Not as prepared as I thought

You can get a 10' roll of aluminum flashing for a few bucks and along with the duct tape patch all the holes in the duct. You can cut it with a utility knife, if you don't have any snips, by laying on a flat surface and useing a squire for a guide to scare it good and then just bend it back and forth a couple of times, plus you can bend it to fit into corners etc.

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If some one has done something before,
You can also do it, if you find out how they did it

We have power tools, ancestors didn't

keep kicking the ball
it won't stop rolling

Dennis

I can tell you what your light bill issue is now...#1 a trailer #2 forced air heat.

We switched from FA to HWBB when we added on to our single wide modular (on a block foundation) and added a second chimney for the woodstove. At the time about 10yrs ago....our light bill dropped from $110/month in the winter (not to mention $100 a month for propane) to lights $60 and fuel oil $50/month. At the time our wood was free and we had twice the house heated for half the cost.

We are now replacing the last of the aluminum windows with vinyl to further save.

You might want to hedge your (frzn pipe) bets with a heat tape too if your winter temps go below freezing for a significant amount of time.....broken pipes are an expensive/inconvenient repair. The tape adds a couple bucks a month but cheap peace of mind wise.

Actually, I don't. My son is cyberschooled and the program pays for my internet. Otherwise, it would have been off long ago. Just like the long distance, the cable and anything else I could cut off. I try not to use excess electricity or gas-we made a 100 pound tank last us 4 months already and still don't need a fill. All our building supplies for the porch were gleaned, as well as most of what we needed for the roof. Every penny we had went into replacing every inch of water pipe and drain pipe in this house, as well as insulating those pipes that remain outside the living space and replacing the hot water heater and all the wiring in the house. We simply ran out of funds before we ran out of repairs. These things happen and I will manage somehow. The post was meant to be more about the fact that I had completely overlooked something so obvious when inspecting the house for needed repairs. Oh well. Stuff happens. At least it's happening to me instead of to someone who REALLY can't handle it, right?......lol. Ya gotta laff or yer gonna cry. It will work out eventually. Maybe if I finish cleaning out our storage unit and get rid of more stuff I can stop paying 60 bux a month for a storage unit.(Duh, Lona) That would make me very happy right there. 2 months of storage fees is enough to fix the ductwork. To that end, I brough another truckload of it home last nite and will bring another home tomorrow. Do you have any idea how foolish it was of me to let my children pack their own rooms? They packed boxes of papers and broken markers and such!!! I threw away 4 boxes yesterday before I got to anything they really needed or loved. (I love throwing away junk and mulching my soon to be garlic bed with all that paper and cardboard. YAY!!)

Really, getting this done is about making choices. I have chosen us right down to the bare minimum needed to survive so that we can get the needed stuff taken care of before the wanted stuff. It is taking longer than I planned, but that always happens anyway. As long as nothing unforseen happens to the truck over the next 3 weeks, we should be ok. After that, hubby will be out of work-with plenty of time on his hands and nothing to do but collect wood and insulate bedrooms. We'll be fine-eventually.

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Duct tape is a miracle invention..so is that stuff that they put on the bottom of meat and poultry in the supermarket..kinda looks like styrofoam..acts like it as well, (for all I know that's what it is)..anyway, a million years ago when I lived in a place that was so cold that the toothpaste froze, I used pieces of that stuff + plastic and some duct tape to seal up cracks in the floor. Works wonders.

Hay bales aren't a good thing to use. They can catch on fire, and rodents love to munch on them. Use STRAW bales. They are very fire-resistant, and don't have a single thing that rodents want to eat..they do , however, provide a nice comfy warmth and nesting place..but you can't have everything.

Duct tape, some kind of additional insulation under that,for the floors + straw bales and that's half the battle. You've already said that you'll be able to take care of the duct work soon.

Now, as far as that thermostat..I've done this before and found so much help..is there any kind of local VFW hall or AMVets place in your community? If so, put up a notice..of course, ASK first..(I've never been turned down).
"Urgent. Local family in need of expert assistance from retired experienced HVAC person. All we can offer is good company and a wonderful meal in return for switching out a bad thermostat. Any assistance would be deeply appreciated."

The last time that I put up such a notice, I had some very bad wiring in my place..a dangerous situation and not an extra dime to have it checked out. Got a call within 24 hours from a delightful 70 year old gentleman who was a retired Master Electrician. He was THRILLED to come over and work on that box..turns out it was a stripped wire..took him about 15 minutes to fix it. I was THRILLED to listen to his stories of being in WWll while we shared a nice supper..it was, as they say, a "good trade".

If there is a large store that sells furniture near you ask about the stuff that the furniture is wrapped in. They usually throw it away and you can get it for free. Some use large sheets of styrofoam and some use a lot of bubblewrap. Either one will help a lot for insulating. I would steer away from straw or hay because of the rodents that will be attracted to it. Also, if you are renting a space in a park, the owners may not allow it.

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I believe in God's willingness to heal.

Cyngbaeld's Keep Heritage Farm, breeding a variety of historical birds and LaMancha goats. (It is pronounced King Bold.)

With your cheerful attitude and "can-do" mindset I'm sure you and your family will be fine. Have you considered putting some of that stuff in storage on ebay or in a yard sale? Might be able to pick up a few extra bucks that way.

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I'm running so far behind I thought I was first!

http://hickahala.blogspot.com/

Are you in any position to use a wood stove. You can get used ones and even small new ones very cheap. Some are more efficient than others of course. We not only heated our trailer with one, but had to open the doors or windows a lot of nights because it was too warm. A neighbor gave us one when they replaced theirs. We only used the space heater in the bathroom before a shower.

Yes, you may have to buy wood if you don't have access to free wood, but it is still more expedient and easier than paying big bucks for the central heat. You can also heat water, beans, chili etc. on top of the stove during the day and cut down on other methods of cooking.

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Take your time, or someone else will.

I would LOVE to have a wood stove in here. Unfortunately, I would have to build on another room just for the stove, as the trailer is so old. I can't really do that right now. We are considering using DH's tax refund to purchase an outdoor woodburner to replace the current heating system. Right now we are waiting to hear back from the park owner as to wether or not they are allowed. It took a month just to get permission for the veggie garden, so it may take a while. ( he lives out of the country 6 months out of the year, so....) We are sealing up 5 windows today and 5 more tomorrow, that will help. Also bringing home some of that insulation after work on monday to do the skirting areas that need it. May even have aluminum flashing for super cheap or free to fix duct work with. Keep your fingers crossed!!

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The heat loss from the duct work is just one of the problems. The most common problem with mobile home heat ducts is allowing pests in and this time of year it would be mice and rats, they easily get into the openings in the ducts and look for a safe warm place to live. If and when they die they make an unbearable smell and while they are alive they destroy more duct work and insulation.
Weather wise you've gotten a break for a week but you better act fast. If not you might have all of your plumbing problems again if it freezes under there. I don't know your actual situation but from reading your posts it sounds like you and your husband will have to start doing more of the work yourself and stop paying for labor. plumbing today is really very simple with plastic pipe and all.

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"Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self confidence"
Robert Frost

Hey' NIN,

I'm just to the east of you in Wayne CO.
I don't know where you are from orginally but winters up here are no joke. It has been VERY MILD!!!!!! Almost no snow. When the weather changes you can expect below 10 - 20 below Zero Temps. Any exposed pipes will freeze even with heat tape. You Must cover the trailer base with insulated skirting. If this is not possible get hay and 6 mil plastic. First you staple the plastic up on the bottom of the trailer. Then put the bales under tight and cover the outside of the bales with another layer of plastic.

If you can't find hay. You can get it from a farmer by me for 2 bucks a bale. just PM me.

Thanks for the heads up. Stan. I was looking for square bales and getting nowhere around here-everyone has rounds.

I spoke to the park manager yesterday about my outdoor woodburner and was told the code doesn't allow them within the park. Something about clearances between trailers, etc. So now I will be looking for other heating options. My fantasy would be radiant in floor, but that is waay out of my price range right now.

On the subject of paying for labor, we only paid to have the hot water heater properly installed and new lines run to the furnace. Everything else we have done ourselves. How else do you make 1500 bux go this far? A good portion of what we paid out was just to clean the smell out of here after it had been left open to the elements and neighborhood cats for 2 years!! We had to pay to have alot of trash removed and old carpets and such, and then clean and paint the interior just to make it tolerable. I've seen hunting cabins that are in better shape than this place!!.....lol. What little bit we had in savings to cover DH's layoff was used to pay for heating fuel-can't avoid that expense. Luckily, we have had a very mild winter so far. But even so, 29 degrees with ice on the potty seat is not my idea of a good morning!!....lol

Personally, I can't believe I never thought to check out the ductwork before hand. I went under there yesterday ( only about 2 feet) and it only seems to be falling away in the kitchen. From the mess right under neath, I"d say someone was putting their mop water out thru the hole in the ventwork!!! EWWW But, it will be patched and restrapped by the end of the day today. DH took an advance on his paycheck to get the stuff we need to do it, and will work for free next saturday in exchange. IF the weather holds, the entire insulating job will be finished this week as well. Thank God I have friends who will work for food!!!

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Stop the Bleeding! bigest things first work down.
Duct tape baling wire Tomato cans and Great Stuff

What caught my attention was you said you was using Space Heaters,I know you feel this is your only option now.But Trailers seem to go up so fast every year from Space Heaters.

big rockpile

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I love being married.Its so great to find that one person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.



If I need a Shelter
If I need a Friend
I go to the Rock!

Just another idea for insulation - if you go somewhere like Tractor Supply, or anywhere that sells lawn tractors, etc., they will often give you the big styrofoam blocks that come packed around the tractors if you ask. My local TSC manager said they are not supposed to give them away because the company is supposed to pick them up and reuse them. However, he pointed to the HUGE pile of them in the back and said that since the company hadn't picked them up in 6 months, he doubted if they'd miss a few. He let me take all I wanted.