RE: Fool's Spring (among other things)
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Oh man, the struggle is real! Half of our lower level is below grade too and on a concrete slab and I think both of those things contribute to the challenge. I've just grown weary of the HVAC contractors' theories of how to fix the problem. The only other possible fix would be to run larger ducts and registers lower on the wall, this would require cutting into the drywall. So far none of their ideas have made any difference and have only costed us major $$$.
I think the wood stove will be a nice back up heat source and would be nice aesthetically. Unfortunately the auger that feeds the pellets into the stove runs on electricity but I think I'm going to buy one of those larger battery power banks for emergencies. The larger ones should power the auger on the stove for 5-7 days. We can use that for camping and roadtrips too.
Our portable infrared heater has been our savior. We bought one in 2016 and have used it in multiple apartments and now at the house.
Thanks! It's been a long road to (almost) 80. I just discovered PeakD rounds up. Yes, my family in Ohio said they're getting drenched.
Ah, that sucks. I am sorry that it has been such a hassle. I'm pretty determined that our next house is going to be a ranch. We might still have a basement for storage and stuff, but for just the two of us the whole split level style hasn't worked out the way we had hoped. We had a wood stove when I was growing up and those things can put out some heat. I think that is a smart idea to get the small power bank to get you through those tough times.
Thanks! It hasn't been that horrible in the grand scheme of things. I think we'll be looking for something on a slab next, hopefully in Arizona somewhere. That'll be 5-8 years down the road though. They do put out the heat! We might have a few chances to try it out before summer.
I don't blame you about the slab. We used to live on a slab house and if it had been set up right it wouldn't have been so bad. It wasn't though, so we had to deal with things like pipes freezing and stuff like that. Our current house is nice, but I don't like that there isn't one big room where more than five people can gather. I mean we don't have many friends and we don't really ever have people over, but if we wanted to, it just isn't feasible. I guess that's why a lot of people have turned their garages into hang out spaces these days.
There are radiant heating pads now that eliminate the chill you get from the concrete slab. That would really be the way to go in a home like that. Radiant heat paired with solar.
That's tough when you don't have room to gather. We've never lived in a home we could entertain in until now. Even our bungalow was sectioned off into small rooms. A garage is a good alternative! You can do a lot with that space.
That is a good point. I always seem to forget about the radiant heat they have now. Like I said, we don't entertain a lot, but part of that is because we just don't have the space for it. On the deck we do, but the weather doesn't always allow that.