How can I heat a big room cheaply? for Questionland Seattle

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How can I heat a big room cheaply?

I'm renting an awesome house, but it has an added-on family room and the builder didn't put any heat in it. Since this is the room where we spend most of our time we would like to find an economical way to heat it.

At the moment we're using space heaters, but they only keep our feet warm - and are expensive to run. There is a small fireplace, but it doesn't put out very much heat.

Does anybody have suggestions on how to warm up a large space?

Rhias Hall asked in Whatever over 2 years ago | Report

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definitely don't use the fireplace... I have a nice tall space heater that I got for $40 at Walgreens and it heats my whole living room. I don't even run my main wall heat. It's low energy too so it doesn't cost a whole lot to use

Shannon Osten answered in Whatever over 2 years ago | Report

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O my captain

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In additional to what's already been suggested, consider decorating in the warm colors...yellows, reds, oranges, brown, and I second the heavy drapes... possibly multiple layers, to trap and insulate the windows.

My experience with proper wood burning stoves/furnaces is once they get up to temperature, they heat by radiating heat in all directions... but prior to that point, they depend on drawing air in, and THAT can make it seem cold or a loss of heat.

Have you considered radiant heaters, as opposed to small space heaters?

Also, look at the attic above the room. Are their rolls of insulation laid between the joists? If there's not an attic, consider fashioning such an insulating blanket to fit over the lip of your room (it won't last the season, of course).

If your landlord will allow it, try installing a drop ceiling to create a 4" dead space of air, and insulate the ceiling from heat escaping. Along the same lines, consider stappling 1 foot square sound insulating squares with an eye toward heat insulation again.

And there's always the shrink wrap sealing of the windows from the inside. (Have you considered blowing insulation into the spaces between the windows, if there isn't already insulation already there?)

Good luck. Let us know what you decide.

O my captain answered in Whatever over 2 years ago | Report

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Have you considered adding a ceiling fan to rotate the warmer air aloft down to your living area?

The Walgreen's heater sounds like a nice compromise. Remember: don't put anything in front of or too close to a room heater!!!!

"Cagey" answered in Whatever over 2 years ago | Report

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in addition to everyone else's excellent suggestions, you could put up a little fan (5" diameter) as close to the ceiling as you can get it. turn it on low. that'll re-circulate the warm air that floats to the top and help keep the whole room warmer.

Valkyrie answered in Whatever over 2 years ago | Report

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e.strange

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I live in a large apartment in a famously cold building (built in 1916, no insulation, no improvements except at some point they took out the radiators and replaced them with inefficient baseboard heating) and, in my experience, you're fighting a losing battle trying to heat the entire room. I agree with the previous suggestions of thermal drapes and shrink-wrapping your windows. These will both help, but they aren't going to turn a cold room into a warm one. In my apartment, we use an oil-filled space heater (the kind that looks like a radiator) to heat the area where the people are. So, if you're on the couch, put the heater DIRECTLY in front of you on the couch. If that isn't enough, you can try a process that I call "heat forting." It's a bit dangerous and so must be done CAREFULLY. Put a blanket over yourself and the space heater to trap the warm air around your body. I guarantee you'll be toasty in minutes. Just don't leave the ANYTHING touching the heater unless you're right there. Seriously. You can also achieve this effect in a less dangerous manner by getting an electric blanket for your family room. Bundle up under the electric blanket when you're sitting down.

e.strange answered in Whatever over 2 years ago | Report

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A fireplace (vs. a wood-burning stove) will only make a room colder overall. With the way most fireplaces are built, they suck warm air out of the room (to fuel the fire) then send most of the heat to the back of the fireplace and up the flue (to keep the room from filling with smoke).

Other than installing any real sources of heat (a wood stove might be nice, but would depend on your finances and landlord's goodwill), my only suggestion is to cozy the place up as much as possible. Put really heavy drapes over the windows to keep the cold air out, add area rugs if the room isn't carpeted, and dress up the room and furniture with lots of cushions and throws and so on.

keshmeshi answered in Whatever over 2 years ago | Report

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