Alternative heat sources without electricity – If the power supply fails for a longer period of time, many heaters will no longer work. How do you get the room warm without electricity?
Electric heaters consume electricity – that’s obvious. But gas heaters, oil heaters, heat pumps and even pellet heaters also require energy. This becomes particularly problematic when the power supply is interrupted for several days in winter or there are other problems with the energy supply.
However, you don’t have to freeze in this case. Because there are ways you can heat your room without electricity. We give you a brief overview:
Alternative heat sources without electricity
The chimney
The most obvious option is the fireplace. It is not a spontaneous solution, as certain construction measures are necessary for its installation. Nevertheless, the fireplace does not need electricity to heat the room or even an entire apartment to a comfortably warm temperature.
It is also important: If you use a fireplace as an alternative to gas or oil heating in winter, you should have enough firewood on hand. Currently, however, the procurement of firewood is difficult because the fuel is in great demand and is sold out almost everywhere.
The tiled stove
A tiled stove is operated like a fireplace with wood (wood briquettes). It doesn’t need electricity. The difference, however, is that a tiled stove is solid and must be bricked by a stove builder at the appropriate place in the house or apartment. The heat storage effect of tiled stoves is slightly lower than that of wood-burning stoves.
The advantage over wood-burning stoves is that tiled stoves give off their heat more constantly and only have to be filled with wood about twice a day. The reason is, on the one hand, their construction and, on the other hand, that they make ideal use of the air currents in the home to distribute the heat.
However, the disadvantage of a tiled stove is that it requires wood pellets, which are currently relatively rare on the world market or only available at a high price. You also need a connection to the chimney and a specialist who will build the heating alternative for you. You should also not ignore the cost of a tiled stove – and of course the question of whether the stove can also be installed in your building.
By the way: In addition to wood, you can also heat with coal. However, this solution is relatively unecological. The coal stove is only mentioned here for the sake of completeness, and is not dealt with in detail in this text.
Info: Charcoal briquettes can also be burned in a tiled stove.
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The pellet stove
An alternative to the stove and thus to the rare firewood is a pellet stove, which – as the name suggests – is operated with pellets. With this heating variant, there are models that can also be operated without electricity.
But even the pellet stove is not a spontaneous solution. Because it also has to be connected to an air shaft, i.e. a chimney. There are models that have an integrated air filter and therefore do not need a chimney connection. You, in turn, need electricity.
Important regulations for fireplaces and stoves
Caution: Very strict rules apply to fireplaces and tiled stoves. On the one hand, the chimneys must have a minimum height, on the other hand, a certain emission value must not be exceeded. You should consider this when purchasing a fireplace. Old wood-burning stoves, on the other hand, urgently need to be retrofitted.
The ethanol fireplace
Is an ethanolamine a possibility if you want to heat without electricity? Rather no. On the one hand, bioethanol is very expensive, on the other hand, the ethanol fireplace requires oxygen in addition to ethanol. Ventilation is therefore important during operation – which in turn allows the heat energy generated to escape. Thus, an ethanol fireplace is rather ineffective when it comes to the heating aspect. The advantage of a common fireplace, however, is that a connection to the chimney is not necessary.
The solar thermal
With a solar thermal system you use heating and hot water. However, the system cannot do completely without electricity: The solar circuit pump consumes minimal energy. However, there are models that do not require an external power supply.
Despite everything, the same applies here: If there is a blackout, a solar thermal system must already be available so that you can heat without electricity. So it’s not a spontaneous solution.
The hybrid heaters
Hybrid models can be operated independently by energy suppliers. Because the electricity for the heat pump, the automatic pellet heating system or the combined heat and power plant (CHP) comes from our own photovoltaic system.
However, as with a wood-burning or pellet stove, a certain amount of preparatory work and investment is required: the solar system, the power storage unit and the heating must be purchased and assembled and installed accordingly. Hybrid models cost more than 40,000 euros.
Subsequent conversion of the existing heat pump, pellet heating or CHP is possible without any problems and is much cheaper. If you want to invest the money, you can also heat the house independently from energy suppliers in winter and when the sun is not shining enough.
The kerosene heater
Without electricity you can heat with a petroleum heater. It is mobile and can therefore be used flexibly. The only important thing is that you have enough kerosene in stock and make sure that there is enough fresh air during operation. If you operate the kerosene heater indoors, you should only use perfume-free or odorless kerosene.
Also observe the safety measures that apply to the storage of petroleum. This is because it is a highly flammable fuel. The same applies to startup: do not leave the kerosene stove unattended once it is active.
The costs for the purchase and of the fuel are low. However, the kerosene heater is also more of a punctiform heat source – such as a tea light oven.
Without electricity? Many kerosene heaters require electricity. However, there are also battery-powered models.
The tea light oven
A mobile stove that heats without electricity and a chimney connection? You can do that with a tea light oven. The heating method does not require any major planning or conversion work. You can also easily build them yourself. We have summarized how this works for you in this article.
However, this is a heat source that only heats at certain points. You have to sit quite close to the construction, almost like a campfire, to feel the heat. In addition, the tea light oven must be supervised at all times and you must have enough candles in stock.
How to keep the heat in the room
If the room temperature is pleasant, it should be kept in the room for as long as possible. Helpful measures are:
- Close curtains, shades and blinds when you do not need daylight or when it is already dark. They serve to insulate the windows, through which a lot of heat can otherwise escape.
- Find and fix drafts. Leaky windows and doors are a common reason why a heated room cools down quickly or doesn’t even get really warm.
- Close all room doors to keep the heat in the room. There are also rooms that tend to be cooler (corridor, storage room, kitchen). The warm air would then flow into this.
- The apartment or front door is also a reason why the apartment cools down faster. If possible and desired, you can hang a thick, insulating curtain in the entrance area in front of the front door. It insulates and the hallway does not cool down so quickly.
- Carpets not only look beautiful. They insulate the floor and can thus prevent cold feet – in contrast to tiles.
- Furniture also helps to keep the heat in a room. Because they insulate the walls of the room. It is important that they are not too close to the wall, otherwise mold can form.
- Pictures can also have a slightly insulating effect and keep out the cold that seeps through the room walls.
In addition, warm clothing, slippers and blankets can help you to withstand a lower room temperature than usual.