walkage wrote:Not having gone through all the posted threads - but what about a portable gas heater - bought one from Praktiker - yeah I know - plonker--but very efficient and very cheap to run.
Have used them in the past, but a) they give off a distinct smell, b) they give off a tremendous amount of water vapour resulting in condensation and c) they need servicing every now and again as you can poison yourself, (carbon monoxide, I think).
However, it has been some 30 or more years since I last used one and perhaps things have improved. I still read of folk dying in caravans from carbon monoxide poisoning using faulty gas fires without any proper ventilation or the flue has blocked. I believe modern bottled gas fires are supposed to switch themselves off if they detect 'bad' gasses, but I'm no expert on the subject.
How many of you can remember back to the old portable Paraffin Heaters (that's ALTERNATIVE) and, Pink Paraffin and ESSO Blue? I can still remember the words to the song of their TV advertisement for ESSO Blue. What happened to them?
Tim (Hippyboy), it is SAD what has happened to many apartment homes in the towns and cities. My worker asked me recently if he could take the angle grinder home, I said yes, but why. He replied that he wanted to cut the pipes to his last remaining radiator as it was doing no good. When I had reason to visit his apartment, which was a nice two room apartment he explained that they used to have central heating from their own boilers down in the basement, but since the fall of communism, the whole house system had broken up; many things were stolen and none of the residents could agree how to pay for the fuel needed to keep the 9 storey building heated.
So, in the end, this system became redundant and it became an each to their own for heating. For the whole 65 sq metre flat, he had one small electric heater. His last EVN bill came to 37 Lev and mine was 347 Lev. So, I guess the lesson is that sometimes, ALTERNATIVE heating systems are forced upon us by circumstances beyond our control. He would happily add a wood burning stove, but he has little or no convenient place to store any wood or coal for the fire although, he does have an outlet flue in the wall for such.
My limited experience of Bulgarian coal/coke is that it stinks, but it does give off some good heat. I only use the leftovers I found here in the dog's room in the old house, but mixed with wood. (Yes, even MOD would be happy to sleep in our Dog House).
I would just wish to clarify that my wood burning stove only smokes when I do something wrong mixed with high winds from a certain direction. It is not smoking like the Flying Scotsman steam train as some of you seem to have got the wrong impression. Yes, improvements can and will be made, but I should reiterate that this small house is meant to be a future guest house and not many will be staying here over winter. On the next larger project (whenever that might be), I shall get things right and most probably use the pellet boiler that can warm both houses.
I won't go the LPG route or Oil as I can only see myself being held to ransom on future falling stocks and rising prices. However, some alternative and most probably greener fuel will replace these fossil fuels and most of you that use it, will welcome the change. Might be worth investing in that corn field NOW.
