Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [heating]

For general questions on heating in your home. Be sure to also include tags describing fuel source (electric-heat or gas), type of components, etc.

See also for a central (one source) home heating system or the following components: . Also include fuel source:

1231 questions
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How can I stop Lego bricks from falling in to a register?

My kids like to play with Lego bricks on the floor, and sometimes a small piece will fall in to a heating register. Sometimes I can pull them out, but usually they fall too far, and there are sharp edges that like to draw blood. Is there something I…
Jay Bazuzi
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Does this setup for controlling heating make sense?

I am tasked with optimizing the heating system of a quite large building (a cooperatively run house where four families live together in separated living areas). It currently has two gas boilers working on four separate circuits (all joined together…
Benjamin Márkus
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10
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2 answers

What is difference between BTU and MBH for house furnaces?

When selecting a new house furnace most calculators display results as BTUs (based on the square footage, number of levels, estimated temperature, etc). What's interesting is that most new furnaces are spec'ed at MBH. What is the difference or…
jdiaz
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3 answers

How can I stop my fireplace from disabling my thermostat?

My thermostat is in the sitting room and I have an open fire, so as soon as the room is nicely warm and cozy, the central heating goes off and the rest of the house is cold. I have heard about WiFi thermostats. Might this be the answer and would…
Charlotte Buchanan
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8
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3 answers

Can I substitute diesel for home heating oil?

I ran out of oil in my home, and a plumber friend said that I could add diesel from the gas station while I wait for my oil delivery. Is he right?
Drai
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7
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4 answers

Will enclosing my porch keep my house warmer?

Will enclosing my porches during the winter help keep my house warmer? There is a lot of wind hitting the house, and I'm afraid that is causing a drop in temperature.
Anthony Powell
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3 answers

How to heat my workshop?

I want something that can warm it up fairly quickly. I may only be out there an hour or 2, but when I decide to work on a project I don't want to wait an hour or 2 for it to heat up. Right now I have a cheap portable oil heater and it takes a long…
esac
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What type of rubber pipe is used for this particular installation of hydronic radiant in-floor heating, and is it reliable?

I'm looking at a home built in the 80's with hydronic radiant in-floor heating embedded in concrete slab. I've never seen this type of hydronic tubing before. I'm pretty sure that the attached photo shows the manifold where the copper piping from…
Paul
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6
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4 answers

Can bio fuel ethanol used as a main heating source?

I recently discovered some heaters based on "bio fuel" (ethanol). Many products seem to be decorative and often present a modern design. Some ethanol burners can be used in empty fireplaces and can deliver some moderate heating power. It seems also…
Rdpi
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5
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3 answers

What options are there for converting from a wood stove to another type of heating system?

My folks are into their 80's now and live in rural Maine. Their ONLY way of heating their home is with a wood stove - just a single wood stove. Up to this point, my folks have been able to tend the stove but because of health reasons, this situation…
Douglas Mayo
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Why does my gas furnace heat up and then blow cold air?

My 8 yr. old Comfortmaker will turn on, burner will light, then will occasionally shut down 10 minutes later, even tho the temp is not up to the correct temp. Burner goes out, fan stays on, blows cold air. I can turn off the unit at power switch,…
user2050
4
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2 answers

Do you have to have a thermostat for an electrical baseboard heater?

Ours didn't come with a wall mounted thermostat! So do we need to buy one?
Nicole
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4
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3 answers

Why does my furnace turn off when the thermostat's LCD dims?

Recently I replaced an old mercury thermostat with a programmable digital model (a PRO1 T955W). It is set to operate in Heating mode. The desired temperature is set to 70 and the in-home temperature is in the low 60s. Yet, the oil-burning furnace…
byneri
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4
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3 answers

Efficient whole house heating on a budget. Electric baseboard?

Here's the question, read below for the back story and details. 1100SF row home shell. LNG and 200A Electric service but at the moment leaning towards all electric. Considering upfront capital, long term efficiency and long term maintenance, I'm…
mreff555
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4
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Are new buildings warmer (when first built)?

My wife is a teacher in a new school that has just been built in the North East UK, and staff and pupils think it's too warm. They have been told that: "new buildings are warmer due to the curing / drying of the materials for the first few…
PaulHurleyuk
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