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Thread Number: 73881
/ Tag: Other Home Products or Autos
How Is Everyone Keeping Warm? |
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Post# 975942 12/29/2017 at 03:35 (2,307 days old) by Launderess  (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Who turned off the heat? *LOL*
Christmas eve wasn't so bad, but by Christmas Day temps had dropped down into the 20's. That was bad enough but the wind! Things haven't improved since. They are predicting record low temperatures for those brave (or foolish enough) to attend the Big Ball Drop on New Year's eve in Times Square. I blame you lot; it was all your talk about thermostats and so forth that did it. *LOL* | ||
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Post# 975944 , Reply# 1 12/29/2017 at 05:55 (2,306 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD) |
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I know I am jinxing everything by typing this, but since the temps dropped into the teens in this cold spell, the winds have not been too bad; nothing howling out of the north or northwest. Cold is bearable without wind.
Warmest New Year's wishes to all!
Gasoline went up another 6 cents overnight. | ||
| Post# 975947 , Reply# 2 12/29/2017 at 06:12 (2,306 days old) by norgeway (mocksville n c ) | ||
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15 here Just a few minutes ago when I came in from work...I LOVE it! Good and warm in our house, old oil furnace running right along. | ||
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Post# 975950 , Reply# 3 12/29/2017 at 06:30 (2,306 days old) by Frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie) |
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We have run out of degrees this morning on the open prairie of southwestern Minnesota. Unfortunately, zero will seem relatively balmy by tomorrow and Sunday, when temps dip to -19 with wind chills in the -30's. Morning temps (actual) were -13 and -16 Monday and Tuesday.
On the plus side, my natural gas bill was only $36 for December. Granted, December temps were, until recently, above normal here, but keeping the apartment at 64 degrees (68 when company arrives) costs a fraction of heating the house, which had a far more efficient furnace. Only the north and west walls of the apartment are exposed to the exterior. | ||
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Post# 975976 , Reply# 5 12/29/2017 at 09:59 (2,306 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.) |
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 Current outdoor is 42°F. Predicted high Sat 63°F. Sun 59°F high with 30°F Sun night. Mon 39°F/27°F. Tue 34°F/28°F. Wed 45°F/31°F. Thu 47°F/31°F. Fri 50°F/34°F. Those are revised a bit upwards from 25°F I saw forecast yesterday for Mon night. Difficult to imagine the -°Fs. 23°F is the lowest I can recall happening down here, although the state record low is -23°F recorded in the Panhandle. | ||
| Post# 975989 , Reply# 6 12/29/2017 at 11:46 (2,306 days old) by washman (o) | ||
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With a non union Goodman 96% AFUE gas furnace. | ||
| Post# 976007 , Reply# 8 12/29/2017 at 14:25 (2,306 days old) by firedome (Binghamton NY & Lake Champlain VT) | ||
Our heat DID get turned off...
when it was -3 outside at around 1 AM very early Thursday morning!!
The Honeywell RTH221B decided at that time that its aaa batteries were done, despite no warnings at all at 11:30 PM the previous evening. Woke up at 3 thinking it seemed awfully cold inside the house, checked the display, nada info, blank screen. Threw in 2 new batteries and the big, hulking 1955 Williamson Gasaver downstairs (natty gas, original to the '55 house) sprang to life and slowly proceeded to stop our shivering... we love Willie and hope he never dies! But thinking that an older style hard-wired Honeywell might be a good idea! Phooey on batteries! | ||
| Post# 976012 , Reply# 9 12/29/2017 at 14:41 (2,306 days old) by twintubdexter (Palm Springs) | ||
sort of like rubbing a grapefruit in your face It was 81 degrees yesterday...81 today. Let's go out and run through the sprinklers.
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This post was last edited 12/29/2017 at 15:37 | ||
| Post# 976013 , Reply# 10 12/29/2017 at 14:49 (2,306 days old) by miele_ge (Danbury, Connecticut) | ||
actually grapefruit is good for you skin | ||
| Post# 976030 , Reply# 11 12/29/2017 at 16:31 (2,306 days old) by Supersurgilator (Indiana) | ||
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Do you have any pics of your 1955 Williamson? I would love to see it. | ||
| Post# 976041 , Reply# 12 12/29/2017 at 19:52 (2,306 days old) by norgeway (mocksville n c ) | ||
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55 Williamson, a REAL furnace! | ||
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Post# 976048 , Reply# 14 12/29/2017 at 20:39 (2,306 days old) by moparwash (Pittsburgh,PA ) |
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Post# 976050 , Reply# 15 12/29/2017 at 20:42 (2,306 days old) by cuffs054 (MONTICELLO, GA) |
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The best suggestion yet! | ||
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Post# 976051 , Reply# 16 12/29/2017 at 20:42 (2,306 days old) by Supersuds (Knoxville, Tenn.) |
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Lovely house, Gary.
It hasn't been all that cold here as yet, though it is supposed to get down to 10 next week. By no means a record, but cold enough. I'm hoping it will kill off some of the wooly adelgids (bugs) that are killing our hemlocks. The hemlocks don't mind lie temps but the bugs can't take it. | ||
| Post# 976054 , Reply# 17 12/29/2017 at 20:59 (2,306 days old) by IowaBear (Cedar Rapids, IA) | ||
Insult to Injury | ||
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Post# 976057 , Reply# 18 12/29/2017 at 21:11 (2,306 days old) by wayupnorth (On a lake between Bangor and Bar Harbor, Maine) |
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-19 this morning and high of 2 and going down again for the next week AGAIN. My boiler runs constantly to chew up more oil and I keep in layers and no need of all that crap after a 43 high last year today. Regular heating oil was !.85/gal. when I filled my 2 big tanks in October and now its jumped to 2.85 and still going up. Natural gas has went thru the roof too. What else is new, same old, same old.
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Post# 976058 , Reply# 19 12/29/2017 at 21:14 (2,306 days old) by GusHerb (Chicago/NWI) |
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Our 5 day forecast is still continuing to drop. I just hope it doesn't snow anymore at this point. We got 3-4" today, just enough to make the roads extra extra shitty for Friday rush hour.
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Post# 976067 , Reply# 20 12/29/2017 at 23:15 (2,306 days old) by whirlykenmore78 (Prior Lake MN (GMT-0500 CDT.)) |
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-4 now in the Twin Cities:
Down to -13 tonight and only up to -5 tomorrow. I don't see any relief in the near term. At least we aren't up to our ass in snow. As far as staying warm I LOVE my Heat-N-Glo fireplace.
WK78
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| Post# 976069 , Reply# 21 12/30/2017 at 00:08 (2,306 days old) by arbilab (Ft Worth TX (Ridglea)) | ||
 More Americans are now below freezing than were alive any time prior to 1968.
DFW is no stranger to freezing but seldom for 72 hours at a stretch as forecast Sat-Mon. Could bundle up, sit on the pawch and listen to the pipes break. Codes here ignore extremes, though they occur with regularity. All our TX houses had days when heat/air ran continuously, not quite keeping up. If you wanted it warmer or cooler, tough. Wait.
This 15yo Howard Johnson lookalike retirement poorhouse has already had 3 indoor flood events; two from freezing and one from shoddy construction. No, they didn't upgrade the repairs. So it will happen again. And they don't compensate inma... er, residents, when the building becomes uninhabitable. Renters insurance might. Might otta call them. | ||
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Post# 976077 , Reply# 23 12/30/2017 at 01:59 (2,306 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc) |
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My heatpump chugging away-wish my place had GAS heat for these REALLY cold days!Had to fire up my portable 'Lux heater in the TV room while watching TV.The heat from it felt good! | ||
| Post# 976095 , Reply# 25 12/30/2017 at 07:43 (2,305 days old) by Xraytech (Rural southwest Pennsylvania ) | ||
It’s been in the teens for highs here with lows at near 0 and looks to stay there through next weekend.
Got cold enough to fire up the big old Englander wood/Coal stove. It keeps the house warmer and it keeps the natural gas 1995 ComfortMaker enviroplus90 furnace from coming on much.
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Post# 976098 , Reply# 26 12/30/2017 at 08:15 (2,305 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.) |
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| Post# 976107 , Reply# 28 12/30/2017 at 09:17 (2,305 days old) by Rolls_rapide (.) | ||
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Boiler malfunctions It appears that the silt is composed of metal particulates, according to this link. Later models have an improved separator/drain, apparently. CLICK HERE TO GO TO Rolls_rapide's LINK | ||
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Post# 976113 , Reply# 31 12/30/2017 at 10:22 (2,305 days old) by polkanut (Wausau, WI ) |
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 We're keeping warm with a 5 year old Bryant natural gas furnace w/ a 2 stage blower. Our house has all of the ducts on the inside walls because when our home was built in 1925, it had a coal gravity furnace. Later on, the coal furnace was replaced with a fuel oil furnace. When that one died in 1994, it was replaced with a Lennox natural gas furnace.
I like the 2 stage blower (
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| Post# 976163 , Reply# 32 12/30/2017 at 15:53 (2,305 days old) by washman (o) | ||
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Post# 976170 , Reply# 33 12/30/2017 at 16:41 (2,305 days old) by CircleW (NE Cincinnati OH area) |
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The house has electric baseboard heat, and I hate to see the bill when it comes! I don't heat the upstairs except for the bath, and have been keeping the door to it shut when not in use since it's been so cold. | ||
| Post# 976201 , Reply# 36 12/30/2017 at 19:44 (2,305 days old) by LordKenmore (The Laundry Room) | ||
 It's not easy staying warm... My climate doesn't get as cold as some places, but the cold is damp cold, which feels colder than a much colder dry cold.
Making matters worse, I live in a place that is poorly insulated, and has electric heat. So I keep the thermostat low when I'm up, and even lower when I'm in bed or leave on errands.
Like Lawrence above, I drink a lot of tea (and coffee), and tend to eat warm meals. I wear a warm sweatsuit when I'm staying in. A hot bath, even with a small quantity of water, helps to warm me up. I also keep a blanket in the living room to wrap up in.
When going out, it's easier...since most places I go to are heated better, and so all I need to worry about is the time I'm actually outside... | ||
| Post# 976202 , Reply# 37 12/30/2017 at 19:53 (2,305 days old) by LordKenmore (The Laundry Room) | ||
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gas furnace and gas tankless water heater are noisy! When first living here, furnace noise was hard to get used to. It's noisy in operation--both a blower, plus some relay that clicks on when it starts up. Making matters worse, it's in the hall very near the bedroom. I think I've gotten used to it--I can sleep through the noise of it running in the middle of the night.
I've lived at least 2 other places where furnace noise is noticeable in my bedroom in the last 25+ years. It's strange, even, to think of my childhood home where the only sound I ever heard in my room was just a hiss of air coming out of the register... | ||
| Post# 976210 , Reply# 38 12/30/2017 at 20:34 (2,305 days old) by washman (o) | ||
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2 above here and falling Typical winter gear wool/cotton blend socks kellsport heavy cotton sweats tshirt long sleeve sweatshirt LL Bean flannel robe
And a wee bit of a dram 'fore retiring for the night.
Also the Electrowarmth bed warmer, it is a true godsend. | ||
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Post# 976211 , Reply# 39 12/30/2017 at 20:37 (2,305 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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"I remember several years ago during a cold winter, peoples' boilers shut down..."
Read about that unfortunate situation. Made worse by the fact one can no longer purchase anything else but condensing boilers in UK (IIRC), people felt they'd been done. First by being forced into having the things, then dealing with the aftermath. www.theguardian.com/uk/20... City of New York for some time now has been trying to force certain buildings into replacing their old oil (often converted from coal) boilers to new condensing; many aren't having it and refusing. | ||
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Post# 976215 , Reply# 40 12/30/2017 at 20:50 (2,305 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands) |
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| Post# 976230 , Reply# 41 12/30/2017 at 23:44 (2,305 days old) by mjg0619 (Scranton, Pennsylvania) | ||
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| Post# 976245 , Reply# 43 12/31/2017 at 00:54 (2,305 days old) by twintubdexter (Palm Springs) | ||
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me & my big mouth... I've been watching some of the weather reports concerning the bitter cold in other parts of the Country. I realize that although my earlier comment about the unusually warm weather here in the desert was done in good fun, the freezing temps are nothing to joke about. Having lived my entire life in California and never been in zero degree weather I guess I'm not aware of all the problems and obstacles the cold throws at you. Check back with me in the summer when it's 120 outside. | ||
| Post# 976247 , Reply# 44 12/31/2017 at 01:59 (2,305 days old) by iej (.... ) | ||
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This post has been removed by the member who posted it. | ||
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Post# 976254 , Reply# 46 12/31/2017 at 06:18 (2,304 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc) |
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For Greenville,NC its going to be BITTER cold tonight-at least for this area-14,16 degrees.FUN!!!!BRING IN THE BRASS MONKEYS!!!!! | ||
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Post# 976277 , Reply# 48 12/31/2017 at 09:26 (2,304 days old) by abcomatic (Bradford, Illinois) |
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Jerry Jerry, Now there is an idea, dial-a-bear. If you look at the pictures that Martin posted, there are many from which to choose. Gary It is -1 here now. Gary | ||
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Post# 976383 , Reply# 49 1/1/2018 at 01:16 (2,304 days old) by askolover (South of Nash Vegas, TN) |
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12F in Music City!
It's 12F here in the Music City as the music note dropped at midnight. I'm at work but I'd much rather be home.
A few days ago, I was sitting in the living room watching television and noticed a chill in the house. Tony was up fumbling around already so he went to the digital thermostat in the hallway to bump the heat up a degree or two, but it said the heat was already on...no it wasn't. We turned it up to 78 to see what happened...nothing. My satellite dish is right beside the furnace and when the gas lights it sends a couple of lines of interference across the television screen. I had noticed while watching TV that when the furnace combustion fan came on (it's right outside the living room window) I saw the static lines go across as usual. Then a few seconds later I saw them again. In my little brain I took note but didn't think much about it. So...I went outside and took the access door off to investigate. Ran in the house, turned the heat back on and ran back outside. Combustion fan came on, then heard the buzz from the ignition module, but did not see the spark plug fire. It was dark outside so I kept looking around in the cabinet...then I saw it. Just like a spark wire in a car, it was jumping fire to the cabinet and shorting itself out. I guess the insulation had weakened enough that the spark took the path of least resistance. I just wrapped some electrical tape around that spot and moved the wires around a little, turned the heat back on and BINGO, the spark plug fired and the burners lit and we have HEAT! I'm so glad I didn't have to call out a service guy. | ||
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Post# 976385 , Reply# 50 1/1/2018 at 01:31 (2,304 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc) |
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Small heater here at work-also the boiler is going here-surprised BOTH aren't going.Last time it was this cold-15 both were running.At home-small heaters and the heat pump. | ||
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Post# 976394 , Reply# 51 1/1/2018 at 05:23 (2,303 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.) |
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| Post# 976395 , Reply# 52 1/1/2018 at 05:25 (2,303 days old) by norgeway (mocksville n c ) | ||
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14 This Morning. | ||
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Post# 976396 , Reply# 53 1/1/2018 at 05:36 (2,303 days old) by Imperial70 (MA USA) |
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-4 here in central MA. I think my furnace is unable to keep up with setting the furnace above 69F. I had it at 70 and it doesn't seem to be shutting off. So I put it back to 69. During normal winter temps I keep it set at 67 and it seems fine. | ||
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Post# 976422 , Reply# 56 1/1/2018 at 10:03 (2,303 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.) |
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Post# 976423 , Reply# 57 1/1/2018 at 10:08 (2,303 days old) by abcomatic (Bradford, Illinois) |
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-12 here now, I keep the furnace set at 67 and it seems to be doing ok. | ||
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Post# 976425 , Reply# 59 1/1/2018 at 10:35 (2,303 days old) by swestoyz (Cedar Falls, IA) |
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Waterloo broke the record low for the day, which was only set back in 1974, this morning. And that is air temp, not wind chill, which was hovering in the -40 range.
To say it was a cold NYE here in the Cedar Valley is a slight understatement.
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Post# 976435 , Reply# 60 1/1/2018 at 12:05 (2,303 days old) by appnut (TX) |
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| Post# 976448 , Reply# 61 1/1/2018 at 13:13 (2,303 days old) by volsboy1 (East Tenn Smoky mountains ) | ||
 Mitsubishi Hyper (Heat Pump) These Heat pumps kick ass . It got down to 9 or 10 here and 67 inside degrees was nothing for it . Up here in the sticks heating has always been a issue. Propane is a pain to deal with so we have always had heat pumps in this house and they used to suck soo bad. These things keep working until - 13 F and the air is HOT that comes out of there.
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Post# 976470 , Reply# 62 1/1/2018 at 16:25 (2,303 days old) by GusHerb (Chicago/NWI) |
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My car said -3 driving around just a little bit ago. Got home and that thermometer says 0. My car battery has just about had it and needs replacing. | ||
| Post# 976475 , Reply# 63 1/1/2018 at 16:47 (2,303 days old) by washman (o) | ||
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gusherb I heard good things about Deka auto batteries. 2 neighbors use them and speak highly of their performance and longevity | ||
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Post# 976477 , Reply# 64 1/1/2018 at 16:59 (2,303 days old) by pulltostart (Mobile, AL) |
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In Mobile, AL the temp is currently 30 and going to go down to 23 tonight. For us - that's freakin cold. My house has a gas furnace and can keep up (as long as I can pay the bill), BUT, I have a rental unit which is currently unoccupied and the last (POS) renter moved out last week, after having Alabama Power turn off service on December 11 for lack of payment. So, the unit sits without power or heat (totally electric). Power is scheduled to be restored tomorrow, in my name (as landlord) so if I can get the unit through tonight I'll be ok. I was over there this afternoon changing the lock on the front door and adding security to the sliding glass door, and it was getting a bit nippy in there. There's a unit on both sides of my townhouse and no plumbing on an outside wall, so I'm hoping tomorrow will be the beginning of something better.
BTW, anyone interested in an investment property in Mobile, Alabama???
lawrence | ||
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Post# 976478 , Reply# 65 1/1/2018 at 17:01 (2,303 days old) by abcomatic (Bradford, Illinois) |
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Supersuds Hi John, Thanks for the compliment. One of these days it will be spring and all of this will be forgotten. Gary | ||
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Post# 976479 , Reply# 66 1/1/2018 at 17:09 (2,303 days old) by appnut (TX) |
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Wes, I'm quite pleased with my current two stage/multi-speed air handler Trane Heat Pump. The Ruud that came with the house had to finally be replaced in 2002. I knew I wanted Trane--I'd had problems with the Ruud. My sister in Dallas was still in marketing & PR for their electric company at the time. She told me to select a dealer/contractor that had a certain designation at the time that ensured the highest caliber of conducting business and customer satisfaction. That's how I selected the contractor I have had since 2002. I looked for Mitsubishi Diamond dealer/contractor in my zip code and the only one for my area is my current contractor and there's only one in Waco too. So that right there makes me feel very good about who I've dealt with for the past 15.75 years. Mitsubishi offers replacement products for ducted air handlers/central system. So when the time comes for replacement, I can look into Mitsubishi Hyper products. | ||
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Post# 976481 , Reply# 67 1/1/2018 at 17:15 (2,303 days old) by appnut (TX) |
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Well it reached a high of 30 about 4:00 and is already back down to 28. Low of 19 tonight, high of 31 tomorrow, and 17 tomorrow night. The all-time record low for December is -4 and that was around December 22nd to 24th 1989, thus I was living here. I tried auxiliary heat at some point during that time and it couldn't keep the house at 64 or 65 so I switched back to heat pump mode and it seemed more comfortable. (probably cost me less that way too). | ||
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Post# 976487 , Reply# 69 1/1/2018 at 17:27 (2,303 days old) by Lorainfurniture (Cleveland ) |
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It’s about 8 degrees My lochnivar boiler can barely keep up. Too many drafts in my house. I’m getting insulation blown in ASAP. My house was built 1908 I plugged in 2 of my Bitcoin miners in my basement and the temps down there went from 58* to 65 in 12 hours. Hopefully it continues to rise | ||
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Post# 976488 , Reply# 70 1/1/2018 at 17:35 (2,303 days old) by SudsMaster (SF Bay Area, California) |
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Oh, there's an 80% efficient forced air gas furnace in the crawl. I turned it on in early November, cranked it up to 68 for the afternoon/evenings, lower at night and during day. However by Christmas I had rediscovered my sweater/pullover collection and now the stat is set to 66F, and I feel just fine... most of the time...
What brand furnace? I forget, and I'm not about to go spelunking to find out again. Let's just say it's about 37 years old, and going strong. Yah, I have CO detector in bedroom, it never goes off. About R45 in the attic (added about 15 years ago) helps keep the warm in (and the hot out in the summer). Have about R20 under most of the flooring, but ran out of it halfway through and don't think I'll be adding more any time soon. I did add extra insulation to the forced air ducting, including the return duct, which helped to quiet it down. And of course I sealed off as many drafts as I could. Major draft was from the kitchen cooktop hood - it had no damper whatsoever. Easy and cheap fix for that. You do what you can. This was a fairly hot summer in the greater SF Bay Area, and it was quite a transition from short sleeves and shorts, having to button up the house with shades drawn during the days to keep the heat out, to all windows open and fans blasting (hopefully) cool night air through the house at night, to securing all doors and windows all the time and drawing the shades/curtains at night. I only had to run the portable A/C unit for about a week total. It's got a heating mode but it fills up its drain tray after about an hour in that mode, so I don't bother trying to use it to heat. At least it's not snowing. Some rain would be nice, though. All things considered, life is beautiful. | ||
| Post# 976491 , Reply# 71 1/1/2018 at 17:47 (2,303 days old) by LordKenmore (The Laundry Room) | ||
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What brand furnace? I forget, and I'm not about to go spelunking to find out again.
What?!? You're going to deprive us of this vital information, as well as photos and maybe a video of it running?!?
LOL
Seriously, I don't blame you for not wanting to go spelunking.
The house I grew up in had an oil furnace in the crawlspace. We never used--the house was converted to electric heat before we lived there--but we knew that that furnace was down there. I never really thought about it, but when the house was sold, the buyer commented about what a terrible location for a furnace. As he pointed out, oil furnaces need maintenance, and it was less than convenient crawling under the house. As that buyer commented, that furnace--at least as far he was concerned--would never be used again. (The electric furnace we used still worked...but electricity was expensive enough that one might wish to consider other options.) | ||
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Post# 976494 , Reply# 72 1/1/2018 at 17:53 (2,303 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.) |
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Post# 976499 , Reply# 73 1/1/2018 at 18:15 (2,303 days old) by GusHerb (Chicago/NWI) |
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Temps today peaked at 3° and sunny. It was below zero just past 4 and already -6° as I type. The downstairs furnace has run most of the day, started running in second stage about an hour ago and back into first stage since the stove has been on.
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Post# 976508 , Reply# 74 1/1/2018 at 19:33 (2,303 days old) by wayupnorth (On a lake between Bangor and Bar Harbor, Maine) |
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The past 7 nights have been below zero, some way below. Not to figure in wind chills. My boiler runs more than it shuts off and the baseboard units keep their constant tick tick and I know heat is coming, Chewing up oil like crazy. This is turning into a winter we wished never happened and its just beginning, then a big snowstorm Thursday, back in the deep freeze to clean it up. Global warming is certainly welcome to come around here.
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| Post# 976547 , Reply# 75 1/1/2018 at 23:32 (2,303 days old) by Johnb300m (Chicago) | ||
Eeeesh, it's been a rough 48hrs going from '17 to '18.
-10F tonight. My fairly new variable speed Trane XR80 has been running constantly. I'm on a cement slab so all all the negative degrees these few days have been radiating right in. And whatever few little leaks I have, have been severely exploited with little drafts and ICE forming everywhere around the windows and doors. Even on parts of walls near the floor. I've lowered my humidistat as low as I can tolerate for sleeping. I've also kicked the fan on RUN because the cycling was getting crazy. I'll say this, it's been in Low stage for 95% of it! So not too shabby. I'm still going to fear the next gas bill though...... | ||
| Post# 976584 , Reply# 77 1/2/2018 at 10:40 (2,302 days old) by johnb300m (Chicago) | ||
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| Post# 976586 , Reply# 78 1/2/2018 at 11:09 (2,302 days old) by potatochips ( ) | ||
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It's been about -10 Celsius here in Nova Scotia. My house uses electric heat but I offset it with one of these bad boys.
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| Post# 976612 , Reply# 80 1/2/2018 at 17:45 (2,302 days old) by mark_wpduet (Lexington KY) | ||
It was -3 | ||
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Post# 976640 , Reply# 82 1/2/2018 at 20:51 (2,302 days old) by Supersuds (Knoxville, Tenn.) |
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I've noticed in cold weather that the power lines in front of the house make a singing sound. Not sure how to describe it, but it is higher-pitched than what I'd think of as a hum, and not continuous.
Of course, current draw is very high in hot weather due to AC load, but I don't hear the sound then...so it's a mystery. | ||
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Post# 976665 , Reply# 83 1/2/2018 at 22:56 (2,302 days old) by SudsMaster (SF Bay Area, California) |
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My workplace is on a local street down which run high tension power lines (you know, the ones atop big steel towers). During foggy days over the summer, these would snap crackle pop. Never saw any flashes, though.
Not sure what causes power lines to hum. Maybe Tolivac, who works with high power radio waves, can tell us. | ||
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Post# 976672 , Reply# 85 1/3/2018 at 00:57 (2,302 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc) |
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Oh yes supposed to SNOW in our area for Wednesday.May get 4 ".Glad I don't have to go to work that night. | ||
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Post# 976680 , Reply# 86 1/3/2018 at 02:09 (2,302 days old) by SudsMaster (SF Bay Area, California) |
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Fog and Corona
Oh, well, too many street lights to see the corona outside the workplace, probably.
But maybe some day I'll venture out there at night to take a look see. There's a big PG&E power grid thingie about a block away. It's about the size of a football field. Lots of stuff that would look at home in a Flash Gordon movie. | ||
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Post# 976691 , Reply# 88 1/3/2018 at 06:41 (2,301 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc) |
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Sudsmaster-what oy haveust be a power company substation.These take the HV 69Kv-on up and step it the voltage down to 13/7Kv distribution voltages to serve the transformers in your neighborhood that step the power down to 120/240 for your house or 3 ph power for busnissess. | ||
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Post# 976695 , Reply# 90 1/3/2018 at 07:34 (2,301 days old) by askolover (South of Nash Vegas, TN) |
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Post# 976709 , Reply# 91 1/3/2018 at 08:37 (2,301 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.) |
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25°F this morn. Could be worse! Sucking in heat.
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Post# 976719 , Reply# 92 1/3/2018 at 10:00 (2,301 days old) by petek (Ontari ari ari O ) |
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It's been drier than the Sahara in the house, about 15% rh, and the Bionaire humidifier (console) crapped out last year and went to the curb.. But I found this working Kenmore water wheel model yesterday at a thrift store on half price day,, so $12.50. Within an hour or so the humidity was back up to a more pleasant 26%. I like these water wheel humidifiers that just rely on a foam pad rather than having to replace those expensive paper wick type pads.
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Post# 976830 , Reply# 94 1/4/2018 at 11:24 (2,300 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD) |
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Pete, I had one of those, Westbend I believe. It would really put out the moisture. | ||
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Post# 976832 , Reply# 95 1/4/2018 at 11:34 (2,300 days old) by chetlaham (United States) |
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Powerline hum
The current is switching back and forth 120 times a second (60Hz)- Any corona, arcing (down wire) or magnetostriction (hum in transformers) will be at 120Hz audio frequency- what hits your ears. What you are hearing is the actual AC frequency x2.
In fact you can actually turn a transformer or arc into a speaker just by varying the frequency proportionally and accordingly: @Sudsmaster: Most likely an electrical substation. Smaller ones take 66kv or 115kv and step it down to 12kv (typical voltages for PG&E), larger ones take 230kv and step it down to 66 and 115, while the biggest ones take 500kv and step it down to 230 and 115kv. Word of note- if you stay for a long time be prepared for a police check. Absolutely nothing illegal about being next to a substation, but since Metcalf PG&E is very anal about security. Lots of driving patrols and cameras. Just tell them its for a public forum, legally they can't stop you. | ||
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Post# 976838 , Reply# 96 1/4/2018 at 13:04 (2,300 days old) by petek (Ontari ari ari O ) |
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Pumping up the moisture
Not quite sure how much this humidifier holds, maybe 3 gallons, anyways it requires a lot of trips back and forth to the kitchen sink to fill with a big glass juice jar,, and it's empty in less than 24 hrs Need to find a hose that fits the kitchen faucet, regular size garden hose, have one in the laundry sink , is too big.
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Post# 977073 , Reply# 98 1/6/2018 at 00:35 (2,299 days old) by SudsMaster (SF Bay Area, California) |
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Kenmore water wheel | ||
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Post# 977076 , Reply# 99 1/6/2018 at 00:48 (2,299 days old) by SudsMaster (SF Bay Area, California) |
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Humidifiers are not generally needed here in the SF Bay Area. IMHO. The winters are generally wet, and the maritime influence keeps the summers relatively humid (albeit hot and rainless).
In my previous abode I got a humidifier and had it running the living room besides the open stairway to the second floor. All it seemed to do was encourage the growth of mold on some of the walls. In fact, in the current home, I've taken pains to air out the attic and crawl space as much as possible... due to reading that there's a lot of moisture that enters a home through a dirt crawl space. Put plastic sheeting down over the earth floor of the crawl... added soffit ventilation to the attic... even laid sheeting down between the ceiling joists up there. Although that was probably unnecessary in retrospect. The whole goal was to avoid having moisture collect in the attic and create a mold problem. It's an unfinished attic with very limited head room, so it's not like one is losing any living space up there. Biggest improvement was from adding fiberglass batts to the attic (it was previously non-insulated). Prior to that, the furnace would run almost continuously on winter nights. After all the insulation and sealing, it runs for just a little bit even on cold nights. I even did a statistical analysis of the gas consumption before/after insulating, adjusted to take into account the average monthly temps, and found gas consumption was cut to a third to a half of the pre-insulated consumption. And the home is much more comfortable. Of course, this being California, the utility bills still go up, since the price of gas (and electricity) seems to rise every year. | ||
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Post# 977081 , Reply# 101 1/6/2018 at 01:26 (2,299 days old) by SudsMaster (SF Bay Area, California) |
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Old radiators...
Back in the 1980's my mom moved into a small apartment in SF. One of its best features (esp since it was on the first floor) was steam heat, with a big cast iron radiator in the living room, which adjoined the bedroom. It kept the place quite comfortable for my mom. It was also rent-controlled, with the cost of heating covered by the rent. Well, you know what happened next. The steam boiler for the building broke down, and the landlord, rather than fix it, ripped out all the radiators and installed small gas fired space heaters in each apartment. Which the tenants had to pay for the gas themselves. Even worse, they put the heater for her apartment in the entry hall, and not much heat found its way to the living room or bedroom. So my mom's usual position in the place in the winter was standing in that dimly lit narrow hall in front of that pathetic gas heater. Oh well. | ||
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Post# 977082 , Reply# 102 1/6/2018 at 01:30 (2,299 days old) by abcomatic (Bradford, Illinois) |
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-14 tonight. I keep the closet door open in the kitchen. The pipes for the bathroom upstairs goes up through the closet. I have never had a frozen pipe here ever. The door for the bathtub pipes is open now too. Just use some common sense about all of this and things should be ok. Gary | ||
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Post# 977129 , Reply# 105 1/6/2018 at 10:38 (2,298 days old) by petek (Ontari ari ari O ) |
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I keep the T-stat at 72 and it's very comfortable throughout the house. The finished basement is even warmer being that the big old boiler is down there radiating heat as well as baseboards down there in the rek room and spare bedroom. I wouldn't say it was wasted heat down there, I keep the door at the top of the stairs open and that makes it way up into the family room and it also keeps the floor of the floor above warmer.
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Post# 977155 , Reply# 107 1/6/2018 at 14:31 (2,298 days old) by chetlaham (United States) |
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@Tolvic: you have a fun job, thats for sure! :) I know little about the radio side of things but I can imagine its one of those jobs where you learn something new everyday- never a dull moment.
Also thanks for all the info- I did not know the transformers actually played music at a transmitter station- but now I do! | ||
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Post# 977158 , Reply# 108 1/6/2018 at 14:41 (2,298 days old) by polkanut (Wausau, WI ) |
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PeteK | ||
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Post# 977176 , Reply# 109 1/6/2018 at 17:02 (2,298 days old) by petek (Ontari ari ari O ) |
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Tim, it look somewhat the same except the layout of the controls is different. I'm surprised you're getting 2.5 days.. I'm filling this thing every 12-14 hrs. Mind you I do have it set pretty high up on the humidistat and it rarely shuts down.. Possibly because here on the main foor, living, kitchen/dining area it's cathedral ceilings so a lot bigger area to overcome. I have 3 different hygrometers to check the humidity and of course none of them are close to each other in read outs..smh One says 35%, one about 27% and the other is down around 20, all in the same room on the same table
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| Post# 977192 , Reply# 110 1/6/2018 at 19:16 (2,298 days old) by washman (o) | ||
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I love non-union furnaces, esp. when it is minus 1 outside. | ||
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Post# 977197 , Reply# 111 1/6/2018 at 19:45 (2,298 days old) by wayupnorth (On a lake between Bangor and Bar Harbor, Maine) |
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I have no idea who made my New Yorker boiler, union or not. All I know is -13 tonight with windchills around -40. It keeps my house at a constant 65 degrees, although it seems to never shut off and is chewing up oil like crazy. So far this cold started 12/23 and 12" of snow 12/25 and right into the deep freeze since 12/26 when EVERY night since has been below zero. This weather is very abnormal and driving everyone batty too.
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Post# 977200 , Reply# 112 1/6/2018 at 20:19 (2,298 days old) by Jmm63 (Denville, NJ) |
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 I'm surprised at how warm most of you keep your house. I would LOVE to be able to keep mine close to 70 but that's not economically feasible. I heat with oil, and the furnace is new and 85% efficient. Windows are new and insulation has been upgraded. I keep the house at 64 when occupied and 61 at night. I run a small space heater in the bedroom on very low and we have an electric fireplace in the family room that is on 68 most of the time. I just got 150 gallons of oil 30 days ago at $2.79 a gallon ($416) that should carry is through the end of January. With this cold snap, it's dwindling and I'll need to call for oil next week. So that means almost $400 to heat this house to 64 for a month..... I could only dream of setting the t-stat to 70. I wouldn't know what to do.! | ||
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Post# 977209 , Reply# 113 1/6/2018 at 20:53 (2,298 days old) by GusHerb (Chicago/NWI) |
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We heat with natural gas, have a decently insulated home for modern standards and the furnace that does the majority of the heating is 97% efficient. NG was 32 cents per therm for December and January. It's affordable to keep it comfortable. | ||
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Post# 977213 , Reply# 114 1/6/2018 at 21:16 (2,298 days old) by appnut (TX) |
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Post# 977233 , Reply# 115 1/6/2018 at 21:46 (2,298 days old) by SudsMaster (SF Bay Area, California) |
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Gas here is $1.29/therm for up to about 64 therms, and $1.84 above that, plus a 6% local utility tax. I keep my thermostat at 66 during waking hours, only occasionally bumping it up to 68. Overnight, it goes down to 63, and when I'm at work. My last bill just for gas was $108.
Electricity is $.20/kWh for up to about 350 kWh, and $.28 above that, plus 6% local tax. My last electric bill was $146. Welcome to California... | ||
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Post# 977260 , Reply# 121 1/7/2018 at 02:05 (2,298 days old) by askolover (South of Nash Vegas, TN) |
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Natural gas is super cheap here in mid TN. My parents keep their gas package unit set for 74F, which I got used to growing up there, so when I got my house I also set mine to the same. Tony and I used to be on the same metabolic scale and were pretty comfortable at 74F. Now that he's a hormonal andropausal man having hot flashes we fight over the temp setting. He will turn it to 72 and I'll be shivering. When I get up in the evenings I bump it up to 73 which is better but still a bit nippy for me. I'm in my waterbed room right now, and it tends to stay a degree or two warmer due to the bed itself radiating heat. But my hands, feet, nose and ears are all cold! I don't have much insulation on my bones so I get cold quickly. Some day I want to build a house with hydronic pipes running through the floors. | ||
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Post# 977271 , Reply# 122 1/7/2018 at 03:58 (2,297 days old) by SudsMaster (SF Bay Area, California) |
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You folks with cheap energy rates are lucky.
I'm thinking of doing a cost analysis of rooftop solar panels... at these rates it might actually be cheaper to go solar, ditch the gas furnace, and go with an electrically powered heat pump. It could also provide A/C during the brief periods in the summer when it's useful. The one stumbling block is the capital cost of the solar system. There's also the uncertainty connected to potential governmental changes on tax write offs, utility purchasing excess energy generated, and proposed vastly increased tariffs on imported solar panels. | ||
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Post# 977294 , Reply# 123 1/7/2018 at 10:09 (2,297 days old) by appnut (TX) |
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| Post# 977319 , Reply# 126 1/7/2018 at 13:01 (2,297 days old) by cfz2882 (Belle Fourche,SD) | ||
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got my "spring thaw"yesterday and today:52*right now,68 in the house with the Rinnai idling on low fire.A few people outside are wearing shorts :) | ||
| Post# 977330 , Reply# 127 1/7/2018 at 14:50 (2,297 days old) by washman (o) | ||
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gusherb did you get your car battery sorted out? | ||
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Post# 977331 , Reply# 128 1/7/2018 at 14:54 (2,297 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Should start warming up here as well
Forecast for NYC area starting Monday call for daytime temps in low thirties, then for Tuesday through Friday we're into low to even some high forties.
Noticed even today heat is cycling less than past week or so. Can tell because the blasted steam heating system clearly announces when boilers have come on by the hissing from convectors. | ||
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Post# 977381 , Reply# 130 1/7/2018 at 20:18 (2,297 days old) by SudsMaster (SF Bay Area, California) |
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I suspect part of the whole "Jesus! It suddenly got so cold!!!" phenomenon is that one's metabolism will gradually adjust to colder ambient temps by burning more calories, so eventually one may feel more comfortable at a certain thermostat setting later in the winter than one would have earlier in the winter.
This is supported by a report I read of a scientific study back in the early 1980's, in which they found workers in very cold environments tended to burn significantly more calories than those working in warm environments. Add to that the change of wardrobe, swapping thin short sleeve shirts for thicker long sleeve numbers, etc. But since I was quiet happily puttering around the house and garden today in shorts, sandals, and t-shirt, I think my metabolism has done some adaptation. Now all we need is our usual mid-winter heat wave to throw everyone off balance again ;-) | ||
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Post# 977423 , Reply# 132 1/8/2018 at 00:37 (2,297 days old) by SudsMaster (SF Bay Area, California) |
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Post# 977436 , Reply# 133 1/8/2018 at 07:18 (2,296 days old) by askolover (South of Nash Vegas, TN) |
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| Post# 977448 , Reply# 134 1/8/2018 at 10:01 (2,296 days old) by twintubdexter (Palm Springs) | ||
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There's my problem in a nutshell... Your body adjusts to living in the cold and burns more calories. Makes perfect sense to me. So here I am where it never really get's cold and the sun shines 360 days a year. I can just hear my brain saying "Stop! Don't burn up that box of Entenmann's old-fashioned glazed doughnuts, put them in storage." It's no wonder there are so many commercials on TV for Weight Watchers and Nutrisystems. | ||
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Post# 977560 , Reply# 135 1/8/2018 at 23:53 (2,296 days old) by SudsMaster (SF Bay Area, California) |
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It's callled a "Nose Cozy"... | ||
| Post# 977566 , Reply# 136 1/9/2018 at 01:45 (2,296 days old) by Stan (Napa CA) | ||
I bow down 
To most of you!
Born and raised her in wine country, I don't know what it's like to deal with temps more or less below 30 degrees. Don't know if I could stand it. Im freezing here now! I'm gong to Joe's house to warm up! LOL Gary your old house is just beautiful. Love to see more pics! Chris Harkin. I think I have the clone to your cat or vs versa. My old furnice is still going but not all that efficient, and won't heat the whole house. With opening and closing certain doors, I can direct heat to different spots, ceiling fans help disperse a bit. Old themostate pic is dark but.. Still working | ||
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Post# 977585 , Reply# 139 1/9/2018 at 05:21 (2,295 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD) |
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Inquiring minds want to know Glans Rings? Where did you find mention of those? I went to DuckDuckGo since I did not want Google keeping a record of the search and could not get a search result. | ||
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Post# 977591 , Reply# 140 1/9/2018 at 07:11 (2,295 days old) by Jmm63 (Denville, NJ) |
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It was so cold here saturday that my oil lines froze! First time in 10 years that has happened. Woke up Sunday morning to a 50 degree house. Panic ensued until I got hold of the oil company who was out in an hour and diagnosed the problem. They torched the lines and the furnace fired right up. Now that I've experienced that, I know what to look for. The lines were insulated, but now they are DOUBLE insulated , also there is an electric blanket at the ready should this ever happen again. I hate winter!
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| Post# 977626 , Reply# 141 1/9/2018 at 11:10 (2,295 days old) by vacerator (Macomb, Michigan) | ||
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Ditto Jim! Hurry up April. My pipes to the basement shower froze because the duct for the exhaust fan is next to them in the ceiling. I could hear the wind flapping the damper in it. I wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't gone down to clean. I thawed them with a hair dryer. | ||
| Post# 978582 , Reply# 142 1/16/2018 at 13:24 (2,288 days old) by cfz2882 (Belle Fourche,SD) | ||
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cold morning in belle... was -22 this morning-'98 k1500 groaned a little,but started right up :)seat was hard as a rock and gearshift stiff... | ||
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Post# 980662 , Reply# 144 1/30/2018 at 22:50 (2,274 days old) by Supersuds (Knoxville, Tenn.) |
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Post# 980690 , Reply# 146 1/31/2018 at 07:10 (2,273 days old) by askolover (South of Nash Vegas, TN) |
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| Post# 980692 , Reply# 147 1/31/2018 at 07:33 (2,273 days old) by norgeway (mocksville n c ) | ||
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We are good and warm Good old oil heat, In this weather its more economical than a heat pump,and a heck of a lot warmer. | ||
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Post# 980693 , Reply# 148 1/31/2018 at 07:48 (2,273 days old) by DaveAMKrayoGuy (Oak Park, MI) |
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Post# 980969 , Reply# 149 2/2/2018 at 10:37 (2,271 days old) by askolover (South of Nash Vegas, TN) |
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Our gas bill is figured as per hundred cubic feet. We used 9600 cubic feet at 0.4993 cents/CF...so the actual gas bill itself, not including delivery charge, was only $47! With the delivery fees added, it was $78 total. Not too shabby for keeping the Tstat set on 73 most of the time. Plus, the Amana(Goodman) gas package unit is only 82% efficient. | ||
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