How to heat my 1970 mobile home.?

Question

I just spent $200 to fill my propane tank 9 days ago and they put in 68 gallons and it is now empty.

Even when I have the tempature set on 65 it feels llike 50.

The air that blows through the vents is not really hot just warm and sometimes cold.

The mobile home itself is really old.

It was made in 1970, so the insulation is really bad to.

I dont know what to do.

I have electric heaters running but they dont do much besides run up my electric bill. ($42 last month)

Would it be best to convert my propane heater to something else or will that even help.

What can I do.

My pipes keep freezing inside the trailer and one of them burst last month. (Not outside the trailer, not underneath the trailer, but inside the trailer. That's right, it is below freezing inside my trailer)
Please help.
I dont know what to do and dont say something stupid like turn your thermostat down. I am honestly at the point of suicide all ready dont push me over the edge. I keep it at 60.

$42 was how much the electric heaters caused the electric bill to go up. Not the total.

The total electric bill was 122.67

I cant afford to spend $200 every 9 days for half way decent heat and 122.67 a month for electricity.

Answer 1

I have an old trailer too. 1970 or 71.

One thought I had was to look under the trailer and check and see If any holes have developed. I've found that animals have torn through the cheap fiber board (it's just a little better than card board) It covers the chamber that runs the length of the trailer, that houses the water lines and the heating ducts. Several sections were hanging down. That allowed freezing air to get in there and freeze pipes and it 'diluted' the recirculating heating air that was being sent back to the furnace. I got under there and covered those holes with plywood and stuffed in fiberglass insulation where I could. Now the floor doesn't feel as cold and the hot air coming from the ducts is hot.

One other thing: I once found one of my ducts under the trailer (in that chamber mentioned above) had rotted a hole in it, so hardly any heat was coming from one of the vents in the floor. I had to get under there and replace part of the duct work. ugg. that was tough.

Gradually I've been working on it. Re-insulating the walls, Installing new windows, etc. So it's been feeling better. I do a little bit each year as i can afford. I work on it in the summer. Right now it would be tough.

We still keep the temp between 62 and 65. It was $1200 for mobile home blend oil to heat this year. I prepaid for it, which turned out was a little dumb, as the price went down about 30¢
a gallon a couple months later.

My wife bakes to share with others; that in turn, warms the house up. We've had others come over and help us on a project; they're more willing if we had something delicious to offer them.

I noticed others offered several good ideas here. There are a few of us struggling with similar circumstances out there. I type as I sit with a cup of hot coffee and long underwear, reminding my self the days are getting longer and spring will be here soon.

Answer 2

First try to block the wind from getting under your trailer. Keep the doors under sink open so the pipes don't freeze and anywhere else they might be hidden. If possible, I would try to cover the trailer with tarps. Beware of possibly shutting off fresh air inside the trailer as you try to make it tighter from the weather. Electricity is probably more expensive for heating then propane. Depends on your local rates and the efficiency of your propane heater. Electric heaters are all 100% efficient regardless of cost of heater. You have to figure out how much are paying for a kilowatt hour to figure out which is cheaper. The one kilowatt gives you 3100 BTU, one gallon propane gives you 90,000 BTU. Good luck

Answer 3

Have you considered trading your 1970 model mobile home in for a newer one. Newer trailers are made with 2 x 6's and are better insulated, have much better furnaces and have more space. A mobile home dealer will take your old one in trade. With the price you are paying for fuel I would consider trading up. You do not have to buy a NEW unit, just one more recent. There are a lot of people that cannot make the payments are are willing to sell. Take a good look at repossessions.

Answer 4

The little ceramic heaters that rotate are not too bad on electricity. A kerosene heater might work as well. If you are having financial difficulties with your light bill, simply call up your power company, explain the situation, and they will set up some easier payment arrangements for you. Who is your energy provider? Also, be sure to have all windows sealed and feel for any cracks around your doors. Being a mobile home as it is, it will be a challenge for it to keep heat. Weather stripping and good old fashioned towels work good for sealing cracks.

Answer 5

I have a 1971 mobil home that has a coleman gas furnace, located in the bathroom closet. There are floor vents in every room. It works really well, although I do suggest putting plastic sheeting over the windows in the winter, because trailers really don't seem very airtight. I live in Arizona, but this winter has been very cold. My gas bill last month was $81.00

Answer 6

Have you tried using the foam installation around the windows and ceiling and floors? Tape for the doors. Another layer of carpet. Try just heating the one room you will occupy, move the TV into the bedroom and just stay in one room. Get a space heater for the bathroom so you won't freeze. Wrap your pipes that are exposed. And Good Luck

Answer 7

It might help to put plastic over you windows.
There is window plastic at hardware stores, that you tape to the frame of the window and then use your blow dryer to shrink it.
It works really well for keeping heat in and drafts out.
I believe you need to call the propane company and have them look at your heating unit, it should not be putting out cold air, you may have a leak or crack in you air ducts. You might want to crawl under your trailer and have a look.
Hope this helps and good luck.

Answer 8

i live in an old trailer too.. i had to block off all my rooms leaving me with just the living room to heat and it is still too cold.. well i have a small heater for bathroom when i bathe but its goes right off when im done.. i wear my housecoat all day and night until its bed time. i dont sleep with my heater on so it gets very very very cold in here but id rather be cold than take a chance of burning to death.. i have a window heater/air conditioner and it doesnt kick on and off so i turn it off when i sleep.... i wish 42 dollars was all my winter electric bill was... sometimes i get so mad at the way i live but then again im so thankful that im not trying to find a cardboard box big enough to sleep in...

Answer 9

try insulating it