We know that of all the energy in gasoline, being burned in a gasoline engine; only about 1/3 gets to the crank. Another third goes to the cooling system, and the last third goes out the exhaust, so I would think that the best idea is to;
Just pour the gas on the concrete floor and lite it up;
for 100% efficiency!
But seriously;
I investigated installing an outdoor boiler this past summer. I ran into some roadblocks.
#1, coal as a space heating fuel, is illegal in Manitoba.
#2, propane is cheap, but it takes a lotta propane over the winter.
#3, Heating fuel is ridiculously expensive
#4, I don't have timber to burn, I'm too lazy to harvest it, and it gets real expensive to truck it in
#5, the municipality changed the rules on me! The stove now has to be 75ft from the nearest wood structure. With my house in the middle of the lot, they basically made it illegal for me to have one in town.
Sigh.......
I guess another 3Gs are going into hydro this winter......... 3Gs Net after taxes is 4Gs I have to earn, or 200 hours or 10 stinking weeks worth. Maybe I'll be less lazy next summer....... as
I do have a wood-fired boiler in the basement. It only eats about 10 cords in a winter..But it's soooooooo much work.
Might be cheaper to board the house up, and go be homeless in Florida.