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Keeping warm
SDAI-Tech1 — (archived)

Headcaps, mittens and layered socks - they look dorky, but they make a HUGE difference as the head hands and feet lose the most body heat.

Electric room heaters - a good placer of heat near bedrooms

Lots of blankets - cumbersome, but effective

Here, in Phoenix, it rarely gets below 30 degrees. But there is NO gas heating. (anything flammable is dangerous when temps go the opposite extreme and hit 120)

So in winter you smell everyone's woodburning fireplaces which create a LOT of pollution. It smells like a nearby forest fire on the first really cold day. I'm not a big woodburning fire person, so I use cleaner electrons and resistive metals to provide heat.

The heat pump/ air conditioning is woefully equipped to deal with anything below 50 degrees and so one gets accustomed to creating warmth electrically.

Few things are worse than waking up in a cold room , in shock, and feeling like one has almost froze to death.

Electric heaters should be placed preferably over tile or hard wood flooring. The danger of an shorted electrical cord setting carpet on fire while one is sleeping is greatly reduced that way. Placing them in a bathroom near bedrooms works well.

The humidifier idea of Mary Anne's is good. Placing it on a kitchen counter works well. You can also place dishes of water around the house, on shelves and the like - these "passive" humidifiers will evaporate as the humidity decreases.

Electric heaters take a LOT of electricity. Make sure you don't place them on a circuit using a computer or other electrical hogs. I found out the hard way by frying an outlet one time. Don't rely on your breakers to save you, but make sure that the fuses behind the breakers are the right rating and not over-rated (which allows too much juice to flow through the wires)

Soon you'll get to know how your home's circuits are divided and which ones are under greater loads.

Good luck!

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