heater

I've been looking into ways to make my house a bit warmer this cold winter season, with some success.  Well, yesterday the heater in my house had been running all night, and was running hot air only a third of the time, cold air the rest.  Shortly after I woke up it started smelling horrible (later learning this was burning rubber). 

The first repair guy we called said he couldn't be there until 4, and it would cost $75 just to come see us.

The second repair guy, a cousin, was out within the half hour.  He looked at it, told us what was wrong, asked what we wanted to do with it.  In the meantime his advice for the smell?  Open a window.  Now, I am not sure what he was really thinking, we had no heater, and it was below freezing outside.  Sure, let's just open a window!  My mother did, and it wasn't that bad actually, but then, I wasn't in that room and it was only like ten minutes.  He left and then came back and replaced some parts we needed.  He was done by 2:30, before the other guy would have come, and charged us $100 total.  Yes, that is for parts and work.

I'm not sure which is greener right now, our little repair job, which by the way was with used parts, or if getting a new heater that would have worked better would be.  Not sure, but I know which cost the least...