monoxide monitoring systems that alert users when ventilation becomes necessary.
The kerosene or oil heaters are rated in various BTU capacities, which means they also vary in the size of room efficiently heated. For safety reasons, cracking a window away from the room containing the heater provides the chance for noxious fumes to escape. This does somewhat limit the effectiveness of the device.
Heating Your Home With Gas Stoves
Furnaces and stoves may run on natural gas, but these devices often require electricity to start the pilot light. It also becomes a problem if these devices need an electric thermostat set to a specific temperature before initiating a flame.
However, some models come equipped with battery operated remotes that allow users to turn the power on manually and make any necessary adjustments.
Wood and Pellet Stoves
A number of households prefer to supplement traditional heating methods with alternative fuel fireplaces, which saves on utility bills and provides the ideal option for heating large areas when power outages occur.
Some historic homes feature capped stovepipes in chimneys, as the residence may at one time have been heated using a free-standing stove or built-in fireplace. In an emergency, these caps may be removed, stovepipes installed and attached to an alternative fuel burning stove.
Pipes might also be extended out of a window to vent smoke and fumes outdoors. However, for the safety of loved ones and the home, proper installation is strongly advised.
Emergency Generators That Heat Your Home
Households may consider using a gas or kerosene powered generator to serve as an electrical source for running space heaters and appliances. The devices come in varied sizes and must be installed outdoors away from the home.
These units sell-out quickly when outages occur and do require knowledge of proper installation. If having a generator seems like a viable option, be sure to keep fuel on hand before a crisis strikes.
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Power Inverters to Heat Your Home
These compact devices convert energy from vehicle cigarette lighters or 12-volt batteries into usable electricity. They are typically purchased from outdoor equipment stores, marine supply stores or computer venues.
Small 100-watt units sell for well under $100. Larger inverters naturally cost more but provide the option of powering space heaters or larger appliances for up to an entire day.
DIY Projects to Heat Your Home
To heat a single room, many offer step-by-step instruction and videos for designing and creating solar-powered heaters. Using plywood, plexy glass or old windows, beverage cans or gutter downspouts, black paint and a few other inexpensive materials, families might build one of these devices.
The innovative devices capture the heat of the sun, which then enters the home via piping or tubing. While some of these units small, solar-powered fans to recirculate air, others rely solely on the principles of basic science.
The only drawbacks being that sunshine is required and tubing vents must be closed when the sun goes down to prevent cold air infiltration.
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Heating Your Home With a Rocket Stove
These homemade outdoor contraptions are constructed from any number of materials and burn trash or wood. Using stove piping or other suitable material, the heated air is then transferred into the home, while smoke and noxious fumes remain outdoors.
These outdoor fireplaces are much less expensive than their conventional indoor counterparts. However, they are usually only capable of maintaining temperatures in a single room.
