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Jack Thompson

Jan 14, 2003, 7:42 PM

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Heating your home in winter

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I have read that it often gets below 50 degrees f, and sometimes gets into the 40's. I find it difficult to believe that some type of heat isn't needed to take that chill out of the air in the mornings. How do you heat your homes?

Jerry@Ajijic

Jan 14, 2003, 7:59 PM

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Re: [Jack Thompson] Heating your home in winter

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Hi,

Many homes have fire places. We heat our living room/dining room/tv room with a small portable gas heater. For the bath rooms when taking a shower we have small electric heaters. We only use the electric heat when showering as electricity is not CHEAP.

Jerry

Jan 14, 2003, 8:18 PM

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Re: [Jerry@Ajijic] Heating your home in winter

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Are fireplace inserts available there,or should you bring them with you when you move there.Are they expensive there?

Rolly / Moderator

Jan 14, 2003, 8:18 PM

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Re: [Jack Thompson] Heating your home in winter

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I live a good bit farther north where it sometimes gets down to freezing and is often in the 40’s at night. I have been in many homes here and have never seen one that is heated. In my house I have a small electric heater in the bathroom. I have another heater that I can move around as I wish. But, as Jerry says, the cost of electricity is so high that it is just not practical to keep a house toasty warm. We don't have natural gas, and the cost of propane rules that out for home heating, so I do the same thing all my friends do -- wear a sweater in the house.

I notice that my Mexican friends seem to be much colder than I am, just as they don’t get as hot as I in the summer. Where I live it gets sizzling hot in the summer, so I had rather wear a sweater in the winter so I can use my bucks for the A/C in the summer.

Rolly Pirate

Don

Jan 14, 2003, 8:43 PM

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Re: [Jack Thompson] Heating your home in winter

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We have weather very similar to Chapala/Ajijic and have several small electric heaters. We probably only use ours 4 or 5 evenings a year, for a couple of hours, when watching T.V. We basically have them for when the grandchildren are here for a visit and might need them at night. We do have electric blankets that we use at night. We have found that at this time of the year, if it is overcast all day long, the house becomes very chilly at night. But, when it is warm and sunny all day, the house holds some of the heat and is not that cold. Since I was out of the country for 8 weeks and just returned last week, I am not speaking for this year and I understand the weather has been colder this year.

(This post was edited by Don on Jan 14, 2003, 8:45 PM)

jennifer rose

Jan 14, 2003, 9:22 PM

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Re: [Don] Heating your home in winter

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Oh, it’s much colder than that where I live. Even in June, as soon as the sun drops, so too do the temps. Not infrequently, it’s warmer outside than in.

We have fireplaces, but firewood can be costly. Gas logs are a lot cleaner. We use the electric heaters only a few hours each year, making it a game to see how long we can hold off.

Mostly, it’s a matter of dressing appropriately. Silk long underwear, layering, rebozos, a scarf covering my head. I probably wear a sweater at least part of the day 11 months out of the year. Risking the appearance of looking as though we came straight from the shtetl to Mexico, head coverings can make a huge difference.

Johnny

Jan 15, 2003, 4:35 AM

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Re: [jennifer rose] Heating your home in winter

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You would think that solar heat would be in widespread use down there.

ChrisB

Jan 15, 2003, 6:41 AM

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Re: [Jack Thompson] Heating your home in winter

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It takes a litle while if you are from northern climes to adjust to the idea that a house made out of block, rebar, brick and cement holds heat and cold differently than your typical stick/wood built house. We have a small gas heater in the bedroom, and gas logs in the fireplace in the great room. This time of year we use flannel sheets and one blanket plus bedspread on the bed. When I get up in the morning it still isn't so cold that I feel like an Eskimo. I wear a warm robe and slippers and by 10:00 we usually have the doors open!

Depending on which way the house and windows and doors face it will/may heat up quite quickly and even after the sun goes down hold that heat for quite some time. But yes as Jennifer said even here in Ajijic I dress in layers when I get dressed and put on or take off the layers as the day progresses.

pedro naco

Jan 15, 2003, 3:57 PM

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arbon

Jan 15, 2003, 4:10 PM

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pedro naco

Jan 15, 2003, 4:26 PM

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arbon

Jan 15, 2003, 5:12 PM

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pedro naco

Jan 15, 2003, 5:24 PM

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Frank Burton

Jan 25, 2003, 9:37 AM

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Re: [jennifer rose] Heating your home in winter

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Jennifer Rose mentioned that it's quite a bit colder than that where she lives. As I recall, that's Morelia, which is quite a bit higher in altitude than Lakeside and therefore generally colder.

Johnny, I haven't heard anybody talk about using, say, an active solar heat storage system, or even consciously utilizing passive solar heat systems. But, whether consciously thinking in those terms or not, the construction Lakeside is virtually all brick and concrete and plaster and stucco and ceramic tiles. And all of those materials are wonderfully effective at passively storing solar heat during the day and releasing it at night.

People say that this winter has been the coldest they remember Lakeside for at least 10-15 years. I have an indoor/outdoor high/low thermometer, and even on the nights when the temperature outside has gotten down to the mid-40s, the nighttime low inside the house has been near 60. Sweaters, caps and very occasional use of an electric heater have been quite enough.

And we're just across the street from the lakebed, in other words at about the lowest elevation possible Lakeside, and therefore the coldest. As I'm sure you know, in a given area with hills and valleys, the cold night air tends to settle into the low spots.

sidandsara

Jan 25, 2003, 2:05 PM

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Thanks Pedro, that's one of the reasons we want to move there, is the weather! We don't mind some cold though especially since so many of the homes have fireplaces. So good, don't have to invest in an insert.

Linda

Jan 25, 2003, 6:47 PM

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Re: [pedro] Heating your home in winter

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Yo Pedro,yes it has a fireplace.Where are you going to get firewood?It does have gas run to it.I didn't see any house there burning real firewood.They all had fireplace inserts,hooked to there gas line to fireplace.If you could get firewood,if,it cost to much.It has gotten pretty cold therethis winter.Electric heaters cost a arm and a leg to run there.So gas is the best thing to burn in your fireplace....

Freezing In Dallas,Be there Soon!!!!!!!!!!!

esperanza

Jan 25, 2003, 7:41 PM

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Re: [Ed] Heating your home in winter

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Hmmm Ed...I burn wood, my two across-the-street neighbors burn wood, most everybody I know burns wood. Just because you didn't see it happening doesn't mean it isn't here. Be careful about assumptions. By the way, gas is expensive too...more expensive than wood. Here's where we get the wood: the woodmonger brings it in his truck. A load of mesquite was 400 pesos this year, and it will last me a couple of seasons...compared to 700 pesos to fill up the gas tank, which, if I were using it in the fireplace, would last me about a month. I've burned a fire just about every evening for two months.

What I have noticed is that new people from colder climates come down here for the first time and feel like it's Spring in January; a couple of years later those same people are freezing in the Winter just like us long-timers. Seems like it's all relative. I know that this year I'm still in long-sleeved turtlenecks and a sweater and standing in the sun to keep warm, while recently-arrived visitors from the Frozen Northland are in tank tops and shorts.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

Jan 25, 2003, 9:08 PM

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Re: [esperanza] Heating your home in winter

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Hello Esperanza,I was going by other posts that I have seen on here that said firewood was expensive if you could find it.And electric heaters were to costly to run,so not assumptions on my part.Just going by what I read on here.If what I have read about this on here is wrong,that's all I have to go by untill we move there in Feb.Then I will find out for myself.If you buy firewood for 400 pesos is that for a cord of wood ,that is a very good price.Maybe I'll burn wood,gas is alot cleaner though and easy to use.Or maybe I'll put my Hog in the living room and fire it up,maybe to much noise,ha.Like I said,I assume what people post on here are somewhat true.Won't assume anymore thanks........

sidandsara

Jan 25, 2003, 9:24 PM

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Re: [esperanza] Heating your home in winter

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Esperanza, do you recommend an insert?

Linda

pedro naco

Jan 25, 2003, 10:26 PM

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