5 degrees cold and Flipflops

Here, here!

Yup, that Danish bastard wouldn’t give me his daughters, and I had a hell of a time trying to order a kerosene heater from the states. Two weeks ago, however, I found an 11,000 BTU radiant kerosene heater for NT$5,500 in an electrical appliance shop near the intersection of Hsinlung Rd and Hsinhai Rd. I think the address is 123 Hsinhai Road but I could be wrong. In any case, the shop is only 50 yards or so from the intersection.
Toasty, toasty warm – I watched a DVD last night dressed only in my skivvies.
You better be quick if you want one, though – we’ve had three visitors to our house since we got the heater, and every one of them has gone out the next day to get one.
Prior to this, Mr. He’s was the only one I’d seen in Taiwan, but the shop owner told me she’s been selling kerosene heaters steadily for 20 years or more.

yep, get out of the during daylight hours. the streets are warmer than our concrete boxes. i grew up a frozen redneck for half the year. wear a cap. does wonders in retaining body heat. wear socks to bed. for all you single folks, sleep on the sofa. it’s back helps keep you warmer than a flat bed. when daylight comes, open your windows. this allows the colder inside air to be intermixed with the warmer stuff outside.

those people wearing flipflops are fine. before they were wiped out the natives of tierra delfuego went around nude in near freezing weather. they were used to it.

better flipflops than wet socks and shoes all day long.

[quote=“sandman”] Two weeks ago … I found an 11,000 BTU radiant kerosene heater for NT$5,500 … Toasty, toasty warm – I watched a DVD last night dressed only in my skivvies.
You better be quick if you want one, though – we’ve had three visitors to our house since we got the heater, and every one of them has gone out the next day to get one. [/quote]

But isn’t it rather mafan to have to keep buying refills of kerosene? And isn’t it something of a fire hazard? And doesn’t it emit unpleasant fumes?

Your feet are much more tolerant to cold than your body, as far as heating is concerned, I guess builders aren’t as concerned as cooling, the heat during the summer is more problematic than cold during the winter.

Wait, why is this thread started int he first place, 5C, I just walked outside here in Southern MN, it’s -15F (-38F windchill factor), my car barely got started, ouch!

…isn’t it something of a fire hazard? And doesn’t it emit unpleasant fumes?[/quote] :really:

[quote=“Omniloquacious”][quote=“sandman”] Two weeks ago … I found an 11,000 BTU radiant kerosene heater for NT$5,500 … Toasty, toasty warm – I watched a DVD last night dressed only in my skivvies.
You better be quick if you want one, though – we’ve had three visitors to our house since we got the heater, and every one of them has gone out the next day to get one. [/quote]

But isn’t it rather mafan to have to keep buying refills of kerosene? And isn’t it something of a fire hazard? And doesn’t it emit unpleasant fumes?[/quote]

  1. No.
  2. Not unless you’re a retard.
  3. Not really.

The petrol stations sell paraffin in 5-litre (NT$120) and 25-litre (NT$500)metal drums. Plus, the CPC website lists certain petrol stations that have paraffin pumps, so you can do as Mr. He does and get a giant plastic container that’ll last you for weeks (I haven’t bothered with this as there’s a petrol station within walking distance of my place, although it has no paraffin pump.) The stuff from the pump is considerably cheaper.

The machine has an automatic shutoff system that activates if the heater is jarred. Other than that, the only thing you shouldn’t do is leave it unattended or fall asleep with it on.

Fumes are negligible as long as the wick’s in good order. There’s a little odour when you turn it on and again when you turn it off, but its not a problem at all. When its burning normally, there’s no smell at all. THe worst of the smell comes when you’re refilling it, but the heater comes with a siphon included, the fuel tank can be lifted straight out of the machine and taken outside for refilling. No messy funnels and pouring required.
Oh, and the instruction manual’s in English (and Russian, if you’re so inclined).

I probably wouldn’t like it if I lived in a modern hermetically sealed apartment, but its ideal for the draughty medieval Sandcastle (well, circa 1970s at any rate).

…isn’t it something of a fire hazard? And doesn’t it emit unpleasant fumes?[/quote] :really:[/quote]
I will admit that the residual methane can be a fire hazard, but unpleasant fumes? My farts? Unpleasant? As Anthony Hopkins’ Mr. Kellogg said in The Road to Wellville: “My farts, sir, have the odour of warm biscuits.”

Oh come on it’s not THAT cold! It’s just too damn humid!

I feel great here. No unpleasant fumes, even though you get a whiff when entering the door. If you live in a modern flat (unlike Sandman and me), you might want to keep a window slightly ajar. (1 square inch of opening per 1000 BTU should do the trick).

Most Taiwanese houses are somewhat airy anyway. A neighbor who is using his huge open decorative fireplace finds that he can have a big fire in one end of the rather small living room, and freeze his arse off in the other. I have spent several evenings drinking beer there after my missus went to bed, and you have to sit next to it - and you can see the curtains moving, so no worries.

If you have carpet, you will be wishing for concrete walls and tile floors when it is 30+ degC and 90+% humidity in the summer.

Why don’t you go buy oriental rugs if you don’t have them already? Or wear slippers (hey why not those blue flipflops) indoors if you go bare foot at home.

[quote=“daniel_han”]
If you have carpet, you will be wishing for concrete walls and tile floors when it is 30+ degC and 90+% humidity in the summer.

Why don’t you go buy oriental rugs if you don’t have them already? Or wear slippers (hey why not those blue flipflops) indoors if you go bare foot at home.[/quote]

I’m not sure I’d agree with that, daniel. For two years, I lived in a place that got pretty hot and humid during the summer in the US. Granted, not as bad as here, but close. It was one of the things that prepared me for living here. I had wall-to-wall carper there. Never found it making things worse.

Also, I can’t afford to buy enough carpets to cover the area I want to in my apartment. And, I do wear slippers and sometimes two pairs of socks. My feet STILL get cold.

Any other suggestions. :smiley:

I bought a rug at Geant, 2 metres square, for NT$500. Put the furniture around it and my living space is pretty much covered.

Bare feet on carpet beats socks on cold floors any day. And it wasn’t a problem over the summer either. Best investment I made last year.

[quote=“QuietMountain”] [ And, I do wear slippers and sometimes two pairs of socks. My feet STILL get cold.

Any other suggestions. :smiley:[/quote]

THREE PAIRS OF SOCKS AND DOUBLE DECKER SLIPPERS :moo:

Open fireplaces, when bad desinged will pull the heat out of the room. A good designed open fireplace will have hot-air channels (funnels) worked in. The best way to build an “open” fireplace is actually to put a glass fire resistant door in it.

I know.

However, it still gives something, his place is warmer.

[quote=“QuietMountain”][quote=“daniel_han”]
If you have carpet, you will be wishing for concrete walls and tile floors when it is 30+ degC and 90+% humidity in the summer.

Why don’t you go buy oriental rugs if you don’t have them already? Or wear slippers (hey why not those blue flipflops) indoors if you go bare foot at home.[/quote]

I’m not sure I’d agree with that, daniel. For two years, I lived in a place that got pretty hot and humid during the summer in the US. Granted, not as bad as here, but close. It was one of the things that prepared me for living here. I had wall-to-wall carper there. Never found it making things worse.

Also, I can’t afford to buy enough carpets to cover the area I want to in my apartment. And, I do wear slippers and sometimes two pairs of socks. My feet STILL get cold.

Any other suggestions. :smiley:[/quote]

How about lighting your slippers on fire? I’m THINKING about it :shock: .

Try a kerosene heater. They are cheap, and they will set your arse on fire. They rocks and are a reason to that I feel that this winter has been so much more bearable than the other winters I have experienced here.

A wood-burning tent stove can be yours for US$150, and it will be cheap to get here. You will need to build a flue yourself.

[quote=“Mr He”]Try a kerosene heater. They are cheap, and they will set your arse on fire. They rocks and are a reason to that I feel that this winter has been so much more bearable than the other winters I have experienced here.

A wood-burning tent stove can be yours for US$150, and it will be cheap to get here. You will need to build a flue yourself.[/quote]

Great idea, one has been offered to me…however, getting clean kerosene is a trick, and the question of where to store it. The stuff they sell in little bottles at gas stations is expensive :frowning:.

[quote=“acearle”][quote=“Mr He”]Try a kerosene heater. They are cheap, and they will set your arse on fire. They rocks and are a reason to that I feel that this winter has been so much more bearable than the other winters I have experienced here.

A wood-burning tent stove can be yours for US$150, and it will be cheap to get here. You will need to build a flue yourself.[/quote]

Great idea, one has been offered to me…however, getting clean kerosene is a trick, and the question of where to store it. The stuff they sell in little bottles at gas stations is expensive :frowning:.[/quote]
Clean paraffin? THe stuff I’ve been getting at CPC is fine. Pricewise, it costs NT$120 for 5 litres, NT$500 for 25 litres. That’s in the can. If you can find a petrol station that has it on pump (listed on the CPC website, apparently), its cheaper still. NT$5 per hour? I don’t think that’s expensive at all in terms of what you get.