rodrick
Free energy enthusiast
Another good heat source is a pellet stove on low it uses only 75 watts and a 40 lb bag of pellets will run about 24 hours a option for those that don’t have wood or ng
We looked at those too, and decided against it. At least for now. There's no good place to install one with the layout of the house. It grieves me a little because we have 45 acres or so of mostly red oak.
I've looked at those as well, along with the wood fired boilers. I don't think that's a route we want to go but I've thought about buying one and sticking it back. The biggest complaint I've seen in reviews is the volume of wood required, but maybe they have improved the efficiency. I may take another look. Typically we don't get that much below freezing days but these last 3 years have been atypical for sure.
We're getting another round this weekend as well but nothing as bad as yours. Mid 20s at night. For a lot of the country it's been pretty brutal. I wish I could take 10 degrees off last August and slap it onto this January.Uhhh,,I dint know it was over…Simply put, ( it’s Friday morn ) we have a Foot of snow and ice now …..it’s about 12 F and sleeting this morn and going back to about Zero F till Monday…mostly cloudy ………
On the upside I did get a lot of practice scraping ice from the panels in 30 mph winds…They say that builds charactor…..!
BS…..I say it freezes yer ass off.
J.
I hear ya on taking care of the animals. That's one area I just won't compromise. My daughter is in northern Arkansas and runs cattle. They have been miserable. Tractors wouldn't start or died after a few minutes running. Side by side wouldn't start. pipes burst that never have before. But you still gotta get feed to the animals and break ice. They had five calves born in this mess. I lectured her again on bull management. ? Hope you get a break soon!Our house is already "tri-fuel", wood, electric, and oil, but I am adding a pellet stove which will be installed right next to the wood stove for those blizzardy days when I don't want to or can't get to the wood pile due to snow. I can run the pellet stove on solar and a dozen bags of pellets will hold me over until the snow can be cleared. Even then, going out to take care of animals and chickens has to be done, as well as clearing off the panels. No break in this weather until Monday night for us, snowing now and warmed up into the 20's, but back to 12 tonite I hear.
Same here. The main problem is many of the houses around here are built on piers and most do not have insulated floors. I added some insulation under our house, but I didn't finish before my recent back problems stopped me. And the floors can get really cold when it is below freezing outside.We're getting another round this weekend as well but nothing as bad as yours. Mid 20s at night. For a lot of the country it's been pretty brutal. I wish I could take 10 degrees off last August and slap it onto this January.
Those piers do great for storm surge but yeah, they're cold in winter. I have several friends on Trinity Bay. Talked to one before the freeze and she was planning on just shutting off the water and draining pipes.Same here. The main problem is many of the houses around here are built on piers and most do not have insulated floors. I added some insulation under our house, but I didn't finish before my recent back problems stopped me. And the floors can get really cold when it is below freezing outside.
I have one of those houses also two years ago I put skirting all around the house the temp under the house only dropped to 35° with the outside temp at 18° I am in the South Lousiana Lafayette area.Same here. The main problem is many of the houses around here are built on piers and most do not have insulated floors. I added some insulation under our house, but I didn't finish before my recent back problems stopped me. And the floors can get really cold when it is below freezing outside.
My grandparents lived on the Trinity Bay.Those piers do great for storm surge but yeah, they're cold in winter. I have several friends on Trinity Bay. Talked to one before the freeze and she was planning on just shutting off the water and draining pipes.
I am a 2 or 3 miles north of you, just barely across the parish line. I cover the north side to keep the wind out. It helps a bit ... but still have cold floors.I have one of those houses also two years ago I put skirting all around the house I am in South the temp under the house only dropped to 35° with the outside temp at 18° I am in the South Lousiana Lafayette area.
I cover all around and it has helped a lot in not having to drain the pipes as they never freeze now. You may be closer to me than that as I am only a mile from the parish line.I am a 2 or 3 miles north of you, just barely across the parish line. I cover the north side to keep the wind out. It helps a bit ... but still have cold floors.
What is the efficiency lost for btu output on lower temps when using a heat pump? I was always told here in Maine that although a heat pump can provide heat, it is not recommend as a primary source of heat simply because the technology lacks the ability to be efficient sources of heat due to low ambient outdoor temps. We've always used wood stoves, pellet stoves, etc because they produce so many BTU's for the money. My wood stove is rated close to 40,000 BTU's and it heats up our entire house to 80 degrees with only $20 worth of wood!For me, the most important lesson was this. Without a separate heating source, and if you're in a climate where temps drop below freezing for multiple days, you are not going to be able to sustain the same level of comfort with solar alone. I mean you can, but the cost of panels and batteries and the associated support for those is going to be hard to justify for simply covering needs for a few days a year. If you're in a cold climate you probably already have a different heat source. If you're in a more temperate climate you may want to consider one. This should be especially important to newbies, reinforcing that you should be realistic in expectations and plan accordingly. Even with lowered thermostats and other reductions in use you may run out of battery fairly quickly. Of course, there are many factors and my example is likely not typical so there's that. Heating a 1200 sq ft home with good insulation, high effieciency heat pumps, and proper management would be much more doable.
An air-to-air heat pump in your area is not recommended due to the low COP (less than 1) at the low temps you get however a water-to-air heat pump COP can be as much as 3 or more.What is the efficiency lost for btu output on lower temps when using a heat pump? I was always told here in Maine that although a heat pump can provide heat, it is not recommend as a primary source of heat simply because the technology lacks the ability to be efficient sources of heat due to low ambient outdoor temps. We've always used wood stoves, pellet stoves, etc because they produce so many BTU's for the money. My wood stove is rated close to 40,000 BTU's and it heats up our entire house to 80 degrees with only $20 worth of wood!
Also, if I'm not mistaken, Texas electricity costs are at $0.14/kWh. Does that mean it would cost you 180kWh x $0.14 = $25.20?
That's not terrible honestly, considering the costs of switching your heating source over as well as any offset you're getting from the solar.
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