Hey everyone! I'm feeling pretty anxious about the possibility of the power grid going down this winter. I love my wife and pets and can't bear the thought of them freezing, so I want to prepare my house to stay warm and livable in case of a short-term outage. I live in the Midwest, in a two-story house, and while I can't install an extensive solar array due to my landlord's restrictions, I'm hoping to set up something that can heat at least part of my home (around 500 to 600 square feet). I've already sorted out food and water, but I'm uncertain about heating options on a budget of a few thousand dollars. I would really appreciate any advice to help me navigate this situation! Thanks a bunch!
4 Answers
If you're looking for something low-tech, consider terracotta and tea light radiant heaters. I’ve heard they can effectively warm a small room and might be worth trying out as a supplementary heat source. Just make sure you follow all safety guidelines whenever using any kind of heating device.
A budget-friendly option could be to look into a cheap Chinese diesel heater for a designated room. You can run it off some batteries that you recharge using solar. This could get you through a short-term power outage without too much hassle. Check out this video that demonstrates how it works: [link to video].
While solar is nice, it tends to underperform in winter months, especially during cloudy and snowy days. You might want to consider getting a kerosene heater and storing enough kerosene for a few days. Since you can't burn anything in your house, this could be a solid backup. But I totally get that you need something sustainable for longer periods. Definitely rethink solar as your primary option!
From my experience as a bit of a prepper, I recommend against relying too much on electricity for heat. For example, a single space heater uses about 1500 watts per hour. A more efficient option could be to buy a generator. I have a 4000w inverter generator that runs on gas and lasts about 10 hours on just three gallons. It’s great for powering a space heater or your fridge without draining too much energy. You might want to consider setting up a hybrid system if you're open to it, using solar panels along with the generator to give you some flexibility within your budget.
This is such fantastic advice. Thank you so much for taking the time to write all that out. It really starts me off with something to work with, much appreciated.
So, while it may only be for a few days, I need the system to be able to work for a few months. I really don't think I could store enough kerosene for months, and my house setup makes burning anything impractical. But you make a good point about solar; I'll look into other options. Thanks!