Ways to save on heating in a rental?

[neophyte]

I live in an apartment on the top floor of a 100 year old house. There is no insulation in the walls or the attic. None.  Most of the windows are original -  they are single pane and they don't all close quite right.  Last year I was paying about $100 /month for heat and my room was still 50-52 degrees on average.  Obviously I survived but that's not fun. My room is the most difficult to heat, so I am considering closing the furnace vent and moving my bed to the living room this winter, but I'm hesitant to give up my privacy.

We stuffed rags in the cracks around the windows and covered them with plastic last year.  Other than that, is there anything else we can do to help conserve heat?

Also, there are two windows in the attic with no glass. One is covered with a screen and the other is covered with that cardboard-y board stuff. Should we do anything about those? There are numerous small gaps and holes along the edge of the roof so the attic is going to remain drafty anyway.  I don't think the landlord is going to do anything about it before this winter.

I really hope this is my last winter in this apartment.

[Jacana]

Brrr! Not sure if this will help, but I have some ideas. I once lived in a house with leaky windows, no central heat, no insulation, nothing under the wood floor but 3 feet of air then dirt (there was a hole, we could see the ground), no attic, and nothing but a tiny plug in space heater (oil radiator type) in each bedroom. No heat in the kitchen/living room.

For the windows, I got this trick from my grandmother: get good thick felt or some other thermal material, attach magnets or velcro at intervals along the edges, then attach magnets or Velcro along the outside of the window frame or along the walls. The magnets/velcro help hold the fabric tight to the wall unlike a curtain rod. It takes some time to get everything aligned but the tighter the better. Put it up when it gets cold, take it down when its sunny. It does an amazing job cutting the draft. Depending on your rental situation, you may need to use 3m removable strips or some other attachment method to avoid damaging walls.

To sleep, I got a fleece blanket and folded it in half and slept inside like a sleeping bag under my other sheets and blankets. The room also came with an electric heating pad that went over the mattress and under the bottom sheet but it barely put out any heat and was old and frankly a bit scary to use (frayed old wires). If I had been there longer I would have gotten an electric top blanket.

The shower room in that house had some sort of halogen heat lamp that warmed the surfaces of the room instead of the air. A halogen space heater may work for you as its not trying to heat escaping air, it heats your skin, clothes, couch, and floor instead. And the wattage is lower.

And if you really want to go crazy, get thick floor rugs and put tapestries on the drafty walls, medieval castle style!  I put runners and carpet pieces from the local thrift store as pathways from door to bed, bed to closet, etc to avoid touching the cold floor.

[kc86]

You want a to create as much of an air seal around your living space.  Weather stripping, caulk, expandable foam, MacGyver fixing the windows, etc.  The water in a lake near me gets completely fresh water every 2 days.  Its a humongous lake.  If you have a lot of drafts, the air in your house is changing for outside air faster than you can heat it.

Next, you want to insulate the attic.  Attic insulation isn't very expensive.  Maybe you could do the install and your landlord will pay for the materials or take it off the rent.  Its a job for 2 guys, a tape measure, gloves, a couple fiberglass masks, a carpet knife and a ladder.  Google "how to install attic insulation".  I just did my crawlspace and got $100 rebate coming from the gas company.

Fix the attic windows.  Single pane glass is cheap and for old windows you'll just need to google "how to reglaze window".  Wood windows are done differently than metal. Takes time but its not expensive.  Could just use plywood.

Get some big carpet for the floor (insulation) and see what you can come up with for wall insulation (tapestries, bear rug, etc).

What type of heating system do you have?  Have you changed the filter or had it tuned up?  Have you checked the part of the system that delivers the heat to you?  Have you got a buddy or a buddy of a buddy who could come out and look it over?

Maybe get an electric blanket or a space heater just for your room...

[The Architect]

We used to put plastic wrap over the windows. I think there's a special window-wrap, but I'm sure regular stuff from the grocery store would work too. Make sure it's air tight.

Wool army blankets are *super* warm, and available at any surplus store near you.

Dump the forced-air heat in favor of a few quality space heaters in just the rooms you're occupying. Be wary of power draws - you can easily trip breakers, and watch to make sure they aren't melting the plugs.

If you're adjacent to the attic see about throwing some insulation up there.

[Practical Magic]

I have a friend who rents a drafty house and she tapes bubble wrap on the inside of the windows. It works really well, better than a thin layer of plastic.

[deborah]

I have a friend who rents a drafty house and she tapes bubble wrap on the inside of the windows. It works really well, better than a thin layer of plastic.

+1 Our local energy advisory organisation recommends bubblewrap for skylights as well.

Put snakes behind/under doors to protect from drafts (these can be as easy as a roll of newspaper) - as long as it matches the width of the door. Wear warm clothes in your home - particularly beanies and slippers, and wrap a blanket or something around you when you are sitting.

[Tai]

I had an apartment in an old house once that had crazy electric bills (from heat). Friends came over and we checked the breakers in the basement to see which ones were for what. Turns out my electric bill was for the entire building! I had a little chat with the landlord and my electric bill became their electric bill. They'd been passing it off onto previous tenants for years. I don't know if that's your situation but in an older building you should look into it.

[ScottEric]

This stuff works miracles in my house (1800's house with single pane windows and storms). 

http://www.frostking.com/mortite-caulking-cord/

[m8547]

Rigid foam insulation would be the best thing for the attic windows. Make sure no air can get through, and cut a piece of 2" thick rigid foam to fit in the opening. You could make cut-outs for the rest of the windows to keep heat in and light out at night. In the day you may be better off letting sunlight in. Reflective foam insulation is a bit better than non-reflective, and I think the reflective side should face the warmer side. In general thicker is better, but if the walls have no insulation it won't matter after a certain point.

My apartment has some skylights, and magnets would be perfect for attaching something to those since the corner bead around the opening is steel. I have some flexible adhesive magnet tape, and I could put that around a sheet of bubble wrap cut to fit over the opening. It would be airtight enough to block convection drafts, and the dead air space and insulation from the bubble wrap would reduce heat loss up there.

If you have an infrared thermometer (or borrow one) you can use it to see where the most heat is radiating out. It might miss gaps that are letting warm air out/cold air in, though. In some places you can get someone to drive by with a thermal camera at night and get a picture of where the heat is leaking (radiating) out of your house. I can't remember if it's done by the utility company, or if it's a free service, but it might be.

In general, electric heat is more expensive than gas (or other fuel) because turning gas into electricity is only somewhat efficient, but turning gas into heat is very efficient (as long as you can capture all the heat and don't vent it out with the exhaust). But electric may be better for heating localized areas. It's a lot cheaper to keep yourself warm than to heat the whole building, so things like heat lamps, electric blankets, heating pads, and sometimes and well-placed space heaters can be helpful.

[neophyte]

Wow!  Lots of great ideas!  I'll start working on things this weekend before it gets too cold.  I'm hoping we can make it through October without needing to turn on the heat.

Let's see, to address a few points:

We have a gas furnace. I guess it's forced air heat? We checked the furnace filter a year ago, but thanks for the reminder to check it again before we turn it on! I'm certain we're not paying for the gas for the whole house, the bill's not high enough for that for how leaky this house is.

I don't know if the landlords would pay for insulation in the attic because the roof needs work and they might wind up ripping out a lot of it. I could probably convince them to pay for glass for the windows if I do the work on those.

I love the idea of bubble wrap for the windows!  It sounds much better than the normal plastic. I can leave my blinds up on the inside of the bubble wrap so maybe it'll warm up a little while the sun shines.

[chemgeek]

What about thermal curtains? If the windows get a lot of sun I'd leave them open during the day but then shut them at night. You could probably buy just the thermal lining if you wanted to modify existing curtains rather than buy news ones.

I second Jacana on the fleece blanket burrito idea. Also, flannel sheets are awesome. The other thing you might consider is a bed warmer. I'm making one of these because no matter what socks I wear, my feet are stone cold when I get into bed in the winter.

http://www.make-it-do.com/make-it/make-it-do-gift-cozy-bed-warmers/

[Gone Fishing]

I lived in several cold houses/apartments in college. When moving around I was alright, it was when I sat down that I got cold. A hot water bottle cost very little in terms of the energy it takes to heat it and you can put the heat right where you need it, on your body.  Also be careful when you start putting plastic and insulative materials on windows/unused doors etc.  We put plastic over a window then put a blanket over that.  With the "insulation" in the wrong position, moisture accumulated very quickly resulting in mildew.  I took it all down, bleached the walls and blanket and reassembled our makeshift insulation properly, insulation first then plastic and all was well.

[m8547]

Wow!  Lots of great ideas!  I'll start working on things this weekend before it gets too cold.  I'm hoping we can make it through October without needing to turn on the heat.

Let's see, to address a few points:

We have a gas furnace. I guess it's forced air heat? We checked the furnace filter a year ago, but thanks for the reminder to check it again before we turn it on! I'm certain we're not paying for the gas for the whole house, the bill's not high enough for that for how leaky this house is.

I don't know if the landlords would pay for insulation in the attic because the roof needs work and they might wind up ripping out a lot of it. I could probably convince them to pay for glass for the windows if I do the work on those.

I love the idea of bubble wrap for the windows!  It sounds much better than the normal plastic. I can leave my blinds up on the inside of the bubble wrap so maybe it'll warm up a little while the sun shines.

In traditional roof construction, if there's a triangular attic at the top of the house, insulation goes on top of the ceiling between the rafters, then there is dead air space, then there are uninsulated rafters and sheeting supporting the roof. Unless the roof is leaking and damages the new insulation with water, it shouldn't need to be ripped out if the roof is replaced. If water is leaking in the landlord has bigger problems than insulation.

[usmarine1975]

I wouldn't ditch your main heat for a bunch of smaller space heaters. I don't want to see a space heater in any of my rentals. They are notorious for starting fires.

Your landlord should fix the windows and any other permanent things should be run by him. Yes you live there and its legally your home but your landlord owns it and should be aware of what you are doing.

[neophyte]

In traditional roof construction, if there's a triangular attic at the top of the house, insulation goes on top of the ceiling between the rafters, then there is dead air space, then there are uninsulated rafters and sheeting supporting the roof. Unless the roof is leaking and damages the new insulation with water, it shouldn't need to be ripped out if the roof is replaced. If water is leaking in the landlord has bigger problems than insulation.

It's not big leaks, but the roof does leak.  There have been a couple attempts at fixes over the last two years, but they haven't worked so far.  I'm a little confused about how you are describing the insulation install (But I admit I haven't googled it yet).  I think this is assuming there is no floor in the attic, because otherwise I don't understand how I would get the insulation under the floorboards without getting it blown in. 

I wouldn't ditch your main heat for a bunch of smaller space heaters. I don't want to see a space heater in any of my rentals. They are notorious for starting fires.

Your landlord should fix the windows and any other permanent things should be run by him. Yes you live there and its legally your home but your landlord owns it and should be aware of what you are doing.

I don't think ditching the furnace is going to happen. For one thing, my roommate wouldn't put up with it.  I do have a space heater that I mainly use in the bathroom. Without it, getting a shower is extremely unpleasant. (Also have tons of blankets, an electric blanket, wool socks, and those rice things you stick in the microwave -- for all those who recommended similar things.)

I would certainly run anything permanent by the landlord. While I'm willing to do some of the labor, I'm not really willing to pay for improvements to that house that won't have an immediate return on investment because I don't want to stay here much longer.  The landlord's a nice guy, but not great at addressing issues, certainly not with any sense of urgency. (roof has been leaking for two years, we've got mice and cockroaches, squirrels in the attic, a hole in an interior wall - not my fault! The landlord's the one who cut the wall open trying to get a look at some pipes.) I think really, a lot of this is his problem. Did I mention that there are water pipes in the attic that froze last year?

I went up to look at the window frames in the attic the other day to get an idea what they looked like so I could start looking up videos on reglazing, but, at least the one that has a screen doesn't have a window frame. The screen is actually nailed onto a wood frame (no grooves for glass) that is on hinges and closes on one side with one of those little hooks that fits into a ring. It looks like it was meant to be a way out onto the roof. 

I'm starting to feel discouraged and like I'm just better off toughing it out and hoping this winter isn't as cold as last winter. I'll still cover the windows and do some easy things like that at least.

[Angie55]

In traditional roof construction, if there's a triangular attic at the top of the house, insulation goes on top of the ceiling between the rafters, then there is dead air space, then there are uninsulated rafters and sheeting supporting the roof. Unless the roof is leaking and damages the new insulation with water, it shouldn't need to be ripped out if the roof is replaced. If water is leaking in the landlord has bigger problems than insulation.

If this is true then I finally understand why my rental is so cold (and unbearably hot in the summer). I live in an 1800's SFH and there is a big open loft space over the majority of the house that is inaccessible. The living room ceiling is just the triagular roof peak and the rest of the house is covered by the loft. I always just thought house was inefficient because the hot air was trapped up there. But if the roof itself has no insulation either its a compounding issue.

I'm not looking forward to winter either. My house is FREEZING even with $200+ heating bills and space heaters. I can actually see outside through 3 full sides of the back and front door. There's too much inefficiency and air transfer that its not even worth it for me to tackle it.

[GuitarStv]

Check your local bylaws.  Around here it's illegal to rent to someone if the apartment can't be kept warm and toasty all winter long.  Your landlord is likely on the hook for providing you with adequate heat.

Short of that, I'd recommend a hot water bottle.

[usmarine1975]

I would make a list of the improvements that need to be made.

Then I would check the rules in your area for with holding rent.  A tenant in my state can withhold rent for the property not being in livable shape.  Now you can't just spend the money in my State the Tenant is required to file a complaint and open an escrow account in which the rent money needs to be deposited.  This is important because your landlord most likely will file for eviction and in doing so the first question a judge in my state would ask is where is the rent money.  I have had tenants try this unsuccessfully because they didn't want to pay their rent.  It didn't work because they never had the rent money backed up, and the property was livable.  They just wanted to live free of paying rent.

I would also make your landlord aware of the process and give him the chance to do so without going through that process.  He needs to fix the leak first and foremost.  A hole in the wall doesn't necessarily make it unlivable but I don't like holes in my walls.  No windows in the attic should also be addressed by the landlord.  The insulation really is going to be up to him.  As far as I know no code exist that requires an older home to be fully insulated.  If it's an older home and still has Knob and tube wiring it is actually more dangerous to insulate the wall cavities or the floors.  The older homes performed relatively well in the winter with a proper heat source.  And of course that is figuring the windows actually were working as intended.  I have single pane windows in my home and really only have trouble with my rear windows as they get the bulk of the wind.  I used plastic last year but I have some 1 inch foam board I am going to put in this year.  I happen to have it laying around.  For me it's 4 windows that need done.  The front and sides all perform well.  I have a Steam Boiler with Steam Radiators.  I love the Radiant Heat. 

A heater in the shower I guess I just tough it.  I don't get the need.  Although I do have my water heater up so the water is usually piping hot.  And when I get out cold is the last thing I feel.  I did also spend a tour in Iraq getting cold showers so maybe that just makes me immune to it who knows. 

In my state the landlord is required to have a heat source and to have it maintained.  They are not required to provide the Heat or pay for whatever it is that provides the heat.  We have started doing so in all our units simply because it makes it easier for us to maintain the units.  Had a 2 tenants let the oil run out, and it cost $150 to get it fired up again.  Sure unmustachian but it's not a skill set I have or want.  Also we would initially provide the first tank of oil and I can't tell you how many times I had to refill a tank.  And anymore you can't charge enough in the security deposit to cover it.  So we just charge extra in the rent.

Good luck, I hate to hear the bad landlord stories.  I try to do the best I can by my tenants.  I am by no means perfect, but I do strive to fix whatever I can when I can.

The problem I run into is my tenants not notifying me of water leaks etc...  Or the sound of running water.

[CommonCents]

Doublecheck your regulations and see what they are obligated to provide.  (I had a heat issue too, when the heat was supplied by the owner.  I pointed out they were obligated to keep it to certain minimums, which they weren't.  They plastic wrapped my windows to improve matters, so horribly (copious amounts of duct tape...) that I asked them to leave the boxes and I did it myself.  The plastic wrap is actually quite effective - I can tell a major temperature difference whenever I didn't put it on well and a corner pops ups.  Sometimes I stuff a bit of insulation at the bottom of the windows too.  So you can do a bit of insulation, plastic wrap, then have a curtain over top of the window.

[TeresaB]

I wouldn't ditch your main heat for a bunch of smaller space heaters. I don't want to see a space heater in any of my rentals. They are notorious for starting fires.

Your landlord should fix the windows and any other permanent things should be run by him. Yes you live there and its legally your home but your landlord owns it and should be aware of what you are doing.

To second the above--my lease specifically prohibits space heaters. (But the apartment came with space heaters in it....soo...not sure what to make of that.) So definitely check your lease before you do that. (They can be used safely, though--just be extremely vigilant.)

[The Architect]

I wouldn't ditch your main heat for a bunch of smaller space heaters. I don't want to see a space heater in any of my rentals. They are notorious for starting fires.

I should clarify: I've got one built-in unit and one *really* nice ceramic-electric heater. The old exposed hot-wire heaters are largely junk, don't use those, and never leave any heater on if you're going to be sleeping.

The benefit is that you can use heat in *just* the area you're living in, while you're living in it. If you've got forced air, it'll try to heat the whole house, and largely fail at heating any of it if it's that leaky.

[philby85]

This might sound crazy, but you could set up a small tent in your room to sleep in. Not ideal, but I've seen them advertised in Korea in winter. I think people put the tent on top of their bed and sleep in it. The mattress makes the tent floor nice and soft ;) From what I have heard, it makes as much as a 5 degree difference.

[neophyte]

This might sound crazy, but you could set up a small tent in your room to sleep in. Not ideal, but I've seen them advertised in Korea in winter. I think people put the tent on top of their bed and sleep in it. The mattress makes the tent floor nice and soft ;) From what I have heard, it makes as much as a 5 degree difference.

Now that's a cool idea!  I'm envisioning a canopy type thing over the bed.  I could probably rig up some sort of support with PVC pipe to hold it up.

We covered up the windows in the attic this weekend and I'll try to fill some of the holes too. I still need to cover the windows in the apartment before it gets really cold and I've got some extra blankets I think I'll try to tack up on the exterior walls like tapestries.

I don't want to go the legal route for a lot of reasons.

Yes, I do want to move eventually. I'm looking to change jobs and I'd actually like to leave this whole city.  Since I'm month-to-month on the current apartment I don't want to sign a new lease.  That's why I'd rather just make do for now.

[Guizmo]

In my city, a tenant can call the City Code Enforcement officers for suspected violations of housing code. Then, after they visit the site, they sent a threatening letter and force the landlord to fix or pay huge fines if they don't.

So, maybe check to see if you could do the same.

[usmarine1975]

The question is if the Landlord is in violation of any codes.  It sounds like a heat source is provided.  I would question the leak as that I would think would be some sort of violation.  Drafty windows and no insulation I doubt violate any housing codes.  The missing windows may violate the codes.  If the heat source is not sized properly it could potentially violate the codes.  But having expensive heat and heat that is not efficient is not a violation of any code I know of (But all municipalities are different).

 

In my city, a tenant can call the City Code Enforcement officers for suspected violations of housing code. Then, after they visit the site, they sent a threatening letter and force the landlord to fix or pay huge fines if they don't.

So, maybe check to see if you could do the same.

[Cinder]

I recently listened to an interesting podcast about a similar thing in NYC...

http://rubyrogues.com/175-rr-civic-hacking-with-william-jeffries/

Basically, they group created some open source devices to monitor temp levels and gather data for people who are living in places where the landlords haven't been keeping the apartments up to the temp requirements. 

See if you have something similar to this department
http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/home/home.shtml


I know it doesn't offer direct info on how to help save energy usage, but it may point you in the right direction for information.   You also may be able to contact someone with HPD and see if they know of any information for your city/state. 

[m8547]

In traditional roof construction, if there's a triangular attic at the top of the house, insulation goes on top of the ceiling between the rafters, then there is dead air space, then there are uninsulated rafters and sheeting supporting the roof. Unless the roof is leaking and damages the new insulation with water, it shouldn't need to be ripped out if the roof is replaced. If water is leaking in the landlord has bigger problems than insulation.

This assumes that the attic is unfinished. If it's finished, the insulation will either be between the ceiling and the roof (heated space) or under the floor (unheated space). If it's an open area above a living space, there should be insulation between the ceiling and the roof. There might be less of it than with an open attic above the ceiling. Some older houses have little or no insulation, but they manage to not get too cold. Our house is supposedly uninsulated, but there's only one section that was a renovation at one point that gets really cold (I've measured 40 degrees F there).

[Cinder]

Air gaps can cause a bigger issue then not enough insulation.  We had a bunch of air gaps fixed in the 'envelope' of our ceiling, and it made a HUGE difference.  We had drop ceiling tiles with just bat insulation laid ontop of them in all of our closets, etc... all the air would just flow right up into our attic space.  We replace them all with drywall, built enclosures around our pot-lights (I think that was more for fire rating to separate the pot light from the surrounding insulation), then used spray-foam to seal up all the gaps. 

[Angie55]

The central heat in my old house (1890's) is pretty poor. Its hugely uneven between the rooms with the most heat pumping into the room we use the least. In the rooms we do use, the vents are forced to be covered by furniture (couch in living room and bed) or the kitchen has no vents at all. In the winter when its 20's out it takes the furnace running awhile to get the front room to 68 which is on the edge of bearable for me. Our heating bill generally goes up about 60-80$ a month from Nov-Mar depending on how many warm weeks we have. As I mentioned earlier in the thread, I expect the house to be uninsulated and it has no attic. The ceiling in the living room is the roof and above the rest of the house is an unused loft (~12ft up and open to living room) where most of the heat collects.

Anyone know if this would be a good situation to buy one of those infrared space heaters? They claim to heat up to 1000sq ft (house is 900) and to heat better since it keeps moisture in the air. There is also a claim that it doesn't follow the "heat rises" as much for some reason I don't quite understand. Wondering if buying one of these second hand and paying for the electricity will be cheaper or more effective than running the natural gas furnace quite inefficiently.

 If it helps at all the furnace is in the crawlspace which when I went down there last year seems to be heated better than the rest of the house. Since there has been (3) additions at various times I believe the heating ducts to be piecemeal at best and have a decent amount of leaks. Anyone have experience with these heaters? Do they really do what they claim? Could running a space heater to cover the majority of the house really replace running the furnace?

[usmarine1975]

Hello,

      I looked into those heaters as well and they make those claims.  For me it doesn't make sense, I have a gas system with Steam being the delivery method of the heat through a pipe and Radiator system.  I love it.  I can control the radiators by turning them off or using the regulators on the end.  The only complaint I have is we only have one thermostat and it's downstairs.  So in general we keep it a little lower with the upper floor being hotter.  I need to do more to control the heat loss in our home via the windows and doors.

      I have one concern with your unit and it might be something to have checked or looked at.  I have a full basement and I am told repeatedly that I need to have a vent in my door to the upstairs.  They claim the basement is not providing enough air to the furnace.  I have a window to the outside that I tend to just crack open to allow fresh air into the basement.  With yours being in a crawl space do you have enough air.  I would most certainly put carbon monoxide detectors in your home.  I passed out from it once and let me just tell you it hit's you faster then you would ever know.  Not to scare you but a detector is worth it in my own mind.

     I would try to find a way to unblock your vents even if it involves making a box that would redirect it under your couch out.  Your couch is not going to disperse the heat very efficiently.  You could make it out of wood or metal.  We do that with cabinets and it works well.  Good luck with whatever you decide.  I can't really speak to the effectiveness of the heat you are asking about.

The central heat in my old house (1890's) is pretty poor. Its hugely uneven between the rooms with the most heat pumping into the room we use the least. In the rooms we do use, the vents are forced to be covered by furniture (couch in living room and bed) or the kitchen has no vents at all. In the winter when its 20's out it takes the furnace running awhile to get the front room to 68 which is on the edge of bearable for me. Our heating bill generally goes up about 60-80$ a month from Nov-Mar depending on how many warm weeks we have. As I mentioned earlier in the thread, I expect the house to be uninsulated and it has no attic. The ceiling in the living room is the roof and above the rest of the house is an unused loft (~12ft up and open to living room) where most of the heat collects.

Anyone know if this would be a good situation to buy one of those infrared space heaters? They claim to heat up to 1000sq ft (house is 900) and to heat better since it keeps moisture in the air. There is also a claim that it doesn't follow the "heat rises" as much for some reason I don't quite understand. Wondering if buying one of these second hand and paying for the electricity will be cheaper or more effective than running the natural gas furnace quite inefficiently.

 If it helps at all the furnace is in the crawlspace which when I went down there last year seems to be heated better than the rest of the house. Since there has been (3) additions at various times I believe the heating ducts to be piecemeal at best and have a decent amount of leaks. Anyone have experience with these heaters? Do they really do what they claim? Could running a space heater to cover the majority of the house really replace running the furnace?

[Angie55]

My current method is to pull the corner of the couch out when I turn on the heat. Its just annoying because the room is so skinny so pulling the couch even 8 inches off the wall can make things really cramped. I have leftover pink rigid foam I've been meaning to make a vent extender to go high enough behind the couch. Its hard though because the natural way is to point between the curtains and the window. My cat has figured out how to move the curtain so it sticks on the couch and makes the window a nice warm hideaway stealing all the heat!

There is one intake vent to the furnace in the living room (probably drastically undersized) but a CO detector is probably a good idea. The only access to the crawlspace is covered by a keezer so its really a pain to get in there and its not adding any airflow. Where would you place a CO detector in this situation. Near the intake vent? The closed crawlspace? Anywhere?

[Greg]

Maybe try a duct extender in a horizontal orientation, with the couch on blocks if needed?

[Jacana]

I have leftover pink rigid foam I've been meaning to make a vent extender to go high enough behind the couch...

Anyone know if this would be a good situation to buy one of those infrared space heaters? They claim to heat up to 1000sq ft (house is 900) and to heat better since it keeps moisture in the air.

Google "vent extender" to see some other options, we have a cheap plastic one that deflects the vent from under our love seat out into the living room and it helps a lot. We used 3M velcro strips to hold it tight to the vent.

I've used some uni-directional infrared heaters before and they are great, but I can't imagine them replacing central heat or heating a 1000 sf house. They heat whatever surface faces them, so if you are for example sitting on a couch or at a desk, it will feel as if you were sitting in strong direct sunlight. The side that faces the heater will be warmer than the other side of you. As for the whole heat not rising thing, I have no idea; maybe they mean since the surface itself is heated, you won't lose as much heat to air convection? A normal space heater heats the air, which then rises to the ceiling, so.... yeah lots of lost heat. But some heat will be lost with an infrared too as the heat energy transfers from the surfaces to the air around it. They do not dry the air out, that's true, but I don't think they are that efficient.

The house I lived in with no heating system at all had an infrared heat lamp in the ceiling of the shower room (bathroom minus toilet), which heated that small little room to a tolerable level in about 20 minutes. As in, if it was 40 degrees outside, it was about 45 inside the house, and the shower room would be maybe 60 after it had been on a while? Once you had a hot shower, the room would be a steamy 75 or so until you opened the door. But that was a very small enclosed space. I have no idea what that added to our electricity bill but I imagine it was substantial after 4 college girls showered and got ready each morning. The bedrooms had small space heaters, which couldn't keep up at all since there was no insulation and lots of leaky windows so if it was 40 outside, my room was easily 50-55 in the morning with the heater on full blast. The kitchen/living room had no heater, so at mealtimes we used to roll a few bedroom space heaters in there but it didn't ever become what I would call warm. The water closet (toilet room) was built onto the back porch and had huge gaps in the wall where it didn't quite meet the roof; they didn't even bother trying to heat that space so it was pretty much an outhouse. I don't think any space heater could have fixed that because there was so much airflow.

I do not think any space heater can really replace a whole-house system.  I think you should consider fixing/upgrading your system, plugging the leaks, insulating and caulking, etc. to really get the house warm.

One other random option for supplemental or temporary heat: eheat.com sells plug-in wall mounted heaters that run on very little electricity in comparison to a regular space heater. I had one in my bedroom living in Florida since the heating systems there suck, and now we have one in our 2 year old's room so the rest of the house can stay at a lower temp. She doesn't like sleeping under blankets and would always wake up cold, but a regular space heater in a toddler room is not a good idea. It worked great 2 winters in a row, and her room stayed very comfortable with no huge jump in electricity bills. I don't know how well it would heat a larger space, her room is about 10x12. It would not work in a leaky uninsulated room, or a large open space.

[usmarine1975]

You would place it in your living space.  It would be to notify you if the level of Carbon Monoxide was to high.  Each bedroom should have one.  I have gotten different reports on location.  It seems to me that it should be lower on the wall but most detectors instruct you to install it on the ceiling.  I follow the instructions given.  I have to provide them in each of my rentals because they all have furnaces that create carbon monoxide.

Where would you place a CO detector in this situation. Near the intake vent? The closed crawlspace? Anywhere?

[m8547]

The central heat in my old house (1890's) is pretty poor. Its hugely uneven between the rooms with the most heat pumping into the room we use the least. In the rooms we do use, the vents are forced to be covered by furniture (couch in living room and bed) or the kitchen has no vents at all. In the winter when its 20's out it takes the furnace running awhile to get the front room to 68 which is on the edge of bearable for me. Our heating bill generally goes up about 60-80$ a month from Nov-Mar depending on how many warm weeks we have. As I mentioned earlier in the thread, I expect the house to be uninsulated and it has no attic. The ceiling in the living room is the roof and above the rest of the house is an unused loft (~12ft up and open to living room) where most of the heat collects.

Anyone know if this would be a good situation to buy one of those infrared space heaters? They claim to heat up to 1000sq ft (house is 900) and to heat better since it keeps moisture in the air. There is also a claim that it doesn't follow the "heat rises" as much for some reason I don't quite understand. Wondering if buying one of these second hand and paying for the electricity will be cheaper or more effective than running the natural gas furnace quite inefficiently.

 If it helps at all the furnace is in the crawlspace which when I went down there last year seems to be heated better than the rest of the house. Since there has been (3) additions at various times I believe the heating ducts to be piecemeal at best and have a decent amount of leaks. Anyone have experience with these heaters? Do they really do what they claim? Could running a space heater to cover the majority of the house really replace running the furnace?

A radiant heater heats whatever it's aimed at, like sun shining in the window. If you aim it at you, you will feel warm and the rest of the house will be cold, but the heat won't rise. Eventually it will heat the surfaces in the room which will heat the air, and it will heat the air directly a bit, then the warm air will start to rise, but the rest of the house will start to get warmer. If it's electric it can't put out any more heat than any other space heater (or hairdryer or toaster oven), so I would expect it to only be good for small rooms. And in general burning gas is cheaper than using electricity for heat. A heat pump can improve the efficiency of electric heat in some regions, but if gas is available that's still better. There might be a case for a window mounted heat pump (like window A/C), if such a thing exists, if you are renting and can't improve the built in heating system, and if it rarely gets below freezing, but in general it's probably not useful.

[adamcollin]

Hey, I found this link, hope it can help you 
http://http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/keeping-warm-ways-to-do-it-wit-98784

[neophyte]

It hit the upper 40s in my bedroom, which is always about 10 degrees colder than the rest of the apartment, so here's an update:

1. I covered the old window with bubble wrap and plan to cover over that with regular clear window plastic. The newer window will also get regular plastic and maybe some bubble wrap. I previously thought that most of the cold air around the window was due to only having single pane glass and the plastic I covered it with was just billowing out due to the temperature differential and thermal currents or whatever.  Not so:

2. I identified the main sources of drafts in my room:

     - The electrical socket on the outer wall.
     - Around the glass panes of the old window. I didn't realize before but whatever stuff was used to seal the glass into the frame on the outside is crumbling off and there are some air gaps.
     - The holes around the pulleys that hold the chains and sash weights for the windows. (Today, Google taught me what a sash weight is!)

3. I identified more air leaks and drafts in the attic. One big one is in a place where you can't see light coming in, so I'd never noticed it before. Interestingly, there are also cracks in the mortar in the brick wall that separates our side of the attic from the other side of the duplex. That's probably why we can smell cigarette smoke in the attic sometimes. I can't see much through the cracks, but it looks like the other side might be a finished apartment, so they will probably be grateful if we can make our side of the attic less leaky too! I also found leaks around the door that leads to the attic.

4. I stuffed strips of rag around the rattly bathroom window and in the openings around the pulleys.

5. There is a hole in exterior wall of our furnace closet, but that can't be reached from the interior of the house, so I can't do anything about it.

Action plan:

1. The glazing stuff on the exterior of the windows needs to be redone, but that's not something I want to undertake right now. I'd feel bad about caulking around the inside of them, but I might do it anyway since it looks like there have been multiple other half-assed improvement attempts. Or I could just use masking tape or something I guess.

2. Try to block the holes around the window pulleys as well as I can. I'll probably just stuff rags in there since it's easy to pull them out in the spring.

3. Finish covering all of the windows with plastic.

4. Get expanding foam to fill as many gaps in the attic as I can find and reach

5. Weatherstripping for the door leading to the attic.

6. Consider the bed tent/canopy idea and a 'tapestry' for the exterior wall.

[Greg]

Sounds like a good plan.  When caulking around the glass, be careful not to press too hard against the glass since the remaining glazing putty on the outside might not do a good job of holding the glass in.

[Cinder]

They make a type of caulk that is easy to remove, you put it on for winter and just peel it off for the summer once you are planning on opening the windows again.  You could always use it any/everywhere you don't want it to be permanent. 

After a quick google search and clicking on a link on the right side..  Here's an example.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/21583018?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=74&adid=22222222227000000000&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=42423897272&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=51320962143&veh=sem

[m8547]

An infrared thermometer is a good way to look for cold spots in the house.

[going2ER]

For the electrical socket you can get an insulation thing, no idea what it is called. You would just take off the plate and this inserts into the socket area and just put the plate back on. They are inexpensive.

If you don't use the attic once you seal op the holes you can see you can also cover the door with the plastic you put on windows. It would help to stop your heat from leaking into the attic.

[Cinder]

For the electrical socket you can get an insulation thing, no idea what it is called. You would just take off the plate and this inserts into the socket area and just put the plate back on. They are inexpensive.

Oh yea, this reminds me.. I have the same kind of problem with my exterior wall sockets.  My problem is that I can feel cold air shooting in though the holes in the socket itself, but I never went around and got the insert for them, but I DID get some baby plugs for them.  They fit snugly into the sockets and keep the cold air from shooting in though the sockets.  That made a decent difference for me.

[m8547]

I insulated the portal to the attic with some foam today. Before insulation it measured 10 degrees colder than the rest of the ceiling, and after insulation it measures 0.5 degrees colder, with some leakage around the edges. I used two layers of 1" thick R6 foil faced foam.

The entry doors and the skylight are the biggest remaining sources of heat loss. I'm tempted to attach some foam to the inside of the doors, but I can't think of a way to attach it well and to make it look OK. I want to do something about the skylight, but I want to let light in and I can't reach it anyway. I don't have a ladder.

[catccc]

If you aren't already loading the clothes on, do that.  In the wintertime, it's not unusual for me to wear long underwear (top and bottoms), leg warmers, my regular clothes, a down vest, a knit hat, and fingerless gloves or wrist warmers.  For around the house.  We have a heated mattress pad that helps a lot at night- I can't sleep comfortably with all those layers on.  We also use electric heaters, the oil filled radiator style ones, to het the space we are using instead of the whole house.  They were only $40 at Lowe's and they work really well.  Plus they don't blow air, which helps mitigate either dryness, and they are quiet.

[kib]

I agree that getting the landlord to make necessary repairs, plus dealing with your windows and skylight, are priorities. Bubble wrap is better for insulation, the thin plastic that is attached with 2 sided tape and tightened with a hair dryer (kit you can buy for about $10 at a hardware store) is best for drafts.  You can use both at once.  But beyond that, you can make yourself more comfortable with these ideas:

1.  Heat yourself, not the air.  Hat.  Tea. Slippers, sweater, long johns, wool socks, hot shower, even washing your hands or handwashing dishes in hot water.
2.  Heat your immediate space, not all the space.  An electric blanket or throw can work wonders, also a hot water bottle or a rice or buckwheat pillow warmed in the microwave if you have one.
3.  Move!  A few jumping jacks or other high intensity exercise for three minutes will warm you up.

4.  Think about any heat you might be "throwing away".  Open the oven after cooking to let heat out into the room instead of up the vent.  If you bathe (vs shower) and you're not in a damp environment, leave the hot water in the tub to dissipate heat into the room.
5.  Your heat is up at the ceiling.  I know this sounds silly, but if you can arrange any furniture so you're sitting higher up in the room - like a tall bed or a loft -  especially if you have high ceilings, you're a lot closer to the warmest air.
6. If you can't go to the warm air, move it down to you by blowing the air around a little.

[Angie55]

So I ventured into the basement a few days ago for the first time in probably a year. The furnace is in a 8x8 6ft tall area and the majority of the ducts are in crawlspace with maybe 1.5-2ft height and dirt base. Probably a foot of clearance under the ducts to move around and pretty nasty areas (we had our garbage disposal waste pipe break and drain for who knows how long).

The damn basement is HOT. Has to be 90 degrees. Never really noticed too much before but the "cold" water out of the faucet is warm to the touch because its so damn hot down there.

There's one easy to access duct that is not connected and offset 3-4 inches. That was all I could see without going in the crawlspace. The rest of the duct connections are not sealed with any kind of tape at all and I expect others are poorly aligned also.

Is it a valid maintenance request to a property management company to have someone come and seal up these ducts? I mean, I can get to the one that is obviously going to nowhere. But since I rent I don't really feel like I should be the one crawling around sealing up the rest of the ducts on my own time and money. Alternatively, is it out of the question to tape up the worst offenders myself and try to get reimbursed for the materials? As an aside, our property management company sucks about repairs.....

I just think its crazy how poorly its set up. I also feel dumb for this being the 3rd winter in the house. We are wasting so much money because the furnace is running constantly! It takes around 4 hours to get the living room up from 60 to 68 after work most days in the winter. When we had a week of 0 degree weather you can't get that part of the house above 65F.

[Greg]

Sealing is unlikely to be done, but the loose duct should be connected.  If you decide to seal the ducts yourself, duct tape is no longer used, use foil tape (very sticky, watch out) instead.  If you owned your place I would say seal and insulate your ducts.

Sometimes even on a rental your utility will do discounted or free energy conservation things like insulation etc.  Worth looking into.

[Angie55]

As a followup: Spent Monday after work crawling around sealing up some ducts. Half the ducts are held in place by rocks or bricks because someone was too lazy to attach duct straps. One duct completely just cut in half I had to use 6" wide EPDM to bridge the gap. Found 2-3 other 1/2 gaps from unmatched and unsupported ducts. Yesterday my heat got from 64 to 68 in ONE HOUR. Holy crap. It used to take at least an hour for every degree.... On cold days it sometimes never reach 68 by the time I went to bed (even though it is set to turn on at 4).

I also found that the filter they had replaced last inspection wasn't put in right. So all of the air was bypassing the filter. Did I mention every representative from my property management company is a moron?

My back is tweaked still from tight spaces and awkward positioning but I think it was worth it. I actually had all the foil tape and EPDM on hand so it cost me $0. Excited to see my utilities bill next month! I can't believe I didn't do this 2 years ago. I just chalked up the cold to it being an 1890's house where the non-insulated attic is open.

Also, thanks for the suggestion of the carbon monoxide monitor. I borrowed one to check the levels (everything was fine) and then found out they are required to be provided in all rentals in Colorado. So I will have my management company get one to install at the next inspection.

[cjottawa]

As a followup: Spent Monday after work crawling around sealing up some ducts. Half the ducts are held in place by rocks or bricks because someone was too lazy to attach duct straps. One duct completely just cut in half I had to use 6" wide EPDM to bridge the gap. Found 2-3 other 1/2 gaps from unmatched and unsupported ducts. Yesterday my heat got from 64 to 68 in ONE HOUR. Holy crap. It used to take at least an hour for every degree.... On cold days it sometimes never reach 68 by the time I went to bed (even though it is set to turn on at 4).

I also found that the filter they had replaced last inspection wasn't put in right. So all of the air was bypassing the filter. Did I mention every representative from my property management company is a moron?

My back is tweaked still from tight spaces and awkward positioning but I think it was worth it. I actually had all the foil tape and EPDM on hand so it cost me $0. Excited to see my utilities bill next month! I can't believe I didn't do this 2 years ago. I just chalked up the cold to it being an 1890's house where the non-insulated attic is open.

Also, thanks for the suggestion of the carbon monoxide monitor. I borrowed one to check the levels (everything was fine) and then found out they are required to be provided in all rentals in Colorado. So I will have my management company get one to install at the next inspection.

WAY TO GO!

My landlord is pretty great about necessary repairs and maintenance but I've upgraded a few things (installed a ceiling fan) and I frequently have the same reaction you did: "I can't believe I didn't do this x years ago." If you're staying in a place for more than a year, make changes early so you have time to enjoy them. Things like heat! ;)

[Greg]

As a followup: Spent Monday after work crawling around sealing up some ducts. Half the ducts are held in place by rocks or bricks because someone was too lazy to attach duct straps. One duct completely just cut in half I had to use 6" wide EPDM to bridge the gap. Found 2-3 other 1/2 gaps from unmatched and unsupported ducts. Yesterday my heat got from 64 to 68 in ONE HOUR. Holy crap. It used to take at least an hour for every degree.... On cold days it sometimes never reach 68 by the time I went to bed (even though it is set to turn on at 4).

Nice to hear!  My MIL found something similar when she went into her crawlspace.  Her house was relatively cool, despite the heat being on, and she complained about her energy usage.  She found one large flex duct had come completely off the plenum, probably from someone crawling over the duct.  Reattached, the house got warmer fast and the crawlspace was no longer a sauna.