
Restoring the Old Way of Warming: Heating People, Not Places - stonlyb
http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2015/02/heating-people-not-spaces.html
======
alricb
It better be cheap; it's possible to build an affordable house that is well-
insulated enough that the plug loads will be higher than the heating loads.

In a very cold climate, you also need to keep your house fairly warm to avoid
problems like frozen pipes.

Ironically, the wasted heat caused by poor building practices can help make
buildings more durable by facilitating the drying of the external walls (less
of a concern in Europe where houses are often made of masonry instead of
wood).

~~~
jjoonathan
Agreed. They seemed oddly insistent on pushing their implicit premise that
heating large volumes of air is wasteful.

[http://krisdedecker.typepad.com/.a/6a00e0099229e8883301bb07e...](http://krisdedecker.typepad.com/.a/6a00e0099229e8883301bb07e2eeda970d-pi)

However, the volume of air is not inextricably linked to energy expenditure,
which only happens when heat flows down a gradient, not while it sits in a
room. We can model it like a simple resistive circuit; the equations are
analogous.

    
    
        V  = I * R
        ∆T = P * R
        
        P is heat energy expended per time (power)
        ∆T is the temperature difference between hottest and coldest regions
        R is thermal resistance, a measure of how insulating something is
    

Bringing the thermal gradients into the room (as opposed to holding them
across the wall alone) adds a small, fixed bit of thermal resistance "in
series" to what's already in the walls and windows.

    
    
        P = ∆T/R
        R = Rwall + Rroom
    

Rwall is a function of the amount of insulation, while Rroom is fixed by the
geometry of the room. If Rwall==Rroom, you can save 50% of your heating bill
by huddling over your heated desk. However, if Rwall=10*Rroom, which it may
well be if your house is properly insulated, you can't even save 10% of your
heating bill with area heating.

alricb is right: don't let the name of the site fool you. Insulation is the
cheap low-tech solution that works, while spot-heating is the gimmicky high-
tech solution that only works in specific circumstances and even then only
after ignoring the time, money, and discomfort invested in reinventing the
wheel.

~~~
darkmighty
Nobody is advocating a bad insulation. You said it yourself, P ~ ∆T: I think
the rationale here is to lower ∆T and provide heat to your "spot" as needed.
It's probably not going "mainstream" quickly either, but it can save you some
energy: it's not so wild to imagine lowering your thermostat a few degrees and
get a localized heat source if you seat in that one spot most time.

~~~
jjoonathan
Right, as long as heating has a nonzero cost you will be able to forego it and
save money. The more interesting question is whether or not you can maintain
the same level of comfort (same interior temperature) in a small region of the
room with a local heater and save money. Since exterior temperature and
comfort temperature are fixed, this is the justification for ∆T=const. Most
people decide that heating is worth the price as it stands; the real question
is "can we make it cheaper via spot heating?"

Alricb and I think the answer is "no." Over the lifetime of a house, I would
guess that the money you would spend on spot heater(s) and their electricity
would net a better return if you invested it in insulation. After all,
insulation keeps heat out during summer and air conditioning is much less
efficient than heating :)

------
aridiculous
I've seen some truly amazing things done with passive solar (i.e. building
your house to optimally capture sun radiation and store it. The greenhouse
effect on steroids.) Some houses in Maine don't have any heating system at
all; they are built on certain inclines, angled just the right way, with ideal
ratios of windows to insulation. In some cases, large stones are strategically
just inside the windows to retain and slowly release heat.

It requires an esoteric expertise, lots of charts and graphs, and freedom to
customize your plot of land. But it's awesome.

------
jdietrich
Motorcyclists provide an interesting example of this principle. The extreme
windchill experienced by motorcyclists makes it very difficult to keep warm -
a rider travelling at 70mph at 0°C experiences a windchill of -18°C.

Many riders in northern climates use electrically heated underclothing, which,
in conjunction with an insulated outer layer, can keep a rider warm with just
a few watts. Better battery technology could make such garments commonplace.

~~~
Mandatum
In Rarotonga in the winter months you can buy puffer jackets with copper
wiring sewn to the inside with a 9V battery.

~~~
mistermann
Very cool....how long does it last?

~~~
draven
Some heated motorcycle jackets can be plugged to the bike's battery (you just
have to install the plug somewhere accessible and connect it to the battery.)
Then when you get on your bike you just have to connect your jacket and off
you go. The alternator provides the power during your ride.

For ex. stuff like that: [http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/gerbing-12v-ex-
heated-jac...](http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/gerbing-12v-ex-heated-
jacket)

Together with heated grips, cold is not an issue.

------
athenot
As others pointed out, this older style is more suitable for masonry homes
which might be less susceptible to mold and have enough thermal inertia to
prevent pipe freezing.

On the flip side, you can make your house air-tight and use a heat exchanger
to refresh the air while retaining the heat: that's the concept of Passive
Houses[0]. Not suitable for cooling down hot & humid air (you'd have a
condensation problem) but definitely an option for heating a home.

[0]
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_house](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_house)

~~~
stephen_g
There's a section there that talks about hot climates - you use an energy
recovery ventilation system instead of heat recovery.

------
wodenokoto
At least in Japan and most parts of China, houses are poorly insulated and
heating is often from aircon, which means if you want to stay warm, you wear
thick clothes inside, sit under a heated blanket and what not.

This sucks.

Your nose and hands are still cold. If you want to move from the blanket its
cold.

I don't see anything that really addresses this. Yeah, the insulated chair is
nice when you sit on it, but what about when you need to get a cup of coffee?

~~~
maccard
Well, you could always just size up one of those heated blankets, and attach
it to the wall. Maybe even combine it with a more efficient fuel source like
Natural Gas, and heat water that flows through the system instead of a coil.
Sounds much more efficient, especially if you have multiple people in your
household. Imagine a system like that...

~~~
wodenokoto
Coming from Denmark that basically sounds like "normal" heating to me (except
we usually only heat through the floor or dedicated radiators)

But I really like your idea about carpeting the walls. Might do that if I end
up living here long term!

~~~
maccard
I was attempting to be srcastic and explain that mounting a radiator on a wall
connected to a gas boiler would be an improvement on what we have here. Also,
many places in the UK and Ireland have insulation on exterior walls already.

------
KevinMS
I just recently got a heating pad just for this purpose.

Its freezing here up in the NE. To save money (apartment has terrible
insulation) I got a heating pad with a 'stay on' feature.

Actually I had to get another one because my cat got the idea first and now
its hers.

[http://www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-2013-912-XpressHeat-Heating-
Ex...](http://www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-2013-912-XpressHeat-Heating-
Extra/dp/B005NZ66KU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423702394&sr=8-1&keywords=heating+pad)

Turned the apartment heat down to about 55 (it stays around 60 for some
reason), and I move the heating pad back and forth with from my office chair
to my lazy boy multiple times a day.

Feels great, and I'm very very comfortable. It must cost almost nothing to run
it all day, at least a lot less than heating a 3 bedroom apartment another 10
degrees.

~~~
yourneighbors
"(it stays around 60 for some reason)"

You're leeching heat from your neighbors.

~~~
hyperpape
And some larger buildings will actually attempt to charge you if they believe
you are doing this. It happened to a friend of mine some years ago.

------
GregBuchholz
They've got nothing on this guy:

Micro heaters cut 87% off my electric heat bill

[http://www.richsoil.com/electric-heat.jsp](http://www.richsoil.com/electric-
heat.jsp)

~~~
vinceguidry
One winter when I was younger and had my own apartment, I was shocked by how
much it cost to heat the whole townhouse, so I shut the heat off, enclosed my
computer desk with a 5' x 5' x 6' PVC framework over which I draped blankets.
Inside was a space heater that I only had to run for 10 minutes to get the
whole space nice and toasty. Moved out next year.

------
ashark
cmd+f "pipe"

0 results found

Try setting your heat to, say, 50 degrees F and you may discover you've got
some cold spots in your house when the pipes there freeze and burst. Let alone
if you try going for lower temperatures, or entirely without whole-house
heating.

So set it to the low 60s and wear layers? Welcome to what anyone who's ever
been even _close_ to poor already knows.

[edit] Maybe this is more useful in places that already barely need heating.
Winter lows in the 20s and 30s (F), that sort of thing.

~~~
_delirium
It's pretty common around here (Copenhagen) for people to set their radiators
to around 5-8 C (40-45 F) in rooms that they aren't using, or the whole
house/apartment to that temperature if they're gone for more than a day or so,
to save money on heating. Most radiators have a specific "frost protection"
setting, indicated by a little snowflake icon, which is set by the
manufacturer or building to whatever temperature they think is suitable for
frost protection (mine are at 5 C / 41 F). I haven't heard of anyone having
trouble with burst pipes from this setup.

Could be an issue with hollow-wall wood-frame construction and forced-air duct
heating? With brick/stone construction and regularly spaced radiators, things
typically won't freeze anywhere, even if you have the temperature set down to
5 C. It's also relatively uncommon for pipes here to be in outer walls; all of
mine are run along or in the interior walls.

~~~
maxerickson
I think as much as anything natural gas is cheap in the US.

Does a house usually cool all the way down to 5 if you are gone for the day? A
wood house definitely would (newer houses with better insulation might not,
but many standing houses would).

~~~
sk5t
No fuel source--apart from a wood- or coal-fired stove--is cheap enough in the
US for folks in coldish climates to be indifferent to heating costs. Natural
gas is probably the best deal right now, but lots of homes have oil or
electric and it doesn't make economic sense to cut over the equipment. Also
bear in mind a lot of the (populated, chilly) northeastern US's average
housing stock is older than many other places.

~~~
maxerickson
I think there are quite a lot of people who aren't terribly concerned about
their heating costing $2,000 vs $1500, and even more at $750 vs $500.

That doesn't mean there aren't lots of people on the other side of it making
sure to mind every dollar, just that you might expect the full range of
anecdotes in a typical discussion.

------
OneOneOneOne
This sounds like a good idea until mold starts growing in your house.

Back in the day the houses were not insulated as tightly and people did not
shower every day.

~~~
Theodores
In the UK we have plenty of old houses where there is no central heating,
double glazing, loft insulation or fitted carpet. Typically the windows are
wood framed 'sash' windows with the walls made from quite thick stone (1 - 4+
ft thick). Heating might be just the one fireplace with the kitchen cooker
also there to warm the house up. I grew up in such a house and not once did I
see mould.

Typically such houses were built centuries ago for 'cottage industries' such
as making cloth. Back then family sizes were much larger so herds of children
would also warm the place up. There might also be an actual herd of animals
too - pets as well as livestock, e.g. goats.

Also changed is global warming - the pipes would freeze in the 1970's.
Nowadays, nada.

There was an art to keeping warm. Most important - the fire. This would be
open and powered by coal or wood. It would not be 'turned on' until the
evening or early afternoon if it was the weekend (in winter). Once started the
fire would suck air from wherever possible so that was the primary source of a
draft. To mitigate the draft thick curtains would be the thing. The front door
would have a curtain as would internal doors to the living room.

If you wanted to keep the fire 'in' for the next day you could smother the
fire in coal and keep the ashes in underneath. Air would by restricted that
way so the fire would slowly burn through the available fuel. Rake it through
in the morning, top up with more coal and perhaps some kindling (a word I
haven't used in a while) and the fire would live another day. The default
would be 'off' though.

As for clothing, one word - layers. Wool rather than cotton or anything else.
The layers approach also worked for the bed. If you were lucky you might have
a hot water bottle, otherwise no heat in the bedrooms.

Due to the thick stone walls heat would be retained in winter and cold during
summer. Consequently, regardless of the time of year, there would never be
'T-Shirt' weather indoors. You would be acclimatised to the cold and expect to
see your breath in most of the house mid winter. There would also be that
thing where the side of you facing the fire would be red hot whilst your back
would be freezing. To solve this problem you would need the air to circulate,
so no standing right in front of the fire, blocking the heat, even if that was
very pleasurable to do.

A cast iron fire grate would be red hot and in your living room. Today's
central heating does not do 'red hot' in the living room - radiators don't
glow bright red like that although electric 'bar' fires get close.

As for showers, a bath, once a week was it. We actually had a copper bath in
front of the fire and that was filled with a hose connected to a twin-tub
washing machine. Emptying the bath involved making an actual siphon, there was
none of this 'plug' and 'plumbing' convenience. Needless to say it was very
easy to dry off in front of the fire and towels would be toasty.

Personally I prefer watching a fire to watching TV.

~~~
roel_v
Indoor fires are a massive, massive health risk. They are a major cause of
death in many countries where open fires are still the main heat source for
cooking. Even closed fireplaces are an environmental hazard, but more for the
surroundings. (I have a closed fireplace myself, got it installed about a year
ago, I'm not some tree hugger - but the facts are clear on this one).

The smothering of the fire is even worse. Try smothering a closed fireplace
and watch the glass of the doors turn black in a few hours. That's all stuff
that would have gone into the room, and into the lungs of those in there, had
there not been a door in the fireplace; and even with a door, there is still
hazardous material that makes it into the room.

~~~
Theodores
We had a chimney to take care of the smoke and the air draughted in was clean,
'country' air. There is also the matter of efficient burning, wet coal means a
chimney lined with soot.

The fire was also a 'dustbin' of sorts, you could incinerate anything if you
wanted. But plastics would give off dioxins etc. but there would be no smell
from chucking a plastic bag on the fire unless the fire was dying out.

Thinking of others though...

We made our towns and cities 'smokeless zones' many aeons ago due to the soot
making buildings black and 'pea-soupers'. Ironically the first smokeless zone
in the UK was in the street next to the factory that made 'smokeless coal'.
Needless to say the 'smokeless coal' factory was a massive polluter.

~~~
roel_v
Even with a chimney, an open fireplace is very dangerous because open
fireplaces do not burn hot enough to burn cleanly. True, wet coal (and wet
wood) make things even worse, but an open open fireplace with bone dry coal
(or wood) still doesn't burn cleanly. Burning anything plastic, rubber etc. is
still dangerous, even if you don't smell anything.

Closed fireplaces are a bit better but still dangerous, although (as you note)
more outside the house than inside. Wood or coal smoke is as dangerous as car
exhaust fumes, or worse, in terms of particulate matter, although of course in
most urban areas there is more particulate matter from cars than there is from
burning wood or coal. But measured levels of particulate matters in rooms with
fireplaces are as high as right next to highways, and often people spend more
time in those rooms than they do next to highways.

Anyway, lots of people grew up in houses that were heated with coal or wood
fires and only a small part of them got cancer from it, and as I mentioned I
had one installed last year because as they say 'it's easy to live to 100:
just give up everything that makes it worth to live to 100'. It's just that
this is one of my pet peeves to bring up to people (not saying you are one of
those) who think they're doing the environment a favor by not burning gas but
by burning wood - because hey, wood is 'renewable', right? It's quite strange
that so few people know about the health impacts of fireplaces, the scientific
literature is crystal clear on it yet I know of very few places where
residential burning of wood is subject to regulation, let alone prohibited.

~~~
Theodores
You are correct, however, there is just one thing. Despite our low-tech
primitive home, we also had a PAH monitor as in an industrial bit of kit that
measures polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. This could detect cigarette smoke
that had been acquired on one's breath down the pub an hour ago after a four
mile walk home. As a teenager I found this out 'the hard way'!!! Oddly enough
it did not bleep because the fire was 'on' and burning coal.

Anyway, I am willing to think differently about open fires, but again, there
is an art to having a fire. Building the thing and having it reliably start
with just the one match was a skill. I think that the size of the fireplace
was also important, to create a draught we could use a broadsheet newspaper
opened out and held over the fireplace surround. This would get it going
burning with ridiculously huge flames and a rocket-style roar.

Some people just don't get physics and plenty of friend's houses had those
horrible wood burning stoves that were a complete waste of time. Alternatively
there would be those huge fireplaces with no potential to do the 'newspaper
trick' for getting it going. These fires just lacked the airflow that a proper
fireplace/grate/fire combo should provide.

It is a pity that I don't have the PAH monitor, the fire and the other
variables needed to checkout what you are saying for myself. That said, the
PAH monitor only worked on things like benzene, I imagine that there is
everything up to and including uranium, asbestos and sulphur to check too.

------
jraedisch
A complementing approach is to teach yourself and others to tolerate lower
temperatures, especially in offices and other environments, where people have
to agree on a "comfy" heater setting. I wonder how much energy that could
save.

~~~
SixSigma
Except: fat people and thin people

~~~
kaybe
Adjust with woolen clothing. I can vary between 25°C and 15°C just by taking
off stuff or putting it back on. (Also needs adjustments for movement since I
warm up fast when I move.)

------
mikekchar
I find it interesting that they continually use the past tense in the article.
While it is true that the west has largely abandoned these ideas, they are
still very strong in the more temperate climates of Asia. I live in Shizuoka
prefecture in Japan. It does not get very cold here compared to my home town
of Winnipeg, Canada. On the very coldest days it might just dip below freezing
at night. While some people heat their homes, my experience is that most do
not.

It took me a long time to get used to it, but I prefer living this way. Since
most people have not experienced it, I will point out a few things.

1) I would not do this if the normal daytime temperature was not above
freezing. People's comments about water pipes bursting, etc, etc are right on.
But more to the point, it's just plain dangerous for your health. Instead, I
would heat the house to just above 5 degrees C (41 F) (see next point).

2) From experience, 5 degrees is the point at which my body starts to have
trouble. Below that, my extremities shut down and frostbite is absolutely
certain unless I am careful. Also, if you do not pay attention to your body,
it is easy to get too cold. This can raise your blood pressure. Then when you
warm yourself up, your blood pressure can crash. This can give you severe
headaches and can even be quite dangerous. To be honest, I'm actually fine
down to freezing temps if I pay attention, but the point at which I need to
pay attention seems to be about 5 degrees C.

3) Baths/showers. Some people commented about mold. Where I live, mold is a
constant problem because in the summer it often goes weeks on end without the
temperature dropping below 30C (86F) even at night. Humidity is usually in the
80% range. So we have mold problems all the time. The key is to wipe down the
surfaces with a towel after you have a bath and to air things out frequently
(see next point). But a bath/shower (preferably bath) is practically mandatory
when it is very cold. If you don't warm yourself up at least a few times a
day, you will have health problems. The best time is right before you go to
bed (this took a _lot_ of getting used to!). That's the time your body needs
the heat the most.

4) Airing out the house. The thing I could never figure out about Japanese
culture was opening the windows in the middle of winter every hour or so to
"exchange the air". Many people will use a small kerosene heater, so you need
to do this so that you don't die of carbon monoxide poisoning. We use a
charcoal hibachi (ceramic vase with ashes -- not a BBQ) to heat small areas
and need to do the same. But even if you are using fancy electric radiant
heaters (see below), Japanese people air out their houses frequently. That's
because they aren't heating the air. I now do it religiously too and I'm
convinced that it makes me feel better (the old me would think me absolutely
crazy and probably many people reading this think so too!)

5) Even though you are heating bodies, not air, it is best to create small
microclimates as stated in the article. Sliding paper doors and shoji screens
are the traditional way of doing it in Japan. A low coffee table with a
blanket over it and possibly a heater underneath as well (kotatsu) is
amazingly nice. It always seems a shame to destroy the cozy atmosphere when
you "exchange the air", but since the space is small, it heats up again very
quickly.

6) In Japan they recently came out with "smart" heaters. They have cameras
which can identify people and aim jets of warm air at the people. I've never
actually tried it, but people tell me they are amazing. Heating bodies, not
air does not have to be low tech!

7) Within reason, getting cold and then getting warm again is a pleasurable
experience. The thing I look forward to most in the winter are things like
jumping into bed with a hot water bottle when you are cold (seriously, if you
have never tried it, it's incredible). Eating hot soups and stews in the
winter are amazing. Warming your hands with a hot cup of coffee is wonderful.

When I first came to Japan, I asked an old woman what I could do to learn
Japanese culture. She told me that to be Japanese is to be acutely aware of
the seasons. It is the contrast that makes life interesting. In the winter it
is cold and in the summer it is hot. Avoiding the season by constantly
adjusting your environment robs you of that contrast. Over many years, I have
learned to appreciate and enjoy that advice, although at first it was horrible
;-) With time and experience, though, I feel that I am much better off living
this way. I hope this proves to be interesting to those who have never
experienced this way of life.

~~~
archagon
Man! How long does it take to get used to temperatures like that? As someone
who grew up in California, I simply can't _stand_ cold houses. If a house is
anything but warm in the winter — let alone 5°C — I get depressed and
miserable and completely lose my concentration. My home gets stripped of its
homeyness and I feel completely hostage to the environment.

~~~
mikekchar
Ummm... This is my 6th winter. It is probably the first winter that I have
consistently enjoyed ;-) Every year it gets better as I learn what to do and
what not to do. My mother in law has several forms of heat in her house but
absolutely refuses to turn it on. For a few years I was quite worried about
her, but I've since realized that she just likes winter. It is massive culture
shock at the beginning, though.

Being uncomfortable seems like something you should avoid. I think this is the
general culture of the west. However, as I have adapted to this way of living
I've come to realize that there are 2 kinds of discomfort -- discomfort that
injures you and discomfort that doesn't injure you. You can ignore the latter.

Perhaps the easiest way I can explain it is through food. Many people _love_
spicy food. The spicier the better. But it hurts! Why would you do that to
yourself? Similarly, in the US (and spreading fairly rapidly), incredibly
bitter beers are getting quite popular. Some of the highest rated beers are
actually hitting the threshold of bitterness that we can taste. The reason
people like these spicy and bitter foods is because along with the pain comes
an amazing flavour. If you could have the flavour without the pain, it
wouldn't be nearly as nice because it would be cloying.

This is also true of cold winters and hot summers. I admit that my capacity to
enjoy 30+ degree weather with 80-90 percent humidity far exceeds my capacity
to enjoy 5 degree weather with wind, but both are increasing each year.

If you would like to try this, I don't think there is any particular need to
turn off your heat every day through the winter. On a day that you feel
strong, accept that you will be miserable and turn off the heat. Then spend
the day trying to find good things (you have to try a hot water bottle!!!).
You will probably hate it, but you may surprise yourself that you discover
some very nice things. Just like getting used to hot food, you can try it
occasionally and perhaps even start to enjoy it.

~~~
archagon
Hmm, that's a very interesting way to look at it. So you would say you've
grown to enjoy the cold? I can definitely relate in that I used to _hate_
bitter beers and spicy foods, but now I've conditioned myself to love them by
forcing myself to eat them over the years. Eventually, hate turned to
tolerance turned to love. But there, I could see the benefit: both opened up
an entirely new world of food for me. What does the cold get you, aside from a
lower heating bill?

~~~
mikekchar
I would have to say that I don't actually like the cold :-) What I like is the
contrast. The sun is nice. The sun shining down on you in a protected area (or
through a window!) on a cold day is indescribably wonderful. I never used to
like soup particularly much, but on a cold day I practically die for it. That
kind of thing.

------
merraksh
Seems related to a recent news about nanowire clothes for personal heating:

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8856501](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8856501)

This said, I tried working at my computer for a few hours in a cold room with
layers on but, obviously, no gloves, and my hands didn't like it.

The same was at school age: to save on heating we'd only heat up the kitchen
(around 19C, 65F) so my brothers and I would do our homework there instead of
our rooms (15C, or 59F).

------
tim333
I spent a couple of months on a mountain at temps down to -20C and high winds
with no heating without getting cold by wearing a down suit like this

[http://www.rockrun.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9...](http://www.rockrun.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/e/x/exped-
suit__03382.jpg)

but I can't see it catching on. People like their comforts.

~~~
p8952
They look like they start at around $1000+, which means you are looking at
about 1 year before it pays itself off. Based on my estimated heating bill
anyway.

Additionally the biggest problem I find when turning off the heating in winter
is hands and feet. You can wear gloves but then you can't type.

~~~
kaybe
I like fingerless gloves (or get cheap ones and cut the tips off), but I also
know people who feel hindered by them.

~~~
smcl
I do too but endlessly explaining to colleagues\friends why I'm wearing
"homeless" gloves is tiresome. I don't know why people fail to see their
utility, and indeed forget the explanation after a week and ask me again :-/

------
marcusgarvey
I remember seeing something about an idea to use individual wristbands that
would give off electric impulses which would make you _feel_ cooler or warmer.
I believe some prototypes were being worked on. Wish I could recall the people
/ startup involved. Does it ring a bell for anyone?

~~~
DanBC
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6646074](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6646074)

[http://www.wired.com/2013/10/an-ingenious-wristband-that-
kee...](http://www.wired.com/2013/10/an-ingenious-wristband-that-keeps-your-
body-at-the-perfect-temperature-no-ac-required/)

~~~
marcusgarvey
Thanks!

------
Scoundreller
3 Points:

1\. Cars are moving into this with heated seats, and even heated steering
wheels. Electric cars in cooler climates that don't have the excess heat
production of an IC engine will depend on it to keep occupants warm.

2\. There was an article a while back on HN about a fellow that had a computer
desk with a heated keyboard, heated mouse, heated floor mat (designed for
animal cages) and a warm incandescent light pointing at them.

3\. The IoT can't happen fast enough. I want my electric blanket to talk to my
HVAC system to know when to turn each other on or off. And my HVAC to interact
with my flight schedule or my phone's GPS to turn up/down the temperature and
_know_ when to turn on so it's still toasty when I get home.

~~~
na85
Heated steering wheels might seem like frivolities at first glance, but
they're actually an important safety measure.

Lots of people drive with only the fingertips of one hand in the cold mornings
because of cold steering wheels. Heating the steering wheel encourages the
driver to keep both hands on the wheel, which is particularly valuable in
winter when road conditions can be poor.

~~~
ryanlol
This is actually even more important in cooler climates, where you may need to
scrape the ice off of your car right before driving. Having frozen hands most
definitely does not make driving easier.

------
erikb
I don't know about other people but since I have to pay for heating I am
deeply interested in this topic. The article provides a conclusion, but what
are solution options? How to exactly use the classic principles with modern
technology for more efficiency?

And the second point is that I am a lot more comfortable in an air heated
system than a radiator system. Having a radiator warming me means one side of
me is too warm and the other too cold, also eyes and breathing pathways get
dried out a lot more, and I still need more clothing. Wearing less and having
no dried eyes is a clear advantage of air heating.

~~~
SixSigma
Tune in next week to find out!

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empressplay
Down here in Australia central heating is (also) not very common, and at least
around Melbourne it can dip to freezing or below throughout July and August.
Generally only one room of the house is heated (often the room with the air
conditioner on heat setting). Beds have electric blankets or hot water
bottles, and otherwise you wear several layers if you want to be warm
elsewhere. The curious thing is that gas is prevalent but gas furnaces are
not, and electricity is too expensive to use to heat an entire house.

~~~
stephen_g
I think it's crazy how badly we insulate our houses in Australia. I live in
Brisbane, and many houses just aren't insulated at all, like old Queenslanders
[1] that just let the wind blow through underneath the floorboards and in
through cracks in the walls, and even new-builds hardly have any... You'd
think it never gets cold here, but it really does for a couple of months at
least... What you end up with is houses that cost craploads to heat or cool
and just have generally terrible thermal performance.

Sydney and Melbourne (that have colder winters) aren't much better...

I hope to build a house eventually, and fully intend to pack it with
insulation, air-seal it as much as possible, use all double-glazed windows,
and then use an energy recovery ventilation system to stop condensation and
mould problems and reduce the load on the heating/cooling system. From my
research, it looks like even a small PV solar system on the roof should be
enough to completely offset the heating and cooling costs and keep the entire
building at a comfortable temperature.

1\.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queenslander_%28architecture%2...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queenslander_%28architecture%29)

------
tomohawk
Makes me think of this: [http://www.richsoil.com/rocket-stove-mass-
heater.jsp](http://www.richsoil.com/rocket-stove-mass-heater.jsp)

------
praptak
Christopher Alexander (of the Patterns fame) gives props to this concept in "A
Pattern Language": Pattern 230, "Radiant Heat":[http://patterns-
dev.github.io/patterns/newpat/newpat230/newp...](http://patterns-
dev.github.io/patterns/newpat/newpat230/newpat230.htm)

------
username223
I'm disappointed not to see anything about "Human Heater." Just microwave 'em!

------
thewarrior
This reminds me of Human Heater from HBO's Silicon Valley.

~~~
jtn_001
Same thought, It's tagline was "Making World a Better Place" :) !! People
reaction was "Brutal"

------
sanatgersappa
or you could just move to the tropics ;-)

~~~
stonlyb
Miami is nice this time of year. actually all year round.

