Heat source

[Robert Jones]

Inspected a home that was approximately 800 sq ft. 90+ years old, but remodeled interior. 2 bed 1 bath, kitchen, living room, laundry room. The only heat source is a free standing gas stove in the family room. Kitchen is in a different location from the family room as is the bathroom and laundry room. Both bedrooms don't have a heat source.

Is that a sufficient source of heat for that many rooms?

[kurt]

I am not aware of any code that approves a single space heater as central heating equipment.

[hausdok]

It's a 90 year old house. I don't think any code applies.

I've seen a few old houses like that with central heaters - a bunch of them were built post-WWII in Mountlake Terrace.

I guess the question is whether the gas space heater can heat the entire house.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Robert Jones]

That was my concern. This little house was located in Black Diamond. I mentioned it to my client and she said, "hey, that's why I have these 4 dogs". We can only tell em what we can...

[kurt]

I forget that other places aren't Chicago. Our "code" is the gas companies constantly evolving rule-base, and they state nothing is grandfathered.

If code compliance is not a concern, it's probably fine until someone closes a BR door. It doesn't take much to heat 800sf. I used to heat an 800sf cottage with 3 1500kw heaters.

[David Meiland]

We easily heat our 1100 foot 1935 single story with a small central woodstove. It is tight and well insulated, which is critical. About 2/3 is open plan, the rest bedrooms/bathroom/laundry. They stay within a few degrees. I see a lot of houses here that have a woodstove as primary heat, maybe a bit added by baseboards but often not.

[Jim Katen]

Inspected a home that was approximately 800 sq ft. 90+ years old, but remodeled interior. 2 bed 1 bath, kitchen, living room, laundry room. The only heat source is a free standing gas stove in the family room. Kitchen is in a different location from the family room as is the bathroom and laundry room. Both bedrooms don't have a heat source.

Is that a sufficient source of heat for that many rooms?

If they're trying to get a loan, in my area, most lenders would want a heat source in each room.

Also, if the remodel had been done with permits, the AHJ would have required heat in each room.

[Bill Kibbel]

R303.8 Required heating. When the winter design temperature in Table R301.2(1) is below 60F, every dwelling unit shall be provided with heating facilities capable of maintaining a minimum room temperature of 68F at a point 3 feet above the floor and 2 feet from exterior walls in all habitable rooms at the design temperature. The installation of one or more portable space heaters shall not be used to achieve compliance with this section.

[Jim Katen]

R303.8 Required heating. When the winter design temperature in Table R301.2(1) is below 60F, every dwelling unit shall be provided with heating facilities capable of maintaining a minimum room temperature of 68F at a point 3 feet above the floor and 2 feet from exterior walls in all habitable rooms at the design temperature. The installation of one or more portable space heaters shall not be used to achieve compliance with this section.

Yes, but if it was a 1935 house and if the remodel was such that permits weren't necessary, there would be no reason for the house to comply with this modern code standard.

[John Kogel]

A lack of heat in any room is a concern, IMO.

The danger is flaky space heaters on overloaded extension cords, which can be deadly.

Sweating windows and mould in closets from people sleeping in icy rooms is a minor issue, but not good. We've all inspected rental housing where people have lived without heat. Mold between the bed and the wall. Mould on the bathroom ceiling.

The house I grew up in had a kitchen cookstove and a fireplace for heat. The doors were kept closed and the only heat in my bedroom was a hot water bottle, member those?? I don't remember ever seeing mold, though. Too cold, maybe.

[Bill Kibbel]

Yes, but if it was a 1935 house and if the remodel was such that permits weren't necessary, there would be no reason for the house to comply with this modern code standard.

Someone brought up "code", so i posted it.

It's not a bad reference for modern living standards. Most residential buildings I inspect only had fireplaces and/or coal stoves in a few rooms as the original sources of heat. I wouldn't want any of my clients not being made aware that when centralized heat was added, there is likely inadequate heat in habitable rooms.

[Scottpat]

Jim hit the nail on the head. It will depend on the type of loan or the mortgage company. If it is a VA or FHA loan it will not fly. Codes or not if ya can't get a loan it really is a moot point.

[Jim Baird]

In my starving student yrs I lived in a series of "dumpettes" that often featured ventless 15 or 20 KBTU space heaters and one that had a big vented unit, of likely 40KBTU, and nada mas.

You shivered in bedrooms but could live without being poisoned.

[Denray]

College years I lived in a converted garage. Wall heater in center living room. We curtained off that room as the hot spot.

[John Kogel]

I inspected a 100 yr old house full of starving students. They had run out of furnace oil and were heating a dozen little rooms and hovels with electric space heaters on extension cords. There were a half a dozen 30 amp fuses on the branch circuits. Smoke alarms were all dead or disabled. And we used to think college students were the smarter kids. []