Best inexpensive upgrades for person on limited budget

JJ_4

I have used the DeLongi or similar heaters for backup for years...and also to heat a garage "studio". Nice radiant heat with a built in thermostat and wattage selection.

Also, these only run about $50.

millhouse_2

Best inexpensive upgrades for those on a fixed budget?

My grandmother plans on locking herself in a bedroom with an expensive electric heater as advertised in "Parade Magazine" for the upcoming winter to save on oil. I don't know anything about this room heater, but I'm not too keen on the idea of buying anything advertised in Parade. I think they are expensive, too...$400 maybe.

She lives in Mass, in an older home, minimal insulation and single pane windows, near the coast. Her oil boiler was replaced after the storm of '78. Remember that one? She has beautiful cast iron baseboards throughout.

I mentioned she should upgrade the insulation, but that might be too costly at this time, unless I can find a rebate. So, I'm trying to configure a list for her from what I've learned on this site and elsewhere on the web.

What I have so far:
insulation (attic and walls), plastic window film, thermostat setback, heat manager, barometric flue damper, update burner to a flame retention burner, reduce nozzle size ??

Which are the best bang for the buck? What am I missing?

With her medical condition she always feels cold. If she must get a room heater are there safer brands than others.

Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks.

Gordy

Insulation

Would be the most effective bang verses dollars.

Start with the attic if it is easy access that would be the cheapest to do first.

The walls would be next but this may prove a little more costly.

Single pane windows are a big draw back but window film is cheap. Combination storms next step up.


Get your Btus and infiltration down then mess with the boiler unless its not in working order.



Gordy

J.C.A._3

Contact Mass. Save

See if they still do energy audits and have any recommendations to help her save on the installation.

I don't know how much state aid is available anymore...as our illustrious Governor has his head placed firmly where the sun don't shine....and would rather educate and give drivers licenses to illegal immigrants, than help the people that have paid their dues and tried to provide for THEMSELVES for Oh so many years.

Fuel assistance is available, but the numbers are staggering when the "help" comes in, and the oil company needs more to keep their deliveries covered.

Check out a local Oil Heat Cares chapter, and see if they can help. Maybe give a shout out to the Habitats for Humanity folks in the area, and see if they have anything that can be helpful.

I feel the pain that you do. My parents home used to cost about what a 1/2 tank will cost now....to have heat and hot water just 5 years ago....for the whole year!

Good Luck Millhouse. Keep trying. Chris

STEVEN MARKS

How many zones in the house? Maybe its possible to make the bedroom a seperate zone. This would allow keeping her derroom warmer and the rest of the colder. same as whatb a space heater would do.

Leo_15

A lot of competition

Does she qualify for fuel assistance? There will be a lot of competition for it but it is worth a try. There are various programs, check with the oil company to see which program covers her area. We have a lot of elderly on fuel assistance and they are the people who appreciate it.

Leo

Dave MH

electrical heater

don't let her waste the money on that heater from a magazine.
The other folks on here can disagree, but I believe ANY electric heater that you can buy and just plug into a regular wall outlet (110v) will only be a maximum of 1,500 watt. That is considered a room or space heater - however - one can go to the local walmart, HD, lowes, and buy a 1,500 watt space heater for under $20.00. a 1500 watt heater will only give off so many btu's - period - doesn't matter the fancy controls, fans or whatever.

Best bang for the buck -attic insulation and after that, seal for air infiltration.
Another idea for help - maybe you could get a local church or youth group interested in helping. She (you) buy's the material and they do the labor.

Best of luck.

ScottMP

Dave

Nobody here will disagree with you about the heater and that one on Parade magazine ahs already been discussed.

My main concern is that this woman turns down the heat so much that something freezes. She needs a Pro to look things over for her.

These are tough times for the elderly.

Scott


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millhouse_2

thanks!!

thanks everyone...we'll see what happens

Tim Weaver

Caulk

Clear, removable caulk. The kind that you can peel away come spring leaving no residue. Caulk all the doors (except 1) and windows shut.

Ross_7

Outdoor Reset

...maybe an option. Just a simple one like a Tekmar 256.
Good luck!
Ross

V8toilet

Insulation

Dollar for dollar the best bang for the buck is by far adding insulation to the house. With the prices the way they are now adding insulation to the house could pay for itself in one to two years. My home used to cost me $600 a month four years ago during January and February with only four inches of insulation in the attic and none anywhere else. After replacing the windows and insulating the whole house the bill was cut by more than 50%.

TimS

Insulate piping

Fire and CO are the main dangers here. The DeLonghi oil-filled space heaters are much safer and quieter than the exposed element heaters. It will do a nice job of heating a bedroom to stifling. I think they are about $60. Electricic heat is already 100% efficient, no need for a fancy $400 unit.

If she can move into a bedroom that has minimal exterior walls, that will make for less heat loss in what will be the warmest room of the house.

Is all the boiler piping, and the boiler itself, well insulated? Is the "mechanical area" in an unheated drafty basement? Perhaps build a room for it. You can't increase the efficiency of heat generation by much more so you should work to retain it.

Thermal blinds on the windows will enable her to stop some heat from radiating out at night but allow sunshine to warm a room during the day. Tough to incorporate with the window film though.

Quilts hung across seldom-used doors will slow heat loss but still allow ingress/egress during an emergency- do not caulk the doors shut.

Check to see that any bathroom vents are closing when not turned on. Same for fireplace flues.

Use a smoke generator (not a real fire) to check for drafts.

If she doesn't have them, flannel sheets feel much warmer than cotton. Buy her a few sets and she'll love you even more.

jim

millhouse_2

ha!.grams loves me enough already, but the flannel sheets are a great idea. again, thanks for the ideas.

millhouse_2

sorry for the late reply...her house might be around 1200 sqft, single level. I'd bet it's a single zone.

Ray Landry_3

Visit CSGRP.com to schedual an energy audit. They will give you rebates for air sealing, windows, energy star heating equipment, the list goes on. I believe they will cover 75% of the insulation cost, or 2000, whichever is cheaper. Good luck!

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