I have a 100 year old house in the upper midwest, and I have no heat this winter!What week and month (roughly) do I have to worry about pipes freezing and sending gushing water into the house? Or at what temperature and for how long (e.g. 10 days at 32 degrees or less, etc.)?Could I get by this year on space heaters? Are they safe?What is the most efficient and greenest type of heating system if I have to replace my steam boiler?And lastly, what heating system would give good resale value?
Drain your system and put in some anti freeze, space heaters wont cut it your electricity bill will kill you and your normal house wiring is probably not sized to run additional Heaters continously. In the midwest natural gas is the cost effective replacement, although I have seen a ground source heat pump used in northern minnesota, Sounds like you need to get on ordering a boiler, some of those old steam systems can be reworked and be pretty efficient if designed properly. So Dont try to get by with space heaters, do look into a heating system, dont wait until your house freezes, as your basement needs to be kept warm or it will endure substantial damage if left un heated. Depending on your location you could see a cold snap anytime. Good Luck
its a game of russian roulette if you dont have any heat in the areas where water pipes are. get the boiler in right away before you destroy your house with bursting frozen pipes. ive seen this happen its not a pretty sight your insurance wont cover you if there is no boiler. get a loan or something dont play a fools game.
Since the house is already set up for steam heat, your best bet for a permanent fix and ultimate resale value is conversion to hot water heat. I would have to agree with the previous answer concerning safety and expense of space heaters. If you can keep the inside of the house and all pipe chases at 35 or above, you do not need to worry about pipes freezing and bursting.
