primitive percolates oil to heat bedroom

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/11283364

Oh my.

Now, I'm not sure if this is what the primitive actually proposes to do, but that's the best I can interpret it.  I don't think it'll heat a room very well, though.

IrishAyes (5,696 posts)    Wed Aug 13, 2014, 04:56 PM

For me, a rare brain flash regarding a McGyver solution

Several weeks ago the only electrical outlet in my master bathroom (100 yr-old house) got taken out by a power company surge or something. Anyway, I no longer have a way to heat the room at bathtime in the dead of winter because I don't like propane tanks of any size in the house and I couldn't make a candle/flowerpot rig because it takes 15 minutes to heat up and I'm a little afraid to leave any candle unattended even that long. Not willing to babysit it that long either while waiting for the rig to work. Can't afford those expensive camping heaters run by batteries.
 
So I spent the vast majority of the morning scouring the internet for solutions. Then I read about one setup that used heavy duty motor oil but it was heated by candles. Finally, after a good lunch and long nap to let things percolate, I awoke with a solution that should work safely although I'm reluctant to dedicate one of my precious collected small appliances to do it.
 
I'm adamant about making percolated coffee instead of drip. What I drink is more like espresso! Since I obviously can't afford the average price of a brand new 12-cup percolator - anywhere between $70-$100 - I latch onto every one I find at yard sales, etc. and save it for the sad day when the heating element wears out in the current one. At the moment I have 3 others waiting their turn! And a non-electric stovetop version (or 2) if I ever go through all the electric ones.
 
Anyway, as you've guessed by now, I've decided to buy a bottle of high-test motor oil and w/o the lid on, heat it in my oldest electric perc at a working outlet. Oh, and w/o the stem or basket too! Then I can put the lid back on and with a fair amount of safety move the pot to the bathroom. Since these pots aren't insulated, the hot oil should radiate what little extra heat the room might need. Luckily the room's directly above my downstairs heater, so w/o any extra help at all it stays in the lower 50's.
 
Of course I do plan to get the electric outlet fixed asap, but the friend who does that work for me won't be able to get to it before November at the earliest. He has a fulltime job and anything extra has to be worked in the rare free moments. His wife's my good friend, and anyone who thinks I'm going to try to jump ahead of her own kitchen renovation, they're not giving me any credit for what little sense I do have.
 
Meanwhile I'm content with my temporary solution.

Brand-new thread, so no primitives have seen it yet.

[zeitgeist]

Well this certainly sounds like it will have the UL seal of approval stamped all over it. 



And the percolator will make a great urn for the ashes!

[GOBUCKS]

Sounds like a typical DUmmy crib.

Reminds me of poor old DUmmy Mythsaje, author of intergalactic vampire sex crime novels.

Water and sewage from his upstairs neighbor's leaky toilet dripped through the celing onto his dining room table.

Or poor addled Beth, living in the California desert in a tiny humpbacked camper with her senile mother and two big smelly dogs.

DUmmies have some awful living conditions, all the fault of George W. Bush.

[catsmtrods]

Tons of fiber supplement, prunes and a lighter!

[Jar Head]

That is a shit-pot full of crazy right there.

[ChuckJ]

So she's going to make herself a coffee pot of motor oil (aka liquid earth death) to heat a room. BRILLIANT! Absolutely nothing could go wrong with that.

I'm not much of a gambler so can someone figure the odds of eventually seeing an "I've been scalded by extremely hot motor oil and need a donation for medical bills" post on the DUmp?

[franksolich]

So she's going to make herself a coffee pot of motor oil (aka liquid earth death) to heat a room. BRILLIANT! Absolutely nothing could go wrong with that.

I'm not much of a gambler so can someone figure the odds of eventually seeing an "I've been scalded by extremely hot motor oil and need a donation for medical bills" post on the DUmp?

Well, I remain curious.

Is it possible for this to actually work, in the least little way?

[ChuckJ]

Well, I remain curious.

Is it possible for this to actually work, in the least little way?

I'm pretty sure that when she stumbles and the hot oil spills from the pot and boils her flesh that she will be warm for a little while

[hillneck]

Next thing will be the story asking for money, because they burnt the house to the ground.

[franksolich]

Skippy to the rescue:

NYC_SKP (60,063 posts)    Wed Aug 13, 2014, 05:55 PM

1. This sounds like a good solution, I can't think of any down sides.

I'm curious about your bath outlet, however.

There might be a safety issue: if a power surge came along and ruined the outlet or the conductors, it should have blown a fuse or tripped a breaker in your fuse box or breaker panel.
 
If so, be sure to NOT to replace the fuse or reset the circuit until you've had someone check the integrity of that circuit, the conductors, and the receptacle (outlet).
 
OTOH, if you can confirm that all is well, you might be able to use this receptacle again but I would advise against drawing more than 15 amps, better still keep it under 10-- this would be to say don't run a heavy duty space heater or a blow dryer beyond 1200 watts.
 
I suspect that your space heater overstressed the circuit and/or receptacle.

Some of them draw 1500 watts, that's a lot of power for one 100 year old circuit!
 
good luck, stay warm, be safe!

[franksolich]

noamnety (19,083 posts)    Wed Aug 13, 2014, 05:56 PM

2. Would it work just as well with plain water?

Not sure of the advantage of using motor oil.

noamnety (19,083 posts)    Wed Aug 13, 2014, 06:36 PM

3. Now that my electrical engineer is home

he said water would radiate more heat because it would evaporate and carry the warmth more around the room. (He made a scattering molecule gesture with fluttery fingers as he said this.)

[Big Dog]

Well, I remain curious.

Is it possible for this to actually work, in the least little way?

No. It's the DUmmy version of a perpetual motion machine.

A much simpler solution for non-DUmmies: run an extension cord into the bathroom and use a space heater, which is turned off and removed from the room before getting in the bath.

Solution for DUmmies: Leave the heater in the bathroom, and have fun splashing in the tub!

[BlueStateSaint]

No. It's the DUmmy version of a perpetual motion machine.

A much simpler solution for non-DUmmies: run an extension cord into the bathroom and use a space heater, which is turned off and removed from the room before getting in the bath.

Solution for DUmmies: Leave the heater in the bathroom, and have fun splashing in the tub!

Better yet:  Take the heater in the bath with you!  Water warms up quicker that way!

[Carl]

If somehow a single outlet was damaged then replace it.
Since an outlet is basically a faucet for electrical flow it is hard to believe a surge could hurt it without tripping a circuit breaker or fuse.

Like most DUmbass stories,it makes no sense.

[landofconfusion80]

If somehow a single outlet was damaged then replace it.
Since an outlet is basically a faucet for electrical flow it is hard to believe a surge could hurt it without tripping a circuit breaker or fuse.

Like most DUmbass stories,it makes no sense.

It really makes lots of sense... if the primitive is truly incompetent, it's fair to assume that it's "electrician" friend is too.  A coin jammed in the breaker is not beyond the realm of possibility.

Anyways, I would like to offer the frigid primitive another solution.  Venting not required of course:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3mrAFZg2iY[/youtube]

[J P Sousa]

Here is another DUmmie solution to keeping warm in the shower;

Teens setting themselves on fire for Internet challenge

The challenge usually involves a highly flammable liquid being poured on the chest in the shower. Participants believe the water will douse the flames and help them avoid injury. However, that doesn't always work as planned.
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/local-fire-chief-warns-new-trend-called-fire-chall/ng2BR/

.

[thundley4]

Here is another DUmmie solution to keeping warm in the shower;

.

Build a man a fire and he will stay warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he will be warm for the rest of his life.

[franksolich]

Okay.

Here's what might, or might not, be a stupid question.

This is the "master" bathroom the primitive's talking about.

If the primitive's nervous about heating it, why not just temporarily use another bathroom in the house while waiting for the electricity in this one to be fixed?

[thundley4]

Okay.

Here's what might, or might not, be a stupid question.

This is the "master" bathroom the primitive's talking about.

If the primitive's nervous about heating it, why not just temporarily use another bathroom in the house while waiting for the electricity in this one to be fixed?

The slave bathroom is kept for conservative relatives and is in even worse shape. 

[Dori]

Okay.

Here's what might, or might not, be a stupid question.

This is the "master" bathroom the primitive's talking about.

If the primitive's nervous about heating it, why not just temporarily use another bathroom in the house while waiting for the electricity in this one to be fixed?

The dummy probably has to get up several times during the night to pee and doesn't want to sit on a frozen seat. 

[RobJohnson]

No. It's the DUmmy version of a perpetual motion machine.

A much simpler solution for non-DUmmies: run an extension cord into the bathroom and use a space heater, which is turned off and removed from the room before getting in the bath.

Solution for DUmmies: Leave the heater in the bathroom, and have fun splashing in the tub!

    I suggest dropping a running 1500 watt electric hair dryer, connected by drop cord to a non GFI outlet, into the bathtub, prior to entering the tub to keep the water warm.

It should also keep the bathroom nice and toasty.

[DUmpsterDiver]

The dummy should just sell the house and move to Mexico where it's warmer and cheaper to live.  Work on raising some anchor kids and have them send money South for his drug addictions.

[franksolich]

IrishAyes (5,703 posts)  Wed Aug 13, 2014, 10:18 PM 

7. Especially since I don't know the technological expertise of the writer who

recommended the motor oil, I think now that I'd rather listen to your electrical engineer! Please relay my thanks. I wouldn't be heating the bathroom over half an hour anyway. Thanks again.

NYC_SKP (60,095 posts)    Thu Aug 14, 2014, 12:54 AM

13. Um, evaporating water has a cooling, not a heating, effect. Change of state.

Please check that with him.

And, ask how beneficial it is to have a resistive heating element left on after the fluid has evaporated.
 
I, frankly, think it's unsafe.

Curmudgeoness (14,571 posts)    Wed Aug 13, 2014, 07:39 PM

4. I think that you are right

if the purpose is to heat the room for a short period of time. Oil is often used for heating because it holds the heat for a long time. So I guess it really depends on how long the room needs to be heated.
 
The great part of using water would be that she wouldn't ruin the precious percolator. Win/win.

IrishAyes (5,703 posts)    Wed Aug 13, 2014, 10:40 PM

9. Yes. Please see #7.

I certainly do value my precious percolators. That's the kind of coffee I prefer, damn near espresso and you won't get it from a dripolator. Can't afford a French press! Can't afford the new electric percs either, so I snap up every used one I find. Currently have 3 others waiting in the wings in addition to the gorgeous Art Deco I bought off eBay. Cotton covered cord and everything. If President Obama ever drops by for coffee, I'll take it down off the top of the frig and use it, but otherwise it stays put where it is. Beautiful thing. Carved wood handle, too.
 
Sometimes these old ones I find for $5 max will still last for years and years. I think impatient people buy them because they do make better coffee than a damn drip, but then most people aren't willing to wait 10-12 minutes either. That's probably one reason they ditch the percs.
 
Since you're one of my favorite thrifters, I'll share what I found curbside the last couple weeks. A like-new Dirt Devil vacuum cleaner, and farther on, a giant mahogany office desk where someone had vacated the premises. Must've run out of room on the truck. I took out all the drawers so maybe nobody else would snatch it up before I could return with a truck and help. By evening it was in a far corner of my porch, well hidden from the street by tall spirea and 1/2" lattice. It now serves as a stand for all my potted shade plants, the restored drawers hold various tools etc, and the knee well would make a fine shelter if the dogs ever needed it in an emergency. Of course I covered the top with several layers of newspapers and a tarp, then pieces of leftover tub surround. Thing weighed way over 100 lbs before I put the drawers back and loaded it down with plants; hope the porch boards hold!

IrishAyes (5,703 posts)    Wed Aug 13, 2014, 10:14 PM

6. From what I read, supposedly the greater viscosity of the motor oil will make it

retain heat longer than water, although water would certainly work. I've brushed up against those hot percolators in the kitchen before.

NYC_SKP (60,095 posts)    Wed Aug 13, 2014, 11:15 PM

11. You are correct, sort of. Properties differ.

The thermal capacity for oil is different from that of water. There are patents, in fact, for internal combustion engines that use oil rather than water as a coolant fluid for some of these differences in properties.
 
Also, with water we have to worry about evaporation, not so with oil.

In fact, some electric space heaters that look like old school radiators are actually filled with oil, so you're on the right track.
 
If we really wanted a high efficiency system, it might use liquid sodium but DANG, if that stuff leaks it's all over.

IrishAyes (5,703 posts)    Thu Aug 14, 2014, 12:49 AM

12. Due to recent posts w/info from an electrical engineer,

I think I'll stick with water short periods and not use motor oil until and unless I need it for longer term use.

NYC_SKP (60,095 posts)    Thu Aug 14, 2014, 12:59 AM

14. I've replied to that reply. If you use water, please also use a timer.

The engineer is mistaken, evaporation or change of state of any material from liquid to gas has an endothermic COOLING effect, not a warming effect.
 
Physics 101, change of state. It's why we feel cool when we perspire and the moisture evaporates.
 
All this aside, a heater (in this case, a percolator) that runs out of water is a hazard.
 
Now, my caveat, a percolator filled with oil has it's own risks: oil is a fuel, it could become a fire.
 
Water won't do that, at least.

No need for all this conjecture: Buy a used or new UL approved EnergyStar space heater under 1000 watts.
 
And be safe!

Okay now, this primitive discussion has gone on far longer than what's reasonable.

The primitive has a defective electrical outlet that maybe perhaps can cause a fire.

The primitive says she's going to wait until November to get it repaired, probably because she can get it done for free, rather than hiring a union-card-carrying electrician to get it done now.

The primitive needs it done now, not in November.

As "expensive" (quotation marks intentional) as professional electricians are, they're still cheaper than dealing with the expense and trouble of replacing a burned-down house.

And going back to my original question: exactly how much heat will the primitive's oil-in-the-percolator generate, to warm the bathroom?  I suspect it'd be about as much heat as a burning candle would add to the waiting room of Grand Central Station.

[Carl]

IrishAyes (5,703 posts)    Wed Aug 13, 2014, 10:40 PM

9. Yes. Please see #7.

I certainly do value my precious percolators. That's the kind of coffee I prefer, damn near espresso and you won't get it from a dripolator. Can't afford a French press! Can't afford the new electric percs either, so I snap up every used one I find. Currently have 3 others waiting in the wings in addition to the gorgeous Art Deco I bought off eBay. Cotton covered cord and everything. If President Obama ever drops by for coffee, I'll take it down off the top of the frig and use it, but otherwise it stays put where it is. Beautiful thing. Carved wood handle, too.
 
Sometimes these old ones I find for $5 max will still last for years and years. I think impatient people buy them because they do make better coffee than a damn drip, but then most people aren't willing to wait 10-12 minutes either. That's probably one reason they ditch the percs.
 
Since you're one of my favorite thrifters, I'll share what I found curbside the last couple weeks. A like-new Dirt Devil vacuum cleaner, and farther on, a giant mahogany office desk where someone had vacated the premises. Must've run out of room on the truck. I took out all the drawers so maybe nobody else would snatch it up before I could return with a truck and help. By evening it was in a far corner of my porch, well hidden from the street by tall spirea and 1/2" lattice. It now serves as a stand for all my potted shade plants, the restored drawers hold various tools etc, and the knee well would make a fine shelter if the dogs ever needed it in an emergency. Of course I covered the top with several layers of newspapers and a tarp, then pieces of leftover tub surround. Thing weighed way over 100 lbs before I put the drawers back and loaded it down with plants; hope the porch boards hold!

Another garbage picking,lunatic DUmp hoarder.

[franksolich]

Okay, now I really dislike prolonging the already-overlong primitive discussion, but something about which I never thought, just spurted to the forefront of the mind.

One assumes there's nothing wrong with the primitive's hot water supply, as she anticipates taking baths in winter.

A bathroom without heat in the middle of winter's happened to me--not often, not here, and not recently, but it's happened.

Why not just turn on the hot water in the bathtub, and let that heat the room?

Now, maybe the primitive uses the bathroom at other times, times that don't include taking a bath.  Such as when one goes in to sit down on the commode.

The primitive could rearrange her schedule, so as to sit on the commode while the bathtub's filling up with hot water, warming the room.

If the primitive's sitting on the commode more than twice every four or five days, or three times a week--it should be obvious I'm referring to doing a dump, not a spray--then she seriously needs to sit down and examine her diet and personal habits.