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Power out...STHF or maybe just a tree hit the line, or a foreign attack with EMP, whatever....

What are the best heat options?

Too allergic to smoke to burn wood. (Really.)

Interested in gas-only heater for period of time when gas is still available. Then what?

billo wrote:Power out...STHF or maybe just a tree hit the line, or a foreign attack with EMP, whatever....

What are the best heat options?

Too allergic to smoke to burn wood. (Really.)

Interested in gas-only heater for period of time when gas is still available. Then what?

Sorry thats the best option. They make an outdoor wood stove that pumps the heated air inside your house. you only have to stoke it a couple times a day. Shouldn't have much if any smoke exposure with it.

Kerosene is ok but stinks up the house and converts all that nice O2 I seem to enjoy into CO2 that I don't care much for.

Effective enough insulation can negate any real requirements for heating as teh airspace can be heated by body heat...

Coal is great if you can keep up with the maintenance (usually twice a day, unless you get a self-feeding model with a hopper). Buy a quality stove (we have a 20+ year old Harmon, I have also heard good things about Alaska) and make sure it's ventilated properly. We have never had a problem with carbon monoxide (we have a detector right by the stove and another upstairs). Ours will also burn wood, which makes it much easier to get the fire going. We get through the entire winter comfortably warm in central PA on less than 4 tons of nut coal (~$800 in our area). You will get some ash dust, but you can minimize that by letting it settle before taking the ash pan out, and misting it with a water bottle before moving it.

Good ideas. Has anyone tried a solar heating air exchange? I reckon it's on the weak side though. Burning wood outside is a smart idea if fresh warm air can be piped indoors. Any other ideas, keep 'em coming, this is interesting.

If operated and installed properly with a vertical stack (don't rear vent the stove) and using wood that has a 20% moisture content an EPA certified wood stove should NEVER emit smoke indoors or outdoors.

Outdoor wood systems are being severely regulated and potentially banned in many jurisdictions for the outdoor pollution they emit given the poor design of them and EPA certified systems are very pricey.

Solar is an idea but you must realize during the winter months it is cloudy 2/3rds of the time in many parts of the country. A system using 55 gallon drums painted black and antifreeze could be cheaply made but may pose a problem of aesthetics in an urban neighborhood

No worries here, I have a gravity fed Siegler oil stove. We only use it when the temp. gets to and stays below 32 degrees.
The only real problem is, if it breaks down parts are hard to find. If power goes out I have hook-ups on the outside to plug my generator in. Its a 5500 watt generator and will run my well pump and 2 refridgerators and lights and tv all at once. I don't have it hooked up to the water heater, but could if I choose to. If the oil stove fails, I'll have to remove it and hook up the wood stove again. I have little wood now, so I hope that doesn't happen.