Preparing for winter in Toronto
Oct 28th 2015, 11:33 pm
#61
limey party pooper
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 9,982
Re: Preparing for winter in Toronto
Damn you bats, you challenged my laziness - I then had to google heat pumps and roughly what they do
"A heat pump is a device that provides heat energy from a source of heat to a destination called a "heat sink". Heat pumps are designed to move thermal energy opposite to the direction of spontaneous heat flow by absorbing heat from a cold space and releasing it to a warmer one."
It works somehow down to about -10c and then below that it is too cold - often it isn't that cold here- it then presumably improves the efficiency of our electric furnace.... There that is it in a nutshell- I'm a Dr not a heating engineer ffs!
"A heat pump is a device that provides heat energy from a source of heat to a destination called a "heat sink". Heat pumps are designed to move thermal energy opposite to the direction of spontaneous heat flow by absorbing heat from a cold space and releasing it to a warmer one."
It works somehow down to about -10c and then below that it is too cold - often it isn't that cold here- it then presumably improves the efficiency of our electric furnace.... There that is it in a nutshell- I'm a Dr not a heating engineer ffs!
Oct 28th 2015, 11:43 pm
#63
I need a walk
Joined: Mar 2014
Location: Okanagan
Posts: 4,899
Re: Preparing for winter in Toronto
My source tells me that you should put in a propane furnace you keep the heat pump for the AC and the gas furnace saves you money. Probably. Depending on your hydro cost. I'm also instructed to advise that you should get a gas fireplace. Ignore that bit if you like he's obsessed with them.
The look of a log fire is pretty good though IMO however I am the fire builder lighter and cleaner and the flick of an ignition switch on a gas fireplace certainly has an appeal!
Oct 29th 2015, 12:35 am
#64
limey party pooper
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 9,982
Re: Preparing for winter in Toronto
No gas supply to the house otherwise we would have possibly done both. The heat pump seems quite effective so our service guy said- he said that it was very efficient at ermmm... Heat pumping! The look of a log fire is pretty good though IMO however I am the fire builder lighter and cleaner and the flick of an ignition switch on a gas fireplace certainly has an appeal!
The look of a log fire is pretty good though IMO however I am the fire builder lighter and cleaner and the flick of an ignition switch on a gas fireplace certainly has an appeal!We replaced the log stove with a gas stove this summer and it's lovely. No mess, just warmness. I might miss the ashes this winter when rptheres nothin.g to throw on the icy path.
Oct 29th 2015, 12:42 am
#65
I need a walk
Joined: Mar 2014
Location: Okanagan
Posts: 4,899
Re: Preparing for winter in Toronto
Ah right... But way more expensive I would have thought- I have a tiddly one for the BBQ which died t last too long despite cautious use. I like your medical terminology btw- the imagery however is disturbing!
Don't worry about the ash - go for the outdoor skating rink to entertain your neighbours!
Don't worry about the ash - go for the outdoor skating rink to entertain your neighbours!
Oct 29th 2015, 5:55 am
#66
Account Closed
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 0
Re: Preparing for winter in Toronto
My source tells me that you should put in a propane furnace you keep the heat pump for the AC and the gas furnace saves you money. Probably. Depending on your hydro cost. I'm also instructed to advise that you should get a gas fireplace. Ignore that bit if you like he's obsessed with them.
Oct 29th 2015, 8:55 am
#67
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2010
Location: UK at present
Posts: 248
Re: Preparing for winter in Toronto
Interesting - I'd take a log burner over a gas stove any day. Carbon neutral, no condensation, cheap fuel and they work in a power cut. Plus you can boil your kettle and cook some food on top of them if you are home during the day plus they heat so effectively it saves heaps compared to running central heating all the time. Hmm, perhaps not in Canada. I can see that electricity and gas are considerably cheaper there, but on the other hand you'll need a lot more for heating due to the climate.
Oct 29th 2015, 11:42 am
#69
Oscar nominated
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Moncton, NB, CANADA
Posts: 50,781
Re: Preparing for winter in Toronto
So we moved the 'living' room into the other room (originally the dining room but with a big eat-in kitchen there's no need of a dining room) which is smaller but still big enough and less open and much warmer.
The woodstove is now there just for emergencies - which we've not head yet. Not even close.
Oct 29th 2015, 11:49 am
#70
Oscar nominated
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Location: Moncton, NB, CANADA
Posts: 50,781
Oct 29th 2015, 9:15 pm
#71
Account Closed
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 0
Re: Preparing for winter in Toronto
Interesting - I'd take a log burner over a gas stove any day. Carbon neutral, no condensation, cheap fuel and they work in a power cut. Plus you can boil your kettle and cook some food on top of them if you are home during the day plus they heat so effectively it saves heaps compared to running central heating all the time. Hmm, perhaps not in Canada. I can see that electricity and gas are considerably cheaper there, but on the other hand you'll need a lot more for heating due to the climate.
Mother in Law burns nothing but wood but she had an acre of trees, which took 30 years to cut down, but she cut the last one this year, which will last her about 5 years.
Problem I see with people using wood is they have a nice warm room, but then the rest of their house is flipping cold.
Electric heating adds about 5/month to the electric bill for us, the A/C in summer is the electric hog. But then I am in coastal BC where it's pretty mild for the most part, not too many cold days, and if there is a power outage probably won't be cold enough to freeze, nor last long.
Last edited by scrubbedexpat091; Oct 29th 2015 at 9:17 pm.
Oct 29th 2015, 9:18 pm
#72
Proudly Scarberian
Joined: Aug 2014
Location: Scarberia
Posts: 2,196
Re: Preparing for winter in Toronto
You neglect the other cutlery? That's Utensilist. http://vladsokolovsky.com/forums/pub...er1-smiley.gif
Oct 29th 2015, 10:22 pm
#73
Assimilated Pauper
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Ontario
Posts: 40,018
Re: Preparing for winter in Toronto
The prices I see advertised for wood, I don't think I would consider wood to be a cheap fuel, pretty pricey from what I can see. I suppose if you know someone with a bunch of trees or have your own trees to cut, would be a different story.
Mother in Law burns nothing but wood but she had an acre of trees, which took 30 years to cut down, but she cut the last one this year, which will last her about 5 years.
Problem I see with people using wood is they have a nice warm room, but then the rest of their house is flipping cold.
Electric heating adds about 5/month to the electric bill for us, the A/C in summer is the electric hog. But then I am in coastal BC where it's pretty mild for the most part, not too many cold days, and if there is a power outage probably won't be cold enough to freeze, nor last long.
Mother in Law burns nothing but wood but she had an acre of trees, which took 30 years to cut down, but she cut the last one this year, which will last her about 5 years.
Problem I see with people using wood is they have a nice warm room, but then the rest of their house is flipping cold.
Electric heating adds about 5/month to the electric bill for us, the A/C in summer is the electric hog. But then I am in coastal BC where it's pretty mild for the most part, not too many cold days, and if there is a power outage probably won't be cold enough to freeze, nor last long.
Oct 29th 2015, 11:10 pm
#75
Oscar nominated
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Moncton, NB, CANADA
Posts: 50,781
