Winter residential prep ideas please. Concept: power outages at -35C

[Marthony]

Good day ants!

While my wife & I do love our new apartment and the excellent # of windows & views we have, I'm aware that such windows & airspace is a potential issue if power was lost during a winter cold snap. This morning we woke to -35C. Last evening it was -29C and through the thermostat was set to 23 we were holding at 21.

Our unit has 5 large windows facing S/SW and 2 facing N/NW. We receive sun on the S/SW side until about 1 PM. They are all in good repair and seal well. Our unit is a bit of a mutant long-hallway format with the living room & bedroom at one end. This gives it a large surface area to the outside walls vs. air volume ratio.

While we do have an absurd # of 8hr heat packs, proper camping gear for both of us, and a large pack of tea candles, I'm curious as to the colony's thoughts of heating, heat capture/insulation & cold reducing ideas if the town were to suffer a power outage during a serious cold snap such as the one we're in now. (rather, failure of the NEXT town's power grid-our system is still not back up since the June flood damage!)

My first reaction would be to use double-sided tape & plastic on the windows to insulate better.

I'm curious as to what storage-space friendly ideas you have. For example, I glimpsed a UK video of 4 tea lights in ceramic pots for a good heater. I'm aware we'd want a supply of gas canisters for use with our camping stove.

Thanks!

[Fidel MD]

Sealing the windows with film is a good winter step. In the event of a power outage, you can use heavy curtains (made of blankets or whatever) to insulate the windows and doors.

You can also huddle-in to one or two rooms, and only worry about heating them rather than the whole house.

[Possom]

I agree with Fidel. Don't try to heat the whole apartment. Just a single room. We have heavy curtains over our windows year round. It helps keep it warmer of the winter and cooler of the summer. Also hang a blanket over the interior door where your condensed living space will be.

[bacpacker]

Totally agree on limiting the space you would occupy and seal it up as best you can get it. Over the windows I would try to add bubble wrap or the bags of air that come in shipping boxes with different stuff. That would give you dead air space, between you and the window. Put plastic sheet up behind that. Heavy curtains and/or blankets over that. Layer it up like you do clothes.

[Possom]

Well we are testing this real world today. We have about 1/4 inch of ice on everything here and the main storm isn't even here yet. It's supposed to hit tonight. No power. But we have a generator so we can still run the essentials.

[Marthony]

Thanks guys.

The bedroom & bathroom are the only spaces with doors on them within the unit and we heat the bedroom easily already, needing to open the window & turn down the heat to 18C at night to sleep comfortably. (Hey! Keep it clean over there! =))

Bugger is the bathroom is at the other end of the apartment. =)

On a related note, if the unit went under freezing temps, what could be done to prevent bursting of pipes? The unit is heated by radiant hot water units. (there are no apartments above us, though I've no idea if there are pipes up there in the sloped roof)

I hope the storm goes easy on you & yours Possum!

[bacpacker]

One preventative measure you can do for plumbing, get some foam insulation and heavily insulate with 2 layers. The tape it loosely to hold it in place. Other than that about all I could think of is to place a candle or something similar inside the cabinets to try and hold some heat near the plumbing. Not much you can do in the walls, floor, or ceilings.

[Sniper-T]

do you have a water shut off where it comes into your appt? if so, cut that off, and open your taps. that'll drain your lines so you should be ok... but if the pipes break below you, you'll have nothing until they are fixed anyways, just less mess in your place.

good ideas mentioned about the windows, they are your worst locations of heat loss, the next would probably be your front door, assuming it opens into a hallway. It is probably a steel security door, so will transfer heat/cold almost like a window, so bundle that baby up too.

you can also buy cans of chafing pot fuel, like this:
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=chafer+pot+fuel&FORM=HDRSC2#view=detail&id=96E1455556463F19EFB769DC655D2C64F09BAE56&selectedIndex=53

from most resteraunt supply places, they're pretty cheap an throw some decent heat. most last up to 6 hours. put one in the cupboard under the sink (safely) and close the door, and the pipes should be fine (assuming you couldn't shut the water off and drain them.)

beyond that the only other thing I can suggest is moving your AO closer to the bathroom, even if it means sleeping in the living room. Even if there are no doors, rooms can be closed off with a couple nails and some blankets. drywall be damned. And remember, no matter what you are burning, if it candles or campstoves, make sure you are vented. CO kills quietly!

[msomnipotent]

Can you sleep in your tent in the living room and use a tent heater? Less space to heat, and if you have good camping gear, you might as well use it!

[Marthony]

I'll have a look at the heaters and what options there might be regarding insulation, as well as if I've a water control - though I doubt I do.

Tonight I'll pick up a rubber door 'sweeper' for the main door and take care of that in advance.

The building uses forced air from the hallways and the apartment door frames thusly are built with a fair bit or airspace around the doors. In an emergency I suppose I'd close those gaps with packing tape & replace as needed.

I think our bedroom is already good for the 'warm' space as it is a smaller airspace, but we do have the space in the main apartment if we needed to take in others that way.

Thanks folks!

[Fidel MD]

Can you sleep in your tent in the living room and use a tent heater? Less space to heat, and if you have good camping gear, you might as well use it!

Dont use a tent heater inside a room.....

[bacpacker]

For a quick fix with the door space, just bunch up a towel, rug, blanket, or something similar. It'll block any draft and provide some insulation value.

[helomech]

Dont use a tent heater inside a room.....

Depends on the heater, some are safe. Mine says on it that it is safe to use indoors. I use it in my small deer stand all the time. It will shut off it if senses low oxygen also.

[belew]

Moving water doesn't freeze as quick as still water. Turning on a faucet to a slow trickle can help. Around here, below 6 feet, the ground stays between 50 to 60 degrees. The water would need to cool a lot to freeze if I run it fast enough.