I should have bought three of those Mr Heaters

**Shrek** · #1 10/28/12, 04:16 AM

This morning while spending time across town I got a call from my elderly neighbor across the road about 0030 hours asking me if I had any idea when the power was going to be back on because although the temperature this morning is in the upper 30s/low 40s, she was lamenting how cold it was in her house which as mine is all electric, however I found out unlike me she has no back up heat.

So I figured if her 75 year old butt was chilled from the power having been out for 5 or 6 hours I should come back to the house to check on my 17 year old hound and as soon as I pulled into my driveway she was ringing my phone asking if I had an "extra kerosene heater" she could borrow.

I stopped using kerosene kerosene heaters 10 years ago after getting a small dairy barn stove and replaced it with two small Mr Heater portable LP heaters earlier this year.

Apparently the 30 to 40 mph wind gusts are knocking out the power in our area because it finally came on for a few minutes but went back off.

So here I sit in LED light with my fridge, freezer and TV running off my pick up truck and one LP heater trying to get my house back up to the 60s before I go to bed while the other one and 4 two pound bottles are across the road.

I told her when I loaned it to her that she needs to invest a in a couple of her own because if the power goes out later this winter I will need both of mine to keep my water lines from freezing.

What I didn't tell her was since I have a few extra bucks now I plan to buy myself a third heater so when the sparktricity is off I can still maintain my house heat as I normally do with my three electric oil radiators.

Even though I keep a couple 20 pound LP tanks filled and have 30 or so two pound bottles for the heaters and my small grill I may have my maintenance guy run me lines with inside cutoffs to connect to a 100 pound LP tank I have in my garage.

I guess what really irks me is when we had the week long spring power outage last year I explained to her how undependable our cheap electric service in this area could be at times and the best options for warm weather and cold weather back up and in over a year she hasn't done anything other than laughed at me when she saw me bring home the two portable LP heaters earlier this year asking why I needed more than one and I responded by telling her it was 1/3 less BTU capacity than my usual electric heat potential but I figured it would work good enough in a pinch.

I miss the elderly woman who used to live over there because that woman was country , grew up, married, lived, died and was buried within a 10 mile radius of here and didn't strike me as being a zombie with an AARP card

nehimama · #2 10/28/12, 06:06 AM

Well, it sure was good of you to loan her that heater! Once things settle down, maybe you can insist on accompanying her on her next shopping trip to "help" her select the non-electric heater that would be most useful to her if this situation occurs again - and it will!

ceresone · #3 10/28/12, 07:58 AM

Humm, Shreck, are you saying the 75 year old woman across from you is a zombie with a AARP card?

sss3 · #4 10/28/12, 08:14 AM

I agree w/Nehimama. The woman may not have any experience w/what you're talking about. Especially at her age.

foaly · #5 10/28/12, 09:24 AM

I thought those Mr. Heaters had an electric ignition.

I remember a conversation I had with our late, great Windy in Kansas about these heaters and he told me not to bother with them as a backup source during a power outage because they had electric ignitions.

Enlighten me, please.

glazed · #6 10/28/12, 10:18 AM

Thank you for helping the inconsiderate, insane elderly lady out, you grouchy old ogre.

lol

**Terri** · #7 10/28/12, 10:28 AM

There is nothing quite like being cold to take power outages seriously.......

During a power outage I found out that the fireplace was NOT enough heat, and also our pipes froze. I now take things MUCH more seriously, and I have a kerosine heater!

I have camped a lot in my life. When it is cold camping a person puts on a coat and does not worry about it. But, for whatever reason, a cold house is ENTIRELY different! A person sits down to read and they get cold regardless if they are wearing a coat or not, and burst pipes are expensive!

I no longer shrug off power failures. I have a kerosine heater of my own, now.

foxfiredidit · #8 10/28/12, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by foaly

I thought those Mr. Heaters had an electric ignition.

I remember a conversation I had with our late, great Windy in Kansas about these heaters and he told me not to bother with them as a backup source during a power outage because they had electric ignitions.

Enlighten me, please.

The one I have has batteries that provide the spark. I like it a lot, seems to be very safe.

**Shrek** · #9 10/28/12, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ceresone

Humm, Shreck, are you saying the 75 year old woman across from you is a zombie with a AARP card?

I am saying that for a woman who worked and lived in northern OK for over 50 years and moved here after her retirement that since the warm weather shtf we had a year ago from what she said last night she hasn't even taken any warm or cold weather power loss preparations such as more lighting than the cheap flashlight she had and the $5 AA battery powered table lantern loaded with rechargable batteries I gave her during the black out.

When she came to borrow the heater she had the dead rechargable AAs asking me if she could swap them for some with a charge or I could plug them into my battery charger plugged into my power inverter I used for recharging batteries last year. Then and a couple times since I have asked her if she dropped by the local truck stop to buy her own 400 watt car accessory plug in power converter to charge her cell phone which she has never bought a car charger for, travel TV or $10 battery charger to keep batteries for her flashlight and lantern blackout ready.

If a shtf happens she will be one of the zombies unless I can convince her to at least basic prep.

The 90 year old country gal who lived there before used electric but had a cast iron oblong wood stove and stocked up dead fall wood under a tin lean to shed for back up heat and cooking.

The new neighbor sold the stove to make more room for her 50 inch TV

Quote:

Originally Posted by foaly

I thought those Mr. Heaters had an electric ignition.

I remember a conversation I had with our late, great Windy in Kansas about these heaters and he told me not to bother with them as a backup source during a power outage because they had electric ignitions.

Enlighten me, please.

The push button piezo spark ignition lights the pilot but I avoid spark failure by using a fireplace lighter to light the pilot.

frogmammy · #10 10/28/12, 11:27 AM

I don't think the woman has an age problem, I think she's just used to other people covering her [butt].

Mon

Terri in WV · #11 10/28/12, 11:50 AM

It's good that you were able to help her, but sometimes no matter what you do, they will never understand helping themselves. It's hard for me to have any empathy after a couple of times of them being clueless.

foaly · #12 10/28/12, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by foxfiredidit

The one I have has batteries that provide the spark. I like it a lot, seems to be very safe.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shrek

The push button piezo spark ignition lights the pilot but I avoid spark failure by using a fireplace lighter to light the pilot.

Thanks so very much for this info. I'm going tomorrow to look at one.

maverickxxx · #13 10/28/12, 07:29 PM

I got three generators a couple salomanders one multifuel propane pot heaters wood stoves etc... I think I'm prepped course non was bought as a prep

doodlemom · #14 10/28/12, 08:21 PM

I have kerosene heaters and lanterns in my least favorite shed. That's below freezing desperation to drag that old junk in.

frogmammy · #15 10/29/12, 06:50 AM

BTW, thanks Shrek!

Mon

ceresone · #16 10/29/12, 07:08 AM

sounds to me if she's always had someone to look after her--unlike this 75 year old woman thats always lived on a farm, and had to look after everyone. Thanks for helping her--and trying to teach her to fish...

foxfiredidit · #17 10/29/12, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by foaly

Thanks so very much for this info. I'm going tomorrow to look at one.

I also purchased the extended length hose for a 20 lb. bottle of LP, and the filter for the hose. The filter solves the only problem I could find with this set-up, and that is when you leave LP in the line (heater off) it has a tendency to foul the port. The filter takes away the worry about that. When you finish using the heater for an extended amount of time, just go out and turn the gas off at the bottle and let the heater burn out whats in the hose. That protects the filter. The batteries have a good life span as well. I'm starting my 2nd year with the ones in it now, and cranked it up yesterday for a trial run. Started right up.

sidepasser · #18 10/29/12, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maverickxxx

I got three generators a couple salomanders one multifuel propane pot heaters wood stoves etc... I think I'm prepped course non was bought as a prep

I read your post as "I got three generators, a couple of salamanders...."
and wondered how in the heck salamanders were going to keep your house warm...

It is surely a Monday.

coolrunnin · #19 10/29/12, 04:28 PM

I wondered what that was myself even googled but that didn't really help.

Belfrybat · #20 10/29/12, 06:42 PM

You are a good man, Shrek, but you do realise that by bailing her out twice, she will continue to turn to you?
Please, for your peace of mind as well as her safety, take her shopping after her Medicare check comes in to get the inverter, a good supply of rechargeable batteries and the heater. Otherwise you'll end up with her on your doorstep every time something happens.