That's a lot of volume to try to heat with that amount of power.
If you can't insulate, then you need to stop all air flow. Floors, baseboards, window sills(enclosing woodwork), door sills, and any ceiling woodwork, plus an air tight plastic seal on windows will pay off in the long run.

A couple of IR sensors could determine IR direction thru window, and control a curtain.

If you can not increase electrical power, you might consider a small potbelly stove. There ought to be a chimney nearby in that old house. If not, or unusable, there are small chimney kits now.

You should find coal nearby. Always boil water on the stove.

 

I can't seem to manage 'really simple' without coming off as condescending

An exacerbation countenanced via habitually eloquent oratory?
Actually, I believe you're correct. Us country bumpkins can get away with things that just don't suit your style, but in this case, I think the TS actually needs some very basic information. I can't quite get a grasp on Homework level thought, and I was too tired to do justice at midnight, but I think I eventually addressed this one well enough.

 

(I'm guessing the NEC would be averse?)

Blatantly!

 

An alternative to a standard space heater is one of those radiant heaters with a reflector, (usually parabolic with no fan) such as one of these, to provide more heat to your location in the room.
They don't heat the room any better (watts is watts) but they warm up any object (including your body) that's in the path of the radiant energy and make you feel warmer than the room temperature would otherwise.
It can make you more comfortable, with less energy used (or available), than a space heater that's trying to heat the whole room.
Out daughter uses one in her cold basement sewing room and she says it works well to keep her toasty, even when the room is otherwise uncomfortably cold.

 

They don't heat the room any better (watts is watts) but they warm up any object (including your body)

That's what I was thinking when I said, heat the person, not the room. (post #13)
Car air conditioners work on this principle. Cooling the inside of the car, as if it is a house, is not sufficient because of the direct sun on the people. You have to deliver the cold air directly at the people in a car, and similarly, radiant heat directed at a person will accomplish what distributed heating will not accomplish.

 

Get 220 up there even if you have to run conduit up an outside wall and get one of these.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200452347_200452347
I have one like it in a 20 X 40 out building. Takes a couple hours to warm the building if I start it when the building is really cold (20+-) but once it's warm it will it will keep it warm and toasty.

Or at least get a real space heater, those little ceramic space heaters are for warming your feet under a desk and are basically junk.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200631840_200631840
Just be careful with it, many house fires are caused by space heaters running on poor wiring.

Best would be option #1 as you would know the wiring is good and you could leave it on without fear of a fire.

Lol, yup. That's exactly what I thought about. Get 220 up here, because boy o boy, this is ridiculous. Just found out that the radiators are also leaking, so that explains why I gotta keep refilling the steam boiler downstairs.

We are renting. So the landlord needs to do something. He's gonna hear from me real soon about the radiators leaking, and there not being any heat up here. This is the attic for christs sake, it should be one of the hottest rooms in the house. In the summer time it get's well over 100°F up here. I went out and bought a 8,100 BTU GE AC, and it barely keep the room cool. It's the biggest I could get that just fits into the window up here. It's a normal window, but 8,100 is the largest width/BTU that will fit.

As for the space heater.. yeah, your right it is junk. I actually have my 20" Lasko box fan in front of it right now, and it helps a bunch, but I'm afraid that when night time comes tonight, it's going to do jack vs. the poor insulated walls & ceiling. I like your reply it's really good, but I've thoght about running 220 up here, and it doesn't seem possible for a rental.

As for the other links, thanks alot, I'll look into the other things you've posted.

 

54°F isn't that cold; I was taught to put on another layer instead of trying to heat the whole room...

 

We are renting. So the landlord needs to do something.

Maybe a new dwelling is in your future? You'll be happier and your landlord won't be up a creek when the house burns down due to some jury rigged heater setup.

 

I feel your pain. Last night it got down to 69 degrees here. I was freezing my butt off! I had to dig out my long sleeve T-shirts!

Yeah, 54°F inside. 9°F outside. That's ridiculous.

 

So why not just run and extension cord from another rom that is on a different circuit and have two heaters going?

Or is there something about this that is too obvious for me to catch?

Very nice. I've thought about it. Seriously, I really have. I do have more than one heater. I thought about taking power from the light socket by using an adapter.

 

Maybe a new dwelling is in your future? You'll be happier and your landlord won't be up a creek when the house burns down due to some jury rigged heater setup.

He's gonna be up shits creek by the time I get threw with em. The radiators are leaking, and got my brother in law's fiance room wet. Leaked right through the ceiling in his/her room. Not to mention my room also has water in the carpet with my radiator.

 

Or... Derive 240V via connection to two receptacles which being on opposite sides of the distribution transformer's secondary? (I'm guessing the NEC would be averse?)

Wired such as Kitchen receptacle?

Max.

 

Count your blessings! -- It got down to negative 23°F here last night -- and I'm not talkin' windchill...

Duluth, MN, eh?
I moved from central Wisconsin many years ago to escape the deep freeze.
I forgot which day we celebrated summer.

 

Count your blessings! -- It got down to negative 23°F here last night -- and I'm not talkin' windchill...

I am almost directly above you by ~ 370miles.
Max.

 

Fairly rare to have a "regular" single room fed by 2 breakers (sides of transformer) in the US anyways so 240V is probably out of the question for sure..

And most if not all space heaters specifically call out "no extension cords".. even if used temporarily.. so pulling from another room is out (if you want to follow the laws)..

 

.................
And most if not all space heaters specifically call out "no extension cords".. even if used temporarily.. so pulling from another room is out (if you want to follow the laws)..

I don't think that's a law, just an advisory.
I see no problem with using an extension cord as long as it's of sufficient gauge (14AWG or larger power extension cord) and not a standard small appliance extension cord.

 

I don't think that's a law, just an advisory.

The NEC names, "permanent" use of extension cords as forbidden. As for the advice given on the space heater, it is good. Many people light their homes on fire through ignorance of the quality of extension cord that is needed. Given the general level of ignorance, advising not to do that at all seems the safe approach.

For instance, I carry a 12 gauge extension cord for my table saw. I have to tell people not to use the shorter cord because it is only 14 gauge. They think it's better because it's shorter, but that isn't true.

 

For instance, I carry a 12 gauge extension cord for my table saw. I have to tell people not to use the shorter cord because it is only 14 gauge. They think it's better because it's shorter, but that isn't true.

Thanks to military surplus auctions plus my general scrounging I have close to 1000 feet of 10 ga 120 volt extension cords and at least 500' of 2 - 6 ga 240 volt 3 and 4 wire cords as well.

the 100' - 200' 10 ga ones are a bit of pain to roll up though.

 

....................
For instance, I carry a 12 gauge extension cord for my table saw. I have to tell people not to use the shorter cord because it is only 14 gauge. They think it's better because it's shorter, but that isn't true.

So what're their relative lengths?

 

So what're their relative lengths?

35 feet of 14 ga and 50 feet of 12 gauge.