As a follow-up to my blog post on Tiny House Cold Climate Prep, I’m going to explain my Tiny House heating, which is suitable for wintering in the frigid Rocky Mountains. I did a lot of research, and trial and error, before deciding on these heat systems. I hope it’s helpful for all you Tiny House cold weather lovers!
You may also want to check out my FULL TINY HOUSE MATERIALS LIST
It’s important to have more than one type of heat source in any home, especially in cold climates. For my Tiny House heating, I use electric heat and a wood burning stove. This way, if one of my heat sources breaks, I always have a backup. Below I’ve listed my chosen heating appliances.
Tiny House Heating – The Envi Heater
The electric Envi heater is a popular choice for Tiny House heating, and here’s why –
- Efficiency – Uses only 450 watts and is rated to heat 130 square feet. For extremely cold climates, two units may be necessary.
- Compact Footprint – It’s wall mounted, 2 inches thick and weighs only 10 pounds.
- Affordable – Retails for $139.95
- Easy to install
- Silent
- Built-in Thermostat
I mounted the Envi heater in my bathroom because my wood stove is located on the other side of our trailer. This helps distribute the heat evenly when I run both heaters at the same time. If you are only going to be using the Envi to heat your Tiny Home, I would suggest mounting it in a central location.
In the Rocky Mountains, I sometimes see temperatures as low as -15F. I like to leave the Envi running 24 hours a day, while using my wood stove as a secondary heat source in the evening and early morning.
Tiny House Heating – Kimberly Wood Stove
The Kimberly is arguably the best wood stove for Tiny Houses, and here’s why –
- Efficiency – Long burn times on a single load of fuel (dry seasoned hard wood or compressed saw dust)
- Clean Burning – Produces just 3.2 grams/hour, less than half the allowed EPA emissions
- Compact Footprint – For a wood stove, the Kimberly is tiny and weighs only 56 pounds.
- Compact Flue – Many wood stoves require a 6 inch flue, where as the Kimberly requires only a 3 inch double wall pellet stove flue. This means the flue will be less expensive and it will save you space.
- Free Fuel Source – If you have access to wood, you can heat your home for free!
- Off-grid Capabilities – No power necessary
- Dehumidifier – Condensation can be a problem when heating a tiny space. The Kimberly produces dry heat that will dehumidify.
- Pulls oxygen from floor vent. This is HUGE. Many wood stoves pull oxygen from the interior of your house, and in a Tiny House that can be dangerous.
- Cook Top Surface
- The only wood stove certified to be placed in an RVIA certified RV
- Ambiance & Awesome Factor
Is there anything better than sitting in front of a fire on a cold evening?
The Kimberly/Envi combo has kept my house toasty at 72 degrees when the temperature outside is in the single (or negative) digits.
The Kimberly retails for $3,995, not including the chimney pipe and floor pad. This is a huge investment, but it may be worth it for the energy savings and off-grid capabilities.
Tiny House Heating for ALL Temperatures
I use the Envi heater on days when the average daily temperature is 32 degrees or warmer. When the average daily temperature drops below 32 degrees, I use the Kimberly wood stove at night. By doing this, my Tiny Home maintains 60-75 degrees inside.
I also have a third heat source – a small, cheap space heater. I don’t like to use this heater because it’s not energy efficient, but sometimes it’s easier to use the space heater and Envi together rather than chop wood and start a fire. That being said, when I am on solar power, the space heater would pull too much electricity.
Other Things to Consider for Tiny House Heating:
- Insulation: Start with a high R-value
- Trailer Skirt: Like insulation, a skirt will keep heat from escaping
- Foam for Windows: We are placing foam boards over our skylights and a few windows to reduce heat escaping.
- Human heaters: Each person puts off 100W of heat (and a bunch of moisture).
- Pets put off heat as well (and moisture)
- Cooking puts off heat (and moisture)
- Heat rises: Your loft is the hottest part of your house; your floor is the coldest. Purchase slippers!
There is no such thing as an efficient or inefficient electric heater. Both your Envi and your cheap space heater turn 100% of the electricity they are receiving into heat. If anything the cheap heater is more efficient, because it brings the heat exactly where it is needed (rather than against the walls where the heat loss is maximal).
On that note, heating blankets are probably the most efficient way of heating yourself during the night: because all the heat they generate is between you and some very good insulation (the blanket), some very low power (less than 100W) can keep you very warm.
If you have a wood stove you can also leave a teapot on top of it. When feeling a bit cold (and before going to bed) you can pour the (now hot) water in a hot water bottle to keep warm.
Stove fans are quite useful too: they are fans powered by heat (no battery) that you leave on top of your stove, and will blow the hot air away from the stove and into the living area. Their main issue is that they are quite fragile, so if you’re clumpsy you will probably end up regularly bumping it off the stove, until it just doesn’t work anymore.
There is no such thing as an efficient or inefficient electric heater. Both your Envi and your cheap space heater turn 100% of the electricity they are receiving into heat. If anything the cheap heater is more efficient, because it brings the heat exactly where it is needed (rather than against the walls where the heat loss is maximal).
On that note, heating blankets are probably the most efficient way of heating yourself during the night: because all the heat they generate is between you and some very good insulation (the blanket), some very low power (less than 100W) can keep you very warm.
If you have a wood stove you can also leave a teapot on top of it. When feeling a bit cold (and before going to bed) you can pour the (now hot) water in a hot water bottle to keep warm.
Stove fans are quite useful too: they are fans powered by heat (no battery) that you leave on top of your stove, and will blow the hot air away from the stove and into the living area. Their main issue is that they are quite fragile, so if you’re clumpsy you will probably end up regularly bumping it off the stove, until it just doesn’t work anymore.
Hi Jenna! Thanks for these articles on winterizing your Tiny. I’m a new owner of a 266 sq ft., located in the foothills of Colorado. Winter is coming and I have a couple of questions!
I am wondering if you’ve used heating lamps under your tiny home for heat, or know about that and can offer me your knowledge/ advice.
Also, I’m skirting my Tiny with rigid foam board and don’t know what to do with the drain pipe. Does its mouth stay inside or outside of the skirt? Currently my drain pipe ends just short of the edge of my house, so when I put the skirt up, the mouth of the drain pipe is on the inside.
Thanks much!
Author
Hi Victoria. For the drainpipe I think you can have it either way. You may need to make sure it’s on enough of a slope and it could require insulating itself. I had one burst because water was pooling inside and then it froze. Don’t let that happen to you! I’ve never used heat lamps, and I’m not sure I would recommend it. Sounds scary.
Thank you so much for sharing this kind of article. A lot of information about tiny house heating. Very informative and helpful. Thanks.
Author
No problem! I’m glad you found it helpful.