Emergency Heating - How not to freeze?

Keeping your home warm during a heating failure can be a matter of life or death. Learn about different emergency heat sources and safety rules.

1 Insulation and Reducing Heat Loss

Before heating, retain heat. Seal windows, cover them with blankets. In extreme cold, pitch a tent inside a room - easier to heat 2m³ than 40m³.

Sleeping bags, thermal blankets, layered warm clothing. Most important is insulation from cold floor.

Focus on heating one small room. Seal windows and doors. Hang blankets on walls.

Catalytic propane heaters. Effective but require ventilation. Always use with CO and oxygen depletion sensor.

Economical and efficient. Require regular wick replacement and good ventilation. Fuel available at hardware stores.

Fireplaces and wood stoves are the most independent heat source. Require a functioning chimney and supply of dry wood.

Candles in a clay pot can raise the temperature of a small room by a few degrees. Emergency solution only.

All combustion consumes oxygen and produces carbon monoxide (CO). Always ensure ventilation. Use a CO detector. Never leave fire unattended.