ehanes7612
Well-Known Member
In my case the non electric propane system is the backup/redundancy system not the primary heating system. Propane is expensive in TN. However, it's probably "greener" than electricity in this region, since coal is still king out here.
But from October to April its not improbable to have nights below freezing (its going to be in the mid 20's tonight). And Dec to March could have night temps in the teens and 20's for weeks on end. Lots of crazy weather with lots of trees near power lines makes for lots of power outages in the rural areas.
So I need a non electrical backup. I've been chastised before, but auto backup emergency generators are too $$ for me, even if I've spent 10X that in plants over the last 10 years. However, I do have access to a small manual start portable to run some fans if the juice goes out for an extended period.
I think insulating is still the best bang for the buck. Tanks of water to fill up unused air space and increased thermal storage is also great to eek out more efficiency. I know we've been focusing on walls and roofs, but don't forget the floor. Mine is still dirt/ gravel. I really need to bury some sheets of thick styrofoam.
oh yeah exploring the water tub project on another thread
