BajaNomad - Heat in the Winter?

Heat in the Winter?

BajaBruceFan - 11-21-2008 at 06:26 PM

Last December & January we often found the evenings in our rented casita in Baja Sur a bit chilly & we ended up using a space heater to take the chill off.

Now that we're finalizing our building plans, I'm just wondering if most folks down there have baseboard or convectional heaters permanently installed like we do up north or if everyone just uses portable heaters when it does get chilly.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!
BBF

Woooosh - 11-21-2008 at 06:43 PM

I didn't put heat or AC in when I built my house- just a fireplace. The sun does hit the slate floors in the day and they release heat at night to keep the house pretty warm (if the doors are closed... never). A little planning in the passive-solar department will go a long way.

I do admit that we have a Home Depot propane heater we fire up three or four nights year and we use heated mattress pads.

[Edited on 11-22-2008 by Woooosh]

[Edited on 11-22-2008 by Woooosh]

Osprey - 11-21-2008 at 06:44 PM

Because of the high cost of electricty attendant to space heaters we use a heater that looks like an old fashioned radiator. It is filled with heavy peanut oil ---- slowly heats the space it's in, shuts down the electric power when the oil hits a high temp. Very low usage-cost, no maint and we think perfect for 50 to 60 nights and AMs down here. Google up Honeywell space heaters and you'll find it.

Bob and Susan - 11-21-2008 at 06:53 PM

do you have electricy at your location?

vandenberg - 11-21-2008 at 06:55 PM

Get the right spouse.

Russ - 11-21-2008 at 06:56 PM

I put a 5 gal propane tank on wheels and mount a two burner Mr. Heater on top and roll it around to where I need the heat. My Mr. Heater is pretty old and I want to replace it but Calif. has decided they are unsafe or something and I can't find them. I remember a neighbor saw or bought a propane heater in La Paz that rolls around and the tank fits inside the cabinet with the heater element.

Bob and Susan - 11-21-2008 at 07:08 PM

this is what we have...

bbq size tank is inside

some people get headaches using propane...
...weird we don't

heater.JPG - 48kB

Bob and Susan - 11-21-2008 at 07:09 PM

oh yea
1490 pesos at home depot in ensenada

bajaguy - 11-21-2008 at 07:10 PM

Bob:

What is the btu rating and does it have a fan???

lingililingili - 11-21-2008 at 07:22 PM

If your feet get cold at night I have a perfect solution. I made rice packs you can heat in the microwave and take to bed with you, they work great!

bajaguy - 11-21-2008 at 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Russ
I put a 5 gal propane tank on wheels and mount a two burner Mr. Heater on top and roll it around to where I need the heat. My Mr. Heater is pretty old and I want to replace it but Calif. has decided they are unsafe or something and I can't find them. I remember a neighbor saw or bought a propane heater in La Paz that rolls around and the tank fits inside the cabinet with the heater element.

Russ....if you are looking for a smaller model, take a look at this:

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDi...

Or a Mr Heater:

http://www.stpaulmercantile.com/MrHeaterVentfree.htm

[Edited on 11-22-2008 by bajaguy]

bajajudy - 11-21-2008 at 07:29 PM

I have to vote for a fireplace. We have one in our office for when it gets cool. You can also include a place to cook for when there is no luz.
Watching football games by the fire is pretty great come Superbowl time

Russ - 11-21-2008 at 07:40 PM

BajaGuy, That URL didn't open for me but got me to HD and they have one close to the one I want. Last year I couldn't find any double mantle units. Thanks!

f116974e-f977-4b69-a66b-77522f759890_100.jpg - 2kB

f116974e-f977-4b69-a66b-77522f759890_100.jpg - 2kB

bajadock - 11-21-2008 at 07:44 PM

Ensenada had more than 12 nights at 37-48F temps last winter.
1. I like gas log fireplaces. Wood is scarce in Baja and wood fireplaces are extremely inefficient.
2. RH Peterson is one of a handful of manufacturers of realistic gas log sets.
http://www.rhpeterson.com/#/RealFyre/VentFree
3. Read all you like about hazard of vent free gas fireplaces, but, they are the most efficient. Do you vent your gas stove when boiling water? Vent free are illegal in California, but, available if you are creative.
4. Baja Outdoor Living in Cabo is a dealer for RHP. I gave B.O.L. credit card and they worked out the deal for me. Ed, owner, also insisted I listen to him for 60 seconds extra on why proper valve setup for mexican propane would burn clean v. normal valve designed for US propane. No BS as my neighbors got soot all over living area from incorrect valve for mex propano. So thanks Ed and Baja Outdoor Living.
5. Vandenberg has a good idea. But, as a bachelor, I prefer rentals for that need v. ownership.

BajaBruceFan - 11-21-2008 at 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bob and Susan
do you have electricy at your location?

Yes, we will have electricity - I'm just looking over the electical plans and trying to decide if its worth wiring for permanent heat in at least the master bedroom & bathroom, and the living room.

At home we have convectional heaters from www.convectair.ca - they are wall mounted 220V units and heat up a room very efficiently - but the units are pricey. Wondering if it would be overkill down south.

bajaguy - 11-21-2008 at 07:57 PM

you will find out propane is the way to go, electricity is very expensive for heat

bajabound2005 - 11-21-2008 at 08:19 PM

We have 2 of the portable propane heaters with fans...but we don't use the fan because it sucks up the wattage. We also have a huge woodstove that we use on occasion. The direct-vent propane "fireplaces" are very popular, can't buy in California, Arizona yes. They work GREAT. And those heated mattress pads are to die for. We just turn it on for few minutes to warm things up before we climb under the covers.

Woooosh - 11-21-2008 at 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bajaguy
you will find out propane is the way to go, electricity is very expensive for heat

Good advice. Plan for as little electricty as you can. It's expensive and you'll go over your "cap" with computers, freezers, big TV's and all the other gringo trappings. You can easily get hit with a six or seven thousand peso bill (about $500 for two months).

Go propane for cooking, water heat (tank or on-demand), pool heater, fireplace (all gas or the gas log lighter) and your heat. If I could do it over- I would have run gas lines to each room and capped them off. Then I could have added a gas wall-mount heater in each room as the need arose. There are a large variety of wall-mount gas heaters.

greybaby - 11-21-2008 at 10:44 PM

Our little house in Cantu has a wall propane heater that we manually turn on to get heat from and we also have a gas fireplace - both of them in the "great room". Because we built the house with steel framing and insulated the walls, these two relatively small sources of heat do the trick. And definitely propane is the least expensive means. We have a friend who bought a portable electric heater and her bill from CFE went through the roof.

BajaNuts - 11-21-2008 at 11:13 PM

A less expensive option to the ConvectAir heaters are Cadet Hydronic baseboards. They are an electric baseboard, but insted of metal fins, they have a copper manifold filled with a glycol solution that acts as a radiant heat source after the heater has shut off. We have installed may of these units and they give off a really nice warmth. They are electric...and keeping in mind the price of electricity, it may not be the right choice for Baja.

If you do want to go with something electric, check out the Cadet hydronics for a non-fan type heater or KING Pick-A-Watt brands for small forced-air wall heaters.

Bob and Susan - 11-22-2008 at 06:30 AM

our new unit has 3 settings
Low heat 6,000 BTU's
Medium heat 11,000 BTU's
High heat 16,000 BTU's

no venting required

it has wheels so we can store the units in the garage in the summer...

it gets kinda hot here in the summer and you dont want to look at a heater :spingrin:

we did use this mr heater last year but it was pretty small
we bought the hose conversion for the bbq tank

a tank lasted about 2 week using it EVERY night and morning

i figure the the new unit is three times as big and we'll use a bbq tank a week (about $10 usa)

[Edited on 11-22-2008 by Bob and Susan]

simg5jpg260.jpg - 47kB

vandenberg - 11-22-2008 at 07:46 AM

Bunch of "Sissies"

longlegsinlapaz - 11-22-2008 at 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaBruceFan
Last December & January we often found the evenings in our rented casita in Baja Sur a bit chilly & we ended up using a space heater to take the chill off.

Now that we're finalizing our building plans, I'm just wondering if most folks down there have baseboard or convectional heaters permanently installed like we do up north or if everyone just uses portable heaters when it does get chilly.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!
BBF

This might be a little more extreme option than you were looking for, but have you considered using foam block construction? My first two casas were convention cement block construction & were subject to extreme temperature swings & took forever to heat a room up or cool them down. My third...and FINAL! :lol:

...casa I opted to build with interlocking foam block and I noticed a huge difference in the interior temps even before the doors & windows were installed. I've been in this casa since March 2008 & my nighttime temp hasn't gone below 68F. My highest daytime temp, even during the seemingly endless +105F days of summer hasn't gone above 80F. I plumbed & wired for 3 A/C units, but have seen no need to install them. I do have a fireplace, but have not yet felt the need to use it.

The cost per sq foot/meter of construction materials is a little higher than cement block, but you begin an immediate cost recovery since the blocks are a meter long & your structure goes up much faster, thereby reducing your overall labor & seguro social costs.

I'm a huge fan of the Fanosa product I decided to go with! :bounce:

Plus, it's now being manufactured in La Paz, so the cost is a little better now that it doesn't have to be shipped here from mainland. It's rated 44% more energy efficient for A/C costs over conventional block, but they don't publish anything about possible savings in heating costs, so from my perspective, the overall energy savings are understated.

Since you're just finalizing your building plans, you might want to consider foam block as a way to maintain more comfortable temps & year-round energy savings for the long haul. The website is: www.fanosa.com

oldlady - 11-22-2008 at 08:13 AM

Amen, Vandenberg! Didn't any of you go to college and wake up on a sleeping porch with snow on your blanket? Guess not. Blankets. They come in all sizes shapes and materials. Sweaters and.....socks (little fabric things that slip over your feet) Let the dog on the sofa and tuck your feet under him/her. Greatest amount of body heat is lost from the head....cover it, drink hot toddies and you will be fine! :bounce:

CaboRon - 11-22-2008 at 08:14 AM

Longleggs,

I think you definately have found the way to go ...

I just spent the summer in a concrete block structure with a cement roof .....

The summer temps in side never went below 86 F at night, and the daytime interior temps approached 89 F ....

It was miserable ....

CaboRon

vacaenbaja - 11-22-2008 at 08:43 AM

What is "Mexican propane?" I have heard of different jettings for Natural gas Vs Propane gas. This is because most stoves etc for use in the USA are made for Natural Gas and will not burn clean "as is"when using propane as a fuel.

longlegsinlapaz - 11-22-2008 at 12:44 PM

'k......I'll bite! Is this a trick question? :lol:

"Mexican propane" is LP (liquid propane) and as you implied, it's a heavier consistency than natural gas & has a different burn rate, therefore uses a different gauge nozzle opening.

Edit: Okay, I now see a reference waaaay back there implying a difference between US & Mexican propane.

[Edited on 11-22-2008 by longlegsinlapaz]

toneart - 11-22-2008 at 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by vacaenbaja
What is "Mexican propane?" I have heard of different jettings for Natural gas Vs Propane gas. This is because most stoves etc for use in the USA are made for Natural Gas and will not burn clean "as is"when using propane as a fuel.

I don't think there is any difference between "Mexican Propane" and the propane you buy in the U.S. I have brought down BBQ stoves, propane heaters and propane bottles filled with U.S, propane. When they ran out, I refilled the bottles with Mexican Propane. There was no difference in performance.

Bob and Susan showed a picture of their Mr Heater that they used last year. There is a bigger one available called Mr. Heater "Big Buddy". I have one and used it. It is great if you sit near it.(I have high a high ceiling under which there is an upstairs loft). I also have a great fireplace and get lots of firewood delivered; mesquite.
I also scavenged "driftwood" after the Hurricane John flood.

Old Lady mentioned snuggling with dogs. Hell, mine won't sleep with me unless I marry it. Kisses are allowed though. :lol:

BajaBruceFan - 11-22-2008 at 02:23 PM

Great points everyone - thank you!

We had never considered that electricity would be so much more expensive than propane. I'm liking the idea of a wood or gas fireplace in the living room though ....