Stove ideas for heating a ski cabin for 1-2 weeks between visits?

[Highbeam]

Air-air heat pump is cheap and would cut the power bills in half. Other than that there are pellet boilers with large capacity auto refilling hoppers but I wouldn't like to leave one for weeks. Solar is another option but insulation is probably the cheapest way to go.

So when you say adding a heat pump is cheap, do you mean adding the ductwork, air handler, electrical work, and the outdoor unit is cheap? I would love to add a heat pump to replace my electric non central heat but I didn't think it would be cheap.

 

[slowzuki]

Sorry, the ductless-split units are cheap, payback is very short. Outdoor pad mount is definatley not the same ballpark.

 

[senorFrog]

How about a programmable thermostat, set to turn the heat on every 8 hours for 30 mins, then off. Except on Fridays around 10 PM when it comes on for the entire weekend? Off again on Sunday at say 4 PM?

Also, you can get an temp based alarm that will phone you if the internal house temp drops below a certain point. Maybe a kind neighbor who would respond if temp/elec DOES fall and you get the call??? You could probably find some snow bumb or local up in there who could use a few extra bucks to do this.

Might be your easiest and cheapest way out.

I'd add the insulation too. But insulation only slows down freezing pipes, it doesn't stop it. It will just take longer for the pipes to freeze. This would allow you to fine tune your heat off interval with your programmable.

I'm sure others here can add more to this solution.

If there was a 2 week burn time stove, I wish someone would clue me in.

 

[Andre B.]

Just remembered something from the 80's.
(broken link removed to http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic_Gardening/1980_March_April/The_Genius_of_Jean_Pain)

Once you build the pile it would take care of itself.

But if you want one of these to keep cooking all winter thru real cold temperatures you need to build it big.
A tractor with a bucket loader and a PTO wood chipper would be indispensable.


Edit: More links.
http://www.worldchanging.com/local/washingtondc/archives/005919.html
http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel_library/methane_pain.html
(broken link removed to http://www.daenvis.org/technology/Jeanpan.htm)

 

[Willhound]

Hi -

I family I used to stay with in Northern Michigan heated only the main bathroom with Elct. Baseboard. The kitchen pipes were heat taped. The main bath had a pantry closet for freeze sensitive groceries. They had a cooler to more ordinary groceries back and forth. It worked pretty well if everyone knew the drill.

ATB,
Mike P

This, along with my idea of a low-temp electric baseboard thermostat, is (to me anyway) the most logical, and cost effective way to go....for now. This can be done for about $100. About the only thing I would change would be to install a self draining shut off valve between the bathroom and kitchen water supplies so that the kitchen sink waterline can be shut off and drained between uses. Or the heat tape works too. Assuming of course, that the water tank and feeds originate in the bathroom.

Heat pumps, overhead water tanks, composting piles, and most of all. completetly de-commissioning and re-commissioning the ski chalet between trips is neither cost effective, or easy to do....in the short term. Don't get me wrong, all admirable ideas, but I'm sure that all Alex wants is a way to cut his costs down a bit, and enjoy some skiing. All the rest can be a lifetime project.

I should maybe add, that we all seem to agree that, with the possible exception of propane, there isn't a viable wood/coal option available. This thread could now easily be moved to the "Green Room" since we are now looking at conservation, not neccessarily replacement.