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Electric space heaters for winter PLUS How to get Cheap hot water !
2850 E. Glenn St
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Although I've owned this house since 2004, there's no Money to replace the gas piping or to convert the house to electric heating, for at least two or three years from now, till we get past some current serious financial commitments /obligations.
So we are looking for several SAFE electric space heaters to heat individual rooms through the next two or three winters.
Either donated or low cost heaters would be great!
NOW The GOOD NEWS is; (And you all may like to try this to save A lot of money).
We DO have Lots of CHEAP hot water for our showers, thanks to finding This Wonderful Man's website at:
iWillTryIt.org !
The specific link that I first discovered on his website is https://www.iwilltry.org/b/projects/convert-your-gas-hot-water-tank-to-electric/ .
However,, rather than use a modified heavy stove heating element that he describes, which would have required some serious safety mechanisms such as timers and thermostatic controls, I discovered that I can keep my two hot water tanks providing ample hot water, for 3 people, by simply lowering a high wattage light bulb down into the lower chimney part of the hot water tanks.
The gas company had already fully disconnected them from the gas service system. By that I mean the gas company had taken out the connecting flexible copper lines from the heater to the gas supply pipe valves and left the lines laying on top of the hot water tanks, as part of the disconnecting process of turning off our gas meter supply ! If you do this, you will/MUST also want to disconnect those lines to eliminate someone accidentally turning on the gas in these hot water tank again !
One 50 gallon hot Water Tank Inside the house, supplying both bathrooms, is providing a 125 degree water with just 150 Watt light bulb inside. I had to downsize it from a 200 Watt light bulb, because it was creating hotter water than we needed, hotter than we ever had with gas heating. What little heat loss there is from the tank is simply helping warm the interior of the house.
The other 40 gallon hot water tank, in the carport, has a 200 Watt light bulb inside it and is providing a 140 degree water for the kitchen sink and the laundry. That tank has a little larger heat loss due to being in the unheated carport, and in the coldest of winter will still provide probably 120 degree water or more, which is quite ample for the kitchen sink, dishwasher, and the laundry room.
After operating a few days, each of these hot water tanks reaches an 'equilibrium', meaning that the heat loss of the tank's insulation equals the amount of heat being put into it by the light bulb. Therefore, there are no safety factors, or safety devices required to keep them from overheating.
The cost of these two light bulbs operating continuously, in these two hot water tanks, is far cheaper than what it used to cost us for natural gas on these 2 hot water tanks!
It is just simply amazing!
See attached pictures of the light arrangement.
It is a strong light bulb screwed into a heat-resistant porcelain type of light socket, suspended on several feet of solid insulated copper wires, down into the top of the chimney opening on top of the hot water tank. The two wires are attached to a heavy male plug through a hole in the top side of a can that just fits, perfectly, over the top of the chimney opening on the top of the hot water tank. The light bulb hangs near the lower area of hot water tank.
The pictures are coming, just give me a little time.