Heating Help

Amish

Does any one know how the Amish heat their homes?

Like everyone else...

From personal experience, most use kerosene heaters, for some reason they seem to be ok with that technology.  But the reality is, most Amish have all the modern conviences (and alot more money) that you and I have.  I'm not saying all, but go into one of their factories where they make cabinets, woodworking, picnic tables, gazebos, etc.......all modern tools.  They'll have them powered by an air compressor, that runs on kerosene.  Ive been at homes where they have in-ground pools.  They  just make sure the 'kids' operate all the modern conveniences...Go to Lancaster and see something hilarious.  Some stores, that are totally owned/operated by Amish have credit card machines (to take your money), powered by a car battery, thats hooked up to a solar collector, to re-charge.
And a few years ago, because of the weather, and fear of losing their crops, they had people come in with modern farm equipment to harvest the crops. Wonderful people...but don't get me started :)

In Illinois...

Most of the Amish homes I have seen heat with outdoor wood boilers.

in SW Missouri

wood and coal. Burned either indoor or out. They actually sell coal by the bag and I have bought some to add to my wood gasification boiler. Too smelly for me :)

A nearby McDonalds has installed a hitching post for the Amish that don't use the drive thru.

I do ask permission before I take their picture, not all Amish approve of photographs.

hr

Some have in the past used

Powerpile Self Generating systems with steam or gravity warm air. They are still allowed to use Powerpile Valves (single seated valves) even though ANSI Standards now require redundant gas valves (dual seated since 1979).

horse power

this Amish shop builds timber frame homes. The horses turn an old truck rear axle. The axle drives through the truck transmisson to regulate the speed of the long shaft. The saws and planers attach to the shaft with leather belts.

The smallest of all the barefooted kids running this shop keeps the horses moving with a BB gun if they get lazy. I didn't see him ever fire a BB, just picking it up gets the horses motivated.

hr

I got shot with a BB gun by a roomate.

It was many years ago but It hurt. So I guess It would motivate me as well. 

wood burning stove

The only Amish house I've been in had a big Franklin-type wood burning stove going in the kitchen. They sold maple syrup from their house and didn't have any conveniences - it was like stepping into the 1800's.

phones?

Do the Amish have cell phones? Before cell phones, I saw some Amish communities with pay phones.

That's a Intresting Question

I've been around a few amish, they are a funny lot.  I know that I can't paint all of they with the same brush but, sometimes what they do can be questioned.  They are suppose to be great  at animal husbandtry,  if you go to horse sales it's not uncommon to see horses go through the ring with pitch fork marks on them.  To them animals especially horses are just a tool.
  It's not that they shun modern sftuff just anything that uses electricity. No gas engines only diesel, beacuse of the spark ingiation, it's not that they can't use stuff with electric just not own it, thats why the pay phone at the intersection, they don't own it, it's not in their house.  Thats why Im courious about them and cell phones.  But they are masters of improvision and juryrigging.  I visited a furniture shop in Wisconsin thet used a weight operated paint sprayer for spraying the finish on furniture.  Very clever.
  They are just like everyone else, if they are in a deal they will not come out on the short end of the stick no matter what it takes, they are pretty slick.
And a some of them you give them an inch and they will take a mile. But, once your in their graces they would do anything for you.  Some of them have tractors but, use steel wheels, they have something against rubber tires, execpt on their buggies.  If you loan them something that they can't own they have no problem using yours.
At least thats been my experiences

.

I have good friends in Lancaster, PA, whose next door neighbors are Amish. They are dairy farmers who grow their own corn and hay for feed, as well as tobacco. They use a gas powdered baler to bale the hay, but they pull it with a team of horses. They use a conveyor belt that is somehow hydraulically powered. And by law they must keep the milk cold so they have refrigeration that is powered off batteries. Not sure how the batteries are recharged.

In the house they have very little. No pictures on the wall, no lights, a hand crank wringer washing machine.

If the kids come over to my friends house, they will sit and watch TV (the parents aren't thrilled with this though). And they will ride in a car, but only own a horse and buggy.

Very nice people by the way, and tough as nails. I had the opportunity to help them bring in the hay before a rain storm. Three hours in the field and I thought I was going to die. Their 10 year old son, who was working as hard as I was, looked fresh as a daisy, ready for more.