Heating by Using the Oven

[David A. Goldfarb]

I think the main problem with using an oven for heat is that running the oven with the door open can throw off the thermostat, as andiesenji mentions above, if you're keeping the door open, that is.

On the other hand, a cold day is always a good excuse to cook, and that warms up the kitchen too. You could be braising meat, making Boston baked beans, roasting a pork shoulder or a turkey, or any number of things that involve running the oven at a low temperature for a long time, but that don't require a lot of prep.

[dcarch]

I agree with all budrichard said.

Adding the following:

1. You should not use your oven to heat the space except in an emergency.

2. A family (USA) was burned to death a day ago using a space heater.

3. There is no such thing as "ventless" space heaters.

4. There are expensive electric room heaters advertised as "100%" efficient and space-age infrared technology. They are in fact telling you the truth. The thing is, that's exactly how your $2.00 light bulb works.

-----------------------

To save big-time money:

1. Insulate, insulate, and insulate.

2. Get some thermal gel pack, they come free when you order frozen steak, or buy them from a drug store or surgical supply store. Make some kind of vest that you can wear with the gel packs. You can heat up the gel pack in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes.

The vest will keep you toasty warm for an hour or two without the room heat on.

dcarch

[dcarch]

The Dyson Fan Heater.

The very latest that tecnology can bring to you.

It is so beautiful, you know you want one

Clickety

Biggest advertising gimmick I have ever seen.

There is no new technology with that very expensive heater, heats no better than a cheap light bulb. Operates worst than any cheap heater.

$400 to $480 !!!??? Monumental rip-off!!

Beautiful? perhaps.

dcarch

Edited January 7, 2012 by dcarch (log)

[Beth Wilson]

Get a space heater. I know a few people who have had to do things like this with their ovens and it quickly burns out the element if it is electric.

An oven that is heated up and doesn't have a fantastic casserole in it or lasagna in it is just a sad thing

If you are just heating the room get the right appliance for that job, if you want to warm the kitchen and make an early dinner, through a big pot of something in there to cook while it heats.

I even cooked a turkey in January (unstuffed)to heat up the kitchen and bonus! had some friends over to help me eat it

[Country]

... the source for that electricity whether coal, gas or nuclear is at best 33% efficient so you have to compare apples to apples i.e Natural Gas being used at 33% efficiency to produce electricity versus the efficiency of your Natural Gas oven.

Average efficiency (in 2009) of natural gas generation was about 42%. The average includes the older combustion turbines which are about 33% as well as the newer combined cycle plants, some of which can run over 50%. Because of their faster response time (and lower efficiency) combustion turbines are generally only used for peak power, while combined cycle are being used mostly for base load.

For reference see: Average Operating Heat Rate for Selected Energy Sources (Efficiency = 3412/heat rate)

[Country]

... the source for that electricity whether coal, gas or nuclear is at best 33% efficient so you have to compare apples to apples i.e Natural Gas being used at 33% efficiency to produce electricity versus the efficiency of your Natural Gas oven.

Average efficiency (in 2009) of natural gas generation was about 42%. The average includes the older combustion turbines which are about 33% as well as the newer combined cycle plants, some of which can run over 50%. Because of their faster response time (and lower efficiency) combustion turbines are generally only used for peak power, while combined cycle are being used mostly for base load.

For reference see: Average Operating Heat Rate for Selected Energy Sources (Efficiency = 3412/heat rate)

eta: But, you're correct that generation efficiency should be taken into account in the context of this thread.

[dcarch]

There are house boilers/heaters (oil or gas) now with very good efficiency.

They are so efficient that no chimney is required, just an exhaust pipe.

dcarch

[Blether]

It's a waste not to stand in the garden with a toasting fork every time the gas furnace is running. You definitely need to buy a toasting fork. Bread, marshmallows... the possibilities are endless.

[Blether]

... eta: But, you're correct that generation efficiency should be taken into account in the context of this thread.

What, because when the question is economy for the end user, the end user should be worrying about everyone else's economy ? Not just how much it costs me, but how much will the poor utility company be suffering ? BS, baby.

[Strope2344]

It is good that you are taking benefit of 2-in-1, great!

[Thanks for the Crepes]

On 1/6/2012 at 11:43 AM, andiesenji said:

The oven is designed to operate with the door closed and you can put the thermostat controls totally out of whack, which will require a visit from a technician to recalibrate it and will probably cost you more than purchasing an inexpensive heater.

 

Unfortunately, I have personal experience with wrecking my electric 1970's GE oven's thermostat by trying to get some heat in the house when the furnace went out one winter. I don't mean 25 or 50 degrees off by an oven thermometer. I mean, kaput! Once I inadvertently burned out the t-stat, I could turn the oven to bake or broil, set the temperature selector wherever I chose, and the oven would run wide open without cycling off until you cut its power by turning the selector to the OFF position. Great for home-baked pizza, not so much for anything else. If you must heat with an electric oven, do so only with the door closed until the oven comes to temp, then turn the oven off, open the door, until most of the heat has dissipated. Then you can repeat the process until the oven comes back to temp with the door closed, off, open, etc.

 

I used the broken oven like this with a timer, and oven thermometer and manually shutting it on and off for several years, until the lower heating element burned out too, leaving only the range top and broiler elements working. The lower element's demise may have been hastened by using it for heating, but the thermostat's definitely was.

 

I don't know if a gas stove's t-stat is vulnerable to this abuse, but personally, I wouldn't try it. I have never been so glad to get something fixed in my life! I sure wish I had seen this thread before I killed my t-stat.