An electric space heater is extremely inefficient method to use with an inverter and batteries. If you had a 1000 watt 120 volt heater plugged into a 12 volt > 120 volt inverter then run it for about 10 minutes, you would be using about 85 amps of power from your batteries. The amount of batteries and recharging system and time required to maintain these batteries to run a space heater for any nominal length of time would be far in excess of the cost of a decent mid sized generator.

I've been looking at those for camping and home emergency use. What kind of runtime do you get (on low) with 1 lb. tank? Are you satisfied with the amount of heat it puts out?

According to the Mr Heater manual the 4000/8000 unit will run 6 hours at 4000 BTU or 3 hours at 8000 BTU from 16oz propane. This works out to 5 days of 24x7 operation on low.

I have been using a Mr. Heater 4000/8000 BTU heater set at low temperature for an average of about 15 hours/day since Tuesday on the same 20# propane tank, which wasn't completely full when I started.

Though the tank gauge now indicates empty the heater is still running. I am using it to heat my garage, 12'x25'x7' and it does a decent job of keeping the temperature warm enough so my hands don't get too cold to spin wrenches or type on the keyboard. I'm very satisfied and would consider buying another for future emergencies.

Generators aren't very efficient either if being used for internal heating. The smaller portable generator sets i.e. 2KVA will typically have a thermal efficiency of 400-500 ml per KWhr. i.e. about 20-25% as petrol has a energy density of around 34.8 MJ/L. So running a generator outside a building to power an electrical internal panel or oil heater is wasting a considerable amount of heat i.e. 75-80% of the energy in the Gasoline/petrol is being wasted.

Burning hydrocarbons within the property is the way to go to maximize the efficiency of the fuel. The main worry is CO and CO2 production and O2 depletion. So good ventilation is required and so is an efficient burner with the appropriate safety features. LGP or Propane would be preferred as burning the longer chain hydrocarbon will potentially result in much higher CO production. A CO detector is an important requirement as well as Flame Failure safety and O2 depletion safety devices.

I personally would not use liquid hydrocarbons fuel due to their inherent spillage dangers within a property. Gasoline/petrol requires very careful handling indeed.

Generators are best left for tasks such as lighting, electronics, communications, refrigeration and electrical motors, pumps etc.

Considering the numbers using petrol generators in the current New York area crisis there must have been a number of Self-immolations. But there doesn't appear to be any media reports for these tragedies so far.

When people are cold, tired, miserable from living through a week with no power as some still are in NJ and NY, I would suspect that the last thing they are going to worry about is the energy density, thermal efficiency and KWhr comparisons of generators even if it is to only run a heater. If you were to offer a generator to any of these people right now, I sure there would be no shortage of takers...

Yes that is very true, but efficiency is very important in regard for preparation for such events.

For example lets assume the requirement is to boil water and there are the following solutions for the task.

i) A camp or domestic type butane/propane gas burner with a high efficiency heat exchanger base type kettle which has 80% efficiency.

or

ii) A 2KW generator powering a conventional cooker electric hot plate and pot which has 22% (gasoline to electrical energy conversion) and 70% (electrical hotplate to water heat transfer) giving 15.4% efficiency.

If you are now using say a 15Kg LPG bottle the equivalent Petrol/gasoline energy requirement equivalent would require approx 78Kg or 100 litres. i.e. 26.4 US Gallons. (lots of standing in line in the petrol lines)

The info I have from friends on local Fire and Rescue teams and in hospitals is that these incidents are occurring but are typically not fatal (at least not in statistically-significant numbers) and aren't reflected in the storm statistics. On top of which, most modern generator designs do a pretty good job of shielding any potential fuel spill from the hot components.

Right now the bigger problem is CO poisoning. Though modern construction codes require measures to prevent infiltration of CO/CO2 from the garage to inside living spaces, (typically a well-sealed steel door and at least 6" increase in floor height transitioning from garage to living spaces), most are pre-code construction without these measures. There are also incidents where generators were placed too close to open windows, and of course inadequate ventilation using gas heaters or even stove burners for heat.

Came across this screen saver as well.

http://download.cnet.com/Free-Fire-Screensaver/3000-2257_4-10627791.html

It might not produce any actual backup home heat but it might be useful running it on a Laptop computer at the end of the bed whilst getting cozy under the duvet...

You can even set your desktop background to anything that you want to Burn!!

I have three small children here in a 1300 sq foot house. We have emergency woodstove backup heat. You can build a protective surround out of recycled porch railings (I found some at a local used building material outlet). You can keep all the pellets, compressed wood, blah blah blah. I can go outside and with my "pioneer tools" chop/saw/machette a tree down and have heat (furniture burns too!) and I also have several thousand board feet of dried wood in/around my woodshop. I like low tech.

Good advice on chimney, HEED that warning, and dont skimp on ANYTHING to do with safety. I have been heating with wood for 30 years (since I was 14 in my Mom's garage washing salty cars for the nieghbor's) with woodstoves.

Ironwood

Cost is an issue, certainly, but I haven't done the research on keosene. Thanks for the heads up Teslinhiker. I've heard a lot about the Mr. Heater Buddy the last week. It gets really good reviews from those who use it. We're still at the start of this mission so all suggestions are welcome! Honestly, a wood or pellet stove would be my first choice, but it's a tough option to exercise in a condo townhouse.