I want to figure out if it may be possible to live in the house with no furnace while the basement is gutted. I'm considering heating with oil-filled electric space heaters for a period of 1-2 weeks, until approx Dec 7. That will allow time for the basement gutting/cleaning and for cleaning/sanitizing the ducts so that an HVAC can be safely installed with no concerns about blowing spores through the house.

My question is whether it would be too much of a burden on the electrical system to run 5 space heaters at 1500 watts each. Given that this is a poorly insulated 1600 sq foot house (not counting the 500 sq ft basement), I don't expect that the heaters would do anything except take the chill out of the air and keep pipes from freezing. One heater in a small room will provide a comfortable place for one person to sleep for a week or two. I'll be living alone in the house during this time.

Provided that the wiring is in good shape, is 5 x 1500-watts too much to ask of an electrical system? Again, this would be for 1-2 weeks. In reality, I would probably run the heaters at less than the full 1500 watts, but I am wondering about a scenario where I run them all at 1500 watts. In early December in DC we have average lows around 32 and highs around 50.

Thanks.
Ryan

A 1500 watt heater will pull about 12.5 amps. That is the max that you would want on any 15 amp circuit. That means a few things:

1. You can't run virtually anything else on that circuit besides the heater.

2. No way you can run two heaters on one circuit.

3. If you have marginal branch wiring it may cause it to fail.

So, the answer to your question is that if your electrical is in good shape and if you keep the heaters on separate circuits and you don't do anything stupid like use extension cords this will work. I can't tell you it will keep your house warm though.

BTW: Make sure your smoke detectors are working.

Thanks. I think I better not attempt using space heaters as a primary heat source even for a short while. I'll just have to arrange things so the basement gut job can get done fast, and then clean the ducts, then install furnace and move in.

"Make sure your smoke detectors are working."

Absolutely.

You are correct, it's not the main service that's the problem. It's the branch wiring that is the problem.

For some reason that I can't figure out, many branch circuits for outlets are wired with 14 gauge wire on a 15 amp breaker and use push-in connections on the back of the outlet. While this is all up to code, in practice it's really marginal.

A 1500 watt heater (the highest allowed for a portable electric heater) will immediately load the circuit to the full 80% of the rated amperage of the circuit which is the max for a continuous load on a circuit.

It will all technically work... but in reality people have other things on the branch circuit that puts the circuit over the 80% rating. In addition, marginal connections such as the push in terminals on the backs of the outlets begin to fail due to being repeatedly cycled at max capacity. The result is a failed circuit if you are lucky or a fire if you aren't. If you have doubts, just google "fire space heater"

All of my branch circuits are 20 amp with 12 gauge wire and I always use the screw terminals. I've never been sorry that I've spent the few extra bucks.

I rented a cheap apartment in college with non-functional central heat. ~800sqft. A single oil-filled radiator could usually maintain the inside temp until it got below 30F outdoors. Making any gains required a 2nd heater. BUT, for keeping the bedroom and bathroom area warm, one heater was more than enough and even cycled on & off at night. Granted, I'm in Florida, but the temperatures were running 25-40F when I broke out the heaters.

Any idea how large (capacity) your current furnace is? FWIW the oil filled radiators are good for 5,000 BTUs @ 1500 watts. Also keep in mind furnaces are usually sized for the worst-case scenario, so anywhere from 1/2 to 3/4 the furnace's capacity should handle the heat loss. The usual advice of keeping curtains closed, sealing air leaks, etc is always good practice.

I'm not sure of your house's electrical system and floorplan, but I've been known to run temporary electric lines during construction. Nothing wrong with it as long as you're careful and not overloading things. Romex (NOT extension cords) hanging above doorframes isn't attractive but is reasonably safe (keep it elevated, don't walk on it) and will get you through the remodel. I've done a lot of this post-hurricane when the building's electrical system is questionable.

Jake: I thought I was the only one who overbuilt branch circuits. I actually got into a pissing match with an inspector over it. He wanted the 12ga replaced with 14ga and only 15A receptacles. I also insist on no more than two receptacles per breaker in bedrooms, minimum of 40a available per bedroom, 1 breaker per 20A receptacle in kitchens and outdoors. Not having any voltage swings or voltage drop = priceless.