MetaChat - Ask Mecha: Will My Heat Work Without Power?

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15 December 2005

Ask Mecha: Will My Heat Work Without Power? Fairly new oil furnace in basement, thermostat in hallway. If the power goes out, will the heat work? →[More:] This is of more than theoretical interest, because the pine tree next door is losing branches with loud popping noises and some of its branches directly overhang the power lines to my house.

post by: mygothlaundry at: 11:09 | 6 comments

Forced air? No fan to blow it.

Electric start? No spark to light it.

Thermostat control? No power to run it.

Sorry.

posted by sarah connor 15 December | 11:13

if it's a gravity furnace, there is a way to get it to ignite, involving a flashlight battery and some tinkering with the thermocouple. it's quite hazardous and highly not recommended, so i shall not go into details. but i did manage to stay warm once during a power outage in a house i rented. a mechanically dumb guy like me figured it out by myself, so you probably can too. what was that loud bang?

posted by quonsar 15 December | 11:55

hey, if you lose power, there's no reason not to go on a binge @ westville (unless they're out, in which case, jack o' the wood)!

posted by moonbird 15 December | 11:59

I don't know, but you should call the city about that tree.

posted by Specklet 15 December | 12:56

So far so good - electricity, computer, heat (well, the 60 degrees of heat I allow myself) and all are still go. And it's melting. I hope.

posted by mygothlaundry 15 December | 12:59

I still read this as will my heart work without power, which is a different question entirely but an interesting one none-the-less. Hang Tough.

*sees spectre of nkotb in corner of eye*

posted by safetyfork 16 December | 10:44

← Transit Strike || These shoes... →

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