Winter's coming and I heat with oil

[lizziegrace]

Moving's not an option. I live in a 60 year old 1 1/2 story brick farmhouse. The owner put in new windows but they're very cheap replacements. Caulking them is my first task.

Red diesel is almost $3/gallon and I can blow through 150 gallons a month with the thermostat set in the 50's. Any and all suggestions to tighten up the place are welcome!

[NMDemDist2]

1. heavy drapes over the windows too

does the house have a fireplace? get a couple cords of wood, rig up a ramp and bring it in in a wheelbarrow (less work)

if it has a conventional fireplace start shopping for an insert, they really help

I bought 6 of these last summer and they kept my leaky old mobile home comfortable with all but the coldest days, and they helped the furnace work less

http://www.eheat.com/?gclid=CO3glqKdqI4CFRUHWAodsmfYZg


edit to add the DU discussion on e-heaters

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=353&topic_id=279&mesg_id=279

[lizziegrace]

2. I was hoping you'd add that link!

:hi:

I'm a quilter, so I've been looking at sewing shades with batting and a vapor barrier with unbleached muslin as the covering. kind of like these: http://www.sewandquilt.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=SQ2&Product_Code=784112BOLT&Category_Code=HomeDec_WarmW_FabricYard

The house has a fireplace but the chimney has cracks. The landlord won't repair it because having a working fireplace costs $$ in insurance premiums. :(

[NMDemDist2]

3. i wrote a review and kicked the eheat thread, since you rent these

are ones you can take with you. sucks about the fireplace though

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=353&topic_id=279&mesg_id=1435

[lizziegrace]

4. Yeah

I'd like to think they could put in a sleeve, but they won't (They're basically cheap.) It's not the house any of the *family* lives in, so it's not gonna happen.

[kcass1954]

8. Another quilter here - I don't see any reason why you couldn't make

this yourself, especially after I looked at the price - yikes!


Here's a link to info from The Warm Company about the shades - pretty good info on construction.

http://www.warmcompany.com/warmwindow/Warm.pdf


Nancy's Notions has "Iron Quick" fabric, like what's on an ironing board. If you have lot of windows to do, it might be a bit pricey.

http://www.nancysnotions.com/NNVia/viaImagePageTacony.jsp?row=6&pgName=viaListProducts.jsp&searchText=IQTY45&modifer=IQTY45&reqTitle=TITLE_VIAUSERDOCLIST&stackTitle=Utility%20Fabric&newWindow=Y

[lizziegrace]

9. thanks!

I've been trying to find the moisture barrier fabric and had no luck locally.

:)

Edited to add:

I may just use the moisture barrier quilted with batting and muslin on the north-facing windows and my bedroom windows. I can just put up quilted muslin over the other windows with plastic over still others. I have 18 windows and 3 on the sunporch. x(

[eleny]

14. Our north facing porch had bad windows for years

They were the kind that you could raise up and hook to the ceiling. Charming but sieves in winter. For years I put up thin, clear plastic that you shrink in place using a hair dryer. Then I'd put insulated cafe curtains topped with matching tieback curtains from Country Curtains in Massachusetts. The rubbery insulation was fused to the muslin fabric of the curtains and worked well. We could almost use that porch all year.

There are so many better solutions these days with the window quilts.

[CC]

5. Not sure how well the "new" windows will work

but if they let air in try the plastic for windows. Example here http://www.amazon.com/3M-Company-2141-Indoor-Insulation/dp/B00002NCJI . Insulated curtains for sure. I have a couple of the econo heaters and they have worked wonders. If you use a couple rooms more than others then put the heaters there.

A regular ceramic heater will warm up a bathroom pretty quickly for showers. The electric isn't too bad when used for a short amount of time.
Make sure you close off the fireplace really good since you can't use it.

Find out what direction your windows face. Your should open any window curtains that face south when the sun is shining. Keep north facing windows covered with the insulated curtains. Same goes for east in the morning, west in the afternoon. Passive solar really can make a difference.

Keep lots of soft warm snuggly blankets in rooms you use most. Wrapping up in a warm snuggly blanket while watching tv can be a treat.

Layers and more layers when you clothe yourself. Get some sweatpants and shirts to wear over thermals pants and shirts. find the softest most comfy ones you can. If they are soft and warm you will want to wear them and hate dressing in regular clothes. You are home so be comfy.

Shut the doors to rooms you do not use much. Bedrooms can remain cooler if you only sleep in them. Lots of layers of blankets at night and a cool room can be great for sleeping. Covering your head will also make you warmer. I get cold easy so an extra pillow is usually over my head. (Ok so I am a bit weird but it works.) Keeps me warm and blocks all light. There is a reason they wore sleeping caps in the old days. A cooler bedroom is also healthier according to my doctor.

Open the bathroom door as fast as possible after taking a shower or bath or leave it open the whole time if possible.. Humidity is your friend in the winter. Do not use the kitchen vent when boiling water while cooking for the same reason.

If your house is empty part of the day it is worth getting a programmable thermostat. Set it lower at night while sleeping and while you are gone and higher when you are at home. The cost of the thermostat will pay for itself fast.

Do not forget that all states offer help with heating bills. If you are not sure if you qualify apply anyway. All they can say is no you earn to much. Way too many people that qualify for home fuel heating help never apply and lose out. Many other people do donate to the fund because they want those that need the help to get it.

All this advice from a person living in a hundred plus year house that is getting insulated one room at a time and hates, really hates being cold. Two more rooms and we will finally stop cooling and heating the outdoors.


Edited to add- See if you can find a coop for your heating oil that will let you lock in your price early. We have one we belong too. In July they send around the contracts. We locked in at 2.29 a gallon for our highest price this winter. If it is cheaper they charge us less but they can not charge more. We are on automatic delivery but we also have a wood/coal burning furnace that we use when it gets really cold. The lock in price has been pretty good and we never run out of oil. They do not charge us for using less.

[eleny]

6. To all this I would add - flannel sheets on the bed

I like a cooler room at night. But the flannel sheets and pillow cases make it a cozy balance.

[lizziegrace]

11. Thanks!

I've got them. Also an electric blanket. I know they're either hated or loved, but I use mine and love it. So do my cats. A full-size heating pad for them. :)

[eleny]

13. Cats love heating pads!

It's almost as if they were invented with cats in mind. :)

My husband likes a cool pillow. So when we use the flannel sheets I just leave the flannel off his pillow. I like how gentle they feel against my face.

[Kolesar]

7. Community Action Agency, Weatherization

Every county and many cities in Ohio have these programs. There are income requirements. If you would consider insulating, note that we had cellulose insulation blown into our walls for <$1500.

Contact me if you want more information for any community in Ohio. I have the links somewhere.

I would also recommend an electric heating pad, which is cheaper to operate than heating the whole house.

--o--
SERVICES: Installation of energy saving materials if income eligible; Free replacement of heating unit or oil burner if found to be un-repairable and funds available; Provides energy use education to our customers for further savings.

http://www2.ashtabula.com/detail.asp?id=275

[lizziegrace]

12. I'm glad you have you as a resource

:) I'll pm you.

[lizziegrace]

10. Thank you for all the ideas.

I wish I'd gotten word of a coop before now - gas just jumped 27 cents in less than 8 hours. Diesel and unleaded is now $3.09/gallon here. :(

:)

Congratulations on (almost) getting your house insulated! That's quite an accomplishment.

:)

[133724]

15. Put clear plastic over your windows

and any doors to the out side that you do not use. Since you have a 1.5 floor home put the plastic on the inside of the windows and tape it to the walls using masking tape.

Close the registers for heating in any rooms that you do not use in winter (get a telephone book and put it on top of the vent if necessary) and hang a heavy curtain over the door way or close the door and put a towel at the bottom of the door to close any leaks.

Calking is OK but this will be more effective...

[Warpy]

16. You didn't say what type of heat

but whatever it is, you can save a bundle by shutting off registers/radiators in all upstairs rooms and shutting the doors during the day. You can shut off unused rooms downstairs, too.

Look into putting in a solid fuel stove---wood, pellets or corn---to help out on the coldest days. Mine paid for itself in about 4 years, even with gas heat. If you have a fireplace, get that sucker a Franklin stove insert.

Forget about heating bedrooms, even at night. Electric blankets are a great investment and much more economical than an oil furnace.

Consider econoheaters in bathrooms.

When you're caulking the windows, don't forget taking off outlet covers on exterior walls and putting in the premade foam insulation pads behind them.

The suggestion for heavy curtains is a great one. You can even make quilted Roman shades if you're handy. Curtains open when sun is pouring in, closed as it shifts across the sky and hits other windows.

These are all things I did in a house in New England, except for the econoheaters. They didn't have those things back in the 70s, dagnab it.

[lizziegrace]

17. Thanks for the tips

I have an oil forced air furnace in this rental house. The chimney has cracks and can't be used.

[Warpy]

18. Look into running stove pipe up through the chimney

If it's a straight run, that's doable. The pipe will prevent the two big problems in a cracked chimney: leakage of noxious gases and creosote.

Just make sure it's cleaned after every 2 cords of wood if you use wood.

[lizziegrace]

20. I'd like to

but the landlord absolutely refuses. It will raise his insurance rates if the fireplace works at all and he'll have none of that...

[troubleinwinter]

19. This is a little bit of a weird one, but....

I learned about this in this forum ages ago.

If you have some rooms that you don't need a perfect view from (but still like daylite), you can very cheaply and easily add removeable insulation with bubble-wrap.

Just ordinary old packing bubblewrap. Cut to size of the glass, wet the window with water (spray bottle) and press it on (bubble side to the glass). It'll stay until you just pull it off. It creates a good airspace/insulation to keep the glass from transfering the cold into the room.

I told this (2yrs ago?) to a friend who lives in a large old poorly insulated mobile home with large windows, a bad heating system and huge heating bills. She says it worked WONDERFULLY in the rooms with views she doesn't need.

She went to a shipping/packing/moving/U-Haul type company and bought rolls for pretty cheap (36" or 48" wide).

Easy to apply, easy to remove & reuse.

Weird, but very clever, I think!

[lizziegrace]

21. Interesting...

I have two bedrooms that aren't used much.

thanks!

:)

[erinlough]

22. While insulating the windows on a small cabin we built

I came up with this idea. I went to the cheapest store I could find that carried insulated blankets in twin size. I mounted them to the top of the window using small finishing nails. When they are not in use, like in the summer I attached spring loaded curtain clips about every 18 inches length wise and about ever 2 foot width wise. then I folded them like a fan and placed all of the spring loaded clips over a simple hook. Here is a picture of the look I got. If you were using it in a living room you could choose plain colors, I picked the quilt look for the cabin and for Christmas.