I lived in a small 1br apartment after college that had a large sliding glass door that sucked all the heat put out by the HVAC which was right next to it. Hot water was an included utility so I would just run the shower at max temp for an hour or two a night. Would out some nice warm moist air in the place.

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Natural gas is dirt cheap here.

So... just use the furnace! Not a big deal if the gas is so cheap.

For best results you could use a programable thermostat that would up the heat before you get up and lower it back down when you normally leave every day.

Done!

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Originally posted by radioman:

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Originally posted by Ronin101:
when my furnance went tits up last winter in -30 temps. I used the oven with the door open!.

So I would use the oven. I'd be a little leery of using gas tops for an extended period because of carbon monixide

Sadly the oven is electric. It's an odd unit that I have -- gas stove-top and electric oven, for some strange reason. I wanted to stick to gas since it's a cheaper way to heat in my living area. Natural gas is dirt cheap here.

I guess I have the option of portable electric heat for the kitchen or just biting the bullet and using the gas central heat to heat the whole house.

Sounds like using the gas stovetop to heat the room is a non-starter, so to speak.

Just use your gas central heat, it is designed to heat your house or get a space heater for the kitchen.

Heating with an unvented source is a terrible idea. I had a tenant do this once. Melted all the controls on the stove and put mold all over the walls.

What's the difference between heating and cooking a turkey for three hours? When cooking, the oven door is closed, and you actually burn way less gas than if the oven door was left open. If you were to burn a range top for a long period of time, that too can produce a lot of CO over time. Even if boiling something, you're usually only on high for a short period of time. Most people don't cook meals on a range top for three hours. Every year we hear about people who are killed when heating with their barbecue grill when the power was out. Your idea isn't really any different.

Electric, yes

Gas, no

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Is there a better way, or should I just stick to the portable electric heater (which by the way, Skins has said he hates --- and I agree with him.)

If you have to run a space heater, the kitchen is the best place, assuming your house is up to code. If up to code you kitchen/dinning areas should have no less than two dedicated 20a circuits to power only outlets. Plug it into opposite circuit from coffee pot and your are GTG. Especially since you are only using it for taking the edge off the morning chill for likely only 1/2hr -1hr.

My problem with them is when used in living rooms, bedrooms, or basements as a permanent heating solution. These areas have 15a circuits or 1800w (15a*120v) circuits. Space heaters are 1500w, or expressed as a percentage 80% of a 15a circuit that has other loads on it. Kitchen circuit is 2400w (20a*120v) or 62.5% with no other loads other than obvious ones (coffee pot, toaster oven, countertop microwave, tea kettle). Much easier to understand and control.

It's still possible that just running central gas heat is cheaper. 4-5a or 500-600w of electricity plus cost of cheap NG. You'd need to figure out BTUs or CCFs per hour to get gas costs.

Just use central heat, if not I'm not going to be concerned about the space heater assuming semi modern house, built to code. The stove as many have said is a bad, bad idea.

https://www.tenants-rights.org...-the-stove-for-heat/

Terrible idea. It’s not only unsafe but it’s illegal in many places. Many years ago a coworker of mine and her mother died that way.

As recent as 1990 we lived in a old uninsulated farm house, wood heat in the parlor, & a dandy 'trash burner' in the giant kitchen. A two lid cast iron top & firebox surrounded by a white enameled sheet tin, looked like many other appliances. Stove pipe with adj. dampener, gave marvelous rise in comfortable (often humid) PNW winter mornings.

From an era now long gone, it still was effective and marvelous solution in an area that had thrived on wood heat for the previous 140+ years.

Yes, impractical for most locations now.

Using a gas stove for heat in an apartment or house is a terrible idea.

When it's cold enough for you to use a stove for heat you're not so quick to open windows for ventilation.

Carbon monoxide will accumulate and potentially kill you.

I've seen it happen all too many times.

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Originally posted by cparktd:

quote:

Natural gas is dirt cheap here.

So... just use the furnace! Not a big deal if the gas is so cheap.

^^^^THIS!!^^^^
Running a blower is cheap if the gas is cheap too. It’s even designed to not kill you.

no

Mr. Heater Corporation F299721 Heater, One Size, White and Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01D..._apa_i_EClPDbX4418T4

One of these would do the trick.

Bruce

I hope OP is just joshing us. Can't believe this is actually a serious question.