Boosting the furnace

[thomasortega]

Eddie

1) What is the problem with both electric pad and electric blanket together?

2)The heating was either steam or hot water. When I visited the apartment it still had one of the radiators and the landlord mentioned the apartment had radiators under all windows and a coal/wood burning stove in the living room next to the entrance door when it was originally built. It was a bulky cast iron thing, dated 1920's. The only thing left was a tiny hole on the floor in one of the bedrooms and the old rusty pipes that were cut but are still in the garage ceiling. One of the garages still have the radiator in place, but the pipe was cut.

The front house looks like a furnace show room. It has a giant octopus heater (coal), radiators under the windows (also deactivated), gas floor heaters (a giant square in the middle of the living room floor and also those jurassic ones that go part on the floor and part up the wall, two tall Williams wall heaters like mine, a shorter one that looks like a radiator but "square" and finally a forced air gas furnace which was installed 4 years ago. The landlord says the old furnaces were left because of the holes on the walls if they were removed. The coal burning furnace the incinerator and the original water heater weren't removed because the landlord thinks they're "cool" (I have to agree with him)

If someday the landlord decides to reactivate all the heating systems, we'll probably have heat enough for half los angeles.

I love and hate my apartment. It's nice and it has lots of potential, it would be awesome after a remodeling. The bathroom was brand new when I moved in (so new that the bathtub, toilet and sink still had the stickers in them) but i hate the "victhomedepotorian" style. The kitchen was one of the reasons I chose this home, I loved the "vintage" kitchen. It didn't take long to discover a vintage kitchen doesn't really match the modern world. It's a pain! Cramped, small, horribly ventilated, even worse to keep clean, the cabinet doors don't close perfectly, the drawers are tiny and narrow and a side by side fridge and a portable full size dishwasher simply took the space. My Kitchenaid mixer, coffee maker and blender have to stay on the window because they don't fit under the upper cabinets. Using the mixer, only on the top of the dishwasher or the dining room table and as you know, a professional KA IS very heavy. Nowadays I hate my kitchen so much that I even stopped cooking and I feel absolutely no pleasure at all when I have to walk in it.

3) I'm actually trying to run away from electric. During the summer, electricity is more expensive because of the air conditioners (2 brand new 12k btu Kenmore smart window units) that run almost 24/7. They work beautifully, but if I touch the external walls in the summer i can feel them cold (so my temperature loss is absurdly high because of the lack of insulation). During the winter the gas bill skyrockets. So if I can manage to reduce or eliminate the use of electric heating sources, it can be great.

One thing I though was buying one of those fans that look like a floor dryer and place it under the furnace, blowing upwards (45°). In the living room I have one of those tower fans and in my bedroom i have one of those tiny Honeywell desk fans. of course, noise is kinda concerning, but if i can boost the living room side, It would indirectly help heating the bedroom.

I saw that Dyson heater fan and I loved the heat output. I also loved the fact it can be also used in the summer but that price is cost prohibitive for me.

It's interesting that you mentioned the power outage. I hate my wall furnace, but I always think about that. If someday there's a power outage, at least I won't freeze to death because it uses no electricity at all, except for the milivolt thermostat, but it generates it's own electricity.

 

[lowefficiency]

>> The front house looks like a furnace show room. It has a giant octopus heater (coal), radiators under the windows
>> (also deactivated), gas floor heaters (a giant square in the middle of the living room floor and also those jurassic
>> ones that go part on the floor and part up the wall, two tall Williams wall heaters like mine, a shorter one that
>> looks like a radiator but "square" and finally a forced air gas furnace which was installed 4 years ago. The
>> landlord says the old furnaces were left because of the holes on the walls if they were removed.

Do you have any pictures of these?

Without seeing them, I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that removing all of that has absolutely nothing to do with leaving holes in the wall, but rather that there is asbestos in/on/around them. The timeline, age, types of heating, etc, would almost guarantee it.

 

[yogitunes]

OK.....use TWO electric blankets one on top and one underneath....and slide in like a slice of cheese between two buns!.....mmmmm mmmmm mmmmm Toasty!

 

[ea56]

Thomas

the reason you can't use an electric blanket on the same bed with an heated mattress pad is because the owners manuals of both say that this is something you shouldn’t do! And I for one think that this is good advice to follow.

Our heated mattress pad has 20 heat settings, the highest setting I’ve ever used was 15 and it was hella hot after a while, normally I use 5 to 7 on nights in the high 30’s, if it gets into the 20’s then I’ll bump it up to maybe 12. And if I wake up with a cold flash, I’m prone to getting cold in my sleep, I just hit the preheat button which turns it on high for about 20 mins., then goes back to what ever the heat setting was. One thing I learned about heated mattress pads, is don’t place another regular mattress pad on top of it. You’ll defeat the whole purpose of the heated pad. I’ve had many electric blankets over the past 40 plus years, and hands down the heated pad is much more effective.

Sometimes its worth spending more than you want to spend to get the comfort you desire, only you can make that determination. But bottom line, shoes cost money, and so does staying warm. The $300 for a Dyson heater will give you years of warmth. But an electric baseboard heater will cost less, and use more electricity, it six of one and half a dozen of another.

I’m surprised that your building did have steam heat originally. I didn’t think that this was used much in SoCal, you learn something everyday.

Eddie

 

[thomasortega]

Well, I'm "300%" sure it's because of the asbestos. But also, those old things are so "cool", specially the furnace the water heater and the incinerator that honestly, If it was my house and I were renovating, I'd keep them.

I have the feeling that the horrible ghetto I live once was a "wealthy" neighborhood. I don't really think all water heaters and octopus furnaces 100 years ago were so beautiful. It goes way beyond "cosmetic design". I'd have that water heater in the middle of my living room only to admire its beauty, not hiding in a basement. Whoever built the house and the back apartment I live definitely had a lot of money to spend on fancy stuff and also update them (given the number of heating systems from different times)

The old furnace and the water heater have tons of bronze parts, valves, pipes. I'd probably spend days just polishing it to make it shine like new.

 

[launderess]

Often old boilers and water heaters are left in place

Due to diffiulty getting them out, and or the resulting issues (holes, gaps, etc...) that will be created.

Often for buildings both large and small boilers, furnaces, etc are installed soon after foundations are completed. Thus the building goes up around the things which is fine. Except when or if it comes time to remove, it may not be easy.

If there is a door from basement then things can be cut apart into smaller manageable bits, then taken out that way. For larger or even small buildings sometimes a wall is cut or removed entirely to take out and bring in new.

The gas heaters may have been installed as a supplement to coal "Octopus" heating, and or for use during shoulder periods.

Unlike modern gas or oil fueled boilers/furnaces once you light a coal fire it is basically "on" until it goes out. You can control things to an extent via dampers, but you've still got a fire giving off heat.

It often was an ordeal getting a good fire, so once it was going last thing anyone wanted was for it to go out. Thus you didn't fire up coal boilers/furnace until sure cold weather was pretty much around to stay. That is if it was 40F one day or night, but predicted 60F a few days later, you really didn't want to build a fire.

To take chill off during shoulder seasons (late fall into early winter, or late spring into early summer) people often used other means of heating instead of main boiler/furnace. This way they didn't have to mess about with trying to control a fire. This or worse constantly building one, allowing it to go out, then starting over again a few days later.

 

[rp2813]

Thomas, the added-on den at our previous house was both sunken and had a high vaulted ceiling, and it was heated by a gas wall unit.   Unlike most wall heaters, it was mounted about 18" above the floor.  Without anything to circulate the air, while standing in the opening above the two steps down into the room, well away from the wall heater, your shoulders would be above the inversion layer and you'd get a blast of heat from there up.

 

I used a fan something like you described having at a 45 degree angle in front of your wall heater -- just a little plastic 10" Vornado -- and stuck it in a corner of the room aiming straight up, set to the lowest speed.  I had it on an appliance timer that could be set for it to run for 15 minutes at 15 minute intervals.  That was enough to equalize the temperature throughout the entire den space. 

 

Instead of placing the fan where you have it, try what I did and see if it helps.  It's very cost-effective.

 

And, from what it sounds like, you live in an interesting part of town.  Can you provide some references like major streets or freeways?

 

[wayupnorth]

Yes Laundress, my father told me how they kept our old Octopus going. By the time I came along they had an oil burner. He never used coal until December and just wood. I owned a 1868 house with a coal stove in the far end and his wisdom worked. Dont fire it up until it was staying cold and the first time it gets 40ish, the fire went out when the chimney draft stops, usually end of March. Much as I hate coal it is ALOT easier than the pellet stuff they use today and pellet stoves dont work when the power goes out but coal stoves work. Oil boiler and gas backup is as easier as it gets here.

 

[sudsmaster]

Uninsulated walls seem to the norm in California, even in the SF Bay Area, at least in older construction. Oddly, this house was originally built in 1941, and has plaster/lathe interior walls, and a stucco exterior. There's a master bed/bath addition at the back, probably put in during the 60's or 70's. It has the more modern drywall construction, and there seems to be some fiberglass insulation behind it, but it is the coldest part of the house, usually a degree cooler, despite forced air heating.  I suspect the old plaster/lathe walls insulate better than modern drywall. It's not a big problem, since like most people (except those from Brazil) I prefer a slightly cooler bedroom. But it does make getting up in the mornings during the winter a little more challenging.

 

The one thing I really can't stand is waking up in the middle of the night feeling too warm, and having to throw off covers. I have tried electric blankets or mattress pads, but find them too much bother. Although running the pad for an hour before retiring can make the bed more comfortable.

 

One thing I'd recommend if Thomas doesn't already have it, is to have programmable thermostat. They are not expensive and simple to install. And can save $$$ on energy, assuming you can stand not having the heater running full blast 7x24.

 

 

[thomasortega]

@rp2813

I live in South LA (some people say South Downtown) 1 mile west of 110 freeway, on Gage Avenue and Normandie.

My neighborhood is famous for many reasons. Some beautiful victorian and craftsman houses (now very decadent) and once in a while another house burns, like the victorian house that I saw burning tonight, making real state investors (aka gentrificators) VERY happy.

Specifically the block where i live is the "dead zone" between two huge gangs I can say I'm really lucky, it could be much worse but actually i don't have (many) problems here, except for police helicopters almost every day, a murder every now and then, those "flashmobs" with idiots making donuts with their tuned cars... Oh yes, and if you remember the 1992 riots, the epicenter was a few blocks away from here, on Normandie and Florence. Tom's Liquor Store was looted and burned, Reginald Denny (that truck driver) was beaten (and almost killed).

When writing the previous reply, when i mentioned It looks like my neighborhood was once wealthy and then decadent, i felt inspired to do some research and I found a very interesting article that shows how LA was (is) segregated.

In fact, my neighborhood was once "middle-upper class" (B), then lowered to Middle class (C) and then some years later it was red zoned (D) the infamous map was how the government and banks managed home loans. So of course, B zones were more difficult to have a mortgage loan approved, so wealthier people could afford buying homes and naturally, constructors invested more in comfort and technology, while the red zones were easier, consequently, more attractive to minorities. When I saw the map I confirmed what I always thought based on the architecture style seen in my neighborhood. Older homes were somewhat fancy (I'd say "MOL", not enormous or too expensive), newer ones were more built to be BOL.)

Very close from here a few miles north, there are hundreds (if not thousands) of victorian homes that were clearly built to impress and USC (University of Southern California) was built right in the middle of that area. Actually, many of those homes nowadays are fully restored (luckily not remodeled because they're protected) and used as dorms for the students or fraternities.

A few miles south, the "line" is very visible on 120th street. One side of the street has "humm, interesting" homes, the other side has "OMG, who had the guts to build that thing?" homes.

Right on Gage Avenue heading East, the line is the 110 freeway. West of 110 is "Humm, decadent now but interesting if we imagine those homes when they were just built" and east of 110 the scenario is "WTF? The architects intentionally used their knowledge to make one house look worse than the other"

A few miles northwest from my home, there's a neighborhood that is infamously called the "Black Beverly Hills". It's where successful african americans could buy fancy homes. The difference, until today is shocking, and again, there's an enormous discrepancy between both sides of a street. (multi million dollar mansions in one side, with a disturbing view of a horrible ghetto right across the street. Don't forget to add a oil refinery to the poor side view.

Sadly, the segregation (that officially is long gone) still exists. It became a cultural thing that is part of LA's identity. I can notice my neighbors have absolutely no proud of their homes. Actually, let me correct. It feels like they're proud to have their homes as ugly and decadent as possible. It feels like everybody follows the vision "the worse, the merrier", If I take care of my front yard, my neighbors will think I'm a "Bel Air white chick". This is ridiculous!

Nobody needs to be rich and spend fortunes to keep the house AT LEAST clean. One of my neighbors, OMG, I once almost had to report it to the authorities. His backyard was a super hoarder hell. Broken furniture an appliances, totaled cars, mountains of trash, zillions of fleas, roaches, rats.

Luckily I didn't even need to complain to my landlord about that. He came here one day and he felt the fleas climbing on his legs. He immediately talked to the neighbor (I bet he threatened to report) in 3 days everything was gone (and the fleas and the vectors were evicted, together with the trash).

The neighbor on the other side is latin, not wealthy but proud. He's always fixing one or other thing, he decorates for Christmas (very simple decoration) and all his efforts are enough to say his house is really cute. Again, you don't need to be rich or spend fortunes to make your home a nice place to live and also pleasant to the neighbors.

Overall, I can say I have great neighbors. In my block, most of them are somewhat related to the original owners and the previous generations were lucky because their kids didn't get involved with drugs or gangs. Well, except for my front neighbor that has a Mustang (not so classic and falling apart) and loves making donuts right in front of his house (consequently mine), until the day he made a mistake (more than start making donuts) and crashed against his own house. There was a police car approaching him when the collision happened and he went straight to jail. He's back and the "donut shop" is open again.

I can even use the donuts as an address reference. Just look for the donuts on the street, i live right in front of them. Even on google earth the donuts can be seen.

@launderess

Yes, the octopus furnace is clearly there since before the house was built.

Actually, I'd kill to have a basement like that. It's actually bigger than the house itself because it goes under part of the garage. I could definitely fit over 100 or more washers in there. (The speed queen ultramate wouldn't fit because of the height). Right on the corner of the house, next to the driveway there's the coal room. the walls and ceiling are still black and the chute is still there. Right next to it is the furnace and a huge tank (i think it's a coal burning water heater maybe?) There was also a bathroom (well, i know it was a bathroom because of the toilet mark and the sewer pipe on the floor (the toilet was removed). Under the kitchen there's a small laundry room and a double laundry sink (cast iron). the gas water heater that I mentioned that is beautiful (Rudd) and I seriously think it's an instant water heater because it's not a tank, but a series of spirals stacked in a round cabinet, there's also a Kenmore incinerator and tons of junk, including the clawfoot bathtub that belonged to my bathroom until very recently and I have no idea why the landlord put it there. Beautiful but ridiculously small and narrow. The rest of the basement is basically a giant open space.

I can easily imagine the nuclear bunker was built later, based on the year the house was built and the cold war. It is lower than the basement, but not exactly under it sits right in the middle of the parking patio., It's actually very small, maybe could fit 6 people laying side by side and it has a small compartment that i can imagine it's for food storage and the hatch looks like a submarine door is on the very corner of the basement. The landlord and I discovered the bunker together.

The basement has two entrances. One is in the front house living room, other entrance is in the garage, it looks like "The wizard of Oz" basement door.

I went there only twice with the landlord. It belongs to the front house so of course I wouldn't "trespass" my neighbor's property.

My neighbor actually don't use the basement. he actually had no idea there's a door to the basement right in the middle of his living room. (I don't understand how can somebody live in a house and not notice that door on the floor)

Anyway, the basement is dirty, full of spider webs. When I'm stressed out or pissed off, i tend to start cleaning everything out of control. Recently I was pissed off because my car had a serious mechanical problem and I was about to receive guests, so I grabbed my giant Ridgid vacuum and vacuumed the patio around my apartment and the driveway. My neighbor was home so I asked him to help me holding the door open and started cleaning it, but only the first 4 steps on the stairs were enough to fill the bag so I gave up.

My landlord knows that if someday the tenant decides to leave, I want to be the very first to know. The front house is much bigger than my apartment (4 bedrooms 3 bathrooms) and it has that precious basement. If that happens, the landlord first wants to update the house. (Hopefully I'll have the chance to avoid other Home Depot/HGTV design disaster.)

 

[launderess]

The Ruud Instantaneous Automatic Water Heater

Sounds like previous larger (Victorian?) home was torn down (for whatever reasons), and something new was built upon old foundations. That and or some major gut renovation work was done that drastically altered former structure.

Sounds like you have a classic old Ruud instant water heater. We've discussed them before on AW. See: https://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?33241

https://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?51701_9

Those units actually were quite efficient. Something along lines of 83% or so if not more. Mr. Ruud (yes there actually was such a person) knew a few things about heating and cold....

Many do not realize that natural gas was available in many parts of USA by early in last century if not from late in previous. Homes/buildings in areas where NG or coal (city) gas available often switched from coal or other solid fuel for heating or cooking. Of course it was usually the well off that chose gas over say coal because they had homes with all latest mod cons.

If you lived in a climate with really cold tap water two of those Ruud (or other I suppose) water heaters could be run in tandem; though from what one understands just one unit was more than capable of giving out 130F or higher water from incoming temp at around 50F or so.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Ruud#The_Ruud_Instantaneous_Au

Instant water heaters suited homes in early part of last century because most personal hygiene, house work, laundry, etc... was done by filling various basins, buckets, tubs, etc... with water. There were showers of course, but there you are.

Some homes or other places used Ruud or other instant water heaters with a storage tank. This way during high demand one never ran out of hot water, and hopefully avoided the "cold sandwich" which comes when heater cannot keep up with demand.

Above duplicates mostly what you can get with a boiler for hot water or steam heat and a "coil" run off boiler to a water "heater". In effect using the boiler to provide "free" on demand hot water.

 

[rp2813]

Well Thomas, it sounds like your neighborhood has some of the best and the worst of L.A.  I will admit that I've not had much reason to venture very far south of the city center, other than to events at the Shrine Auditorium.

 

My sister lives in Glassell Park (near the bottom end of the 2 Freeway, south of the 134) back behind Dodger Stadium.  It's very much a "transitional" neighborhood.   I like how she is located between downtown L.A. and Pasadena, which are desirable arts and entertainment destinations, and how many original homes have survived in that area.   A couple of homes up the road behind her house there is one of those '20s staircases down to the block below hers, as seen on TV/movies.  I've spent time sitting at the top of those steps and enjoying the view of Griffith Observatory on the next ridge over to the west.  I may be a Bay Area native, but I love L.A.  Maybe not more, but I love it there.  And yes, I've worked and commuted there, so mine is not some la la perspective. 

 

It would be great if you got the front house and could steer the LL toward affordable fixtures and finishes that at least don't look cheap.  The ReStore is your friend.

 

[bradfordwhite]

Thomas 86 degrees

With all due respect, 86 degrees is NOT healthy.

Most people are comfy between 72 and 76 and a healthy humidity level around 30%

suggestions:
1. see a doctor, you may have certain vitamin deficiencies, such as Vit D. A lot of people do. A lack of vit D tends to make people feel tired, makes it difficult to sleep, makes ones bones achy, makes one feel cold, as well as other problems. You may need a supplement or to change your diet.

2. You're going to damage your health keeping temperatures that high.

3. You could well cause a fire with that many heat sources running.

4. you might try adding a humidifier in your home. S. Calif. typically has little humidity and even when it's 100 degrees, it will be tolerable to a typical person because of the low humidity. On the other hand, a place with 70 degree and high humidity of say 75% can make it feel like it's 90 degrees.

5. Move to a decent apartment that is well insulated and not drafty. A constant draft can affect one's well being because you feel you can't control your environment.

6. If all else fails, consider seeing a therapist as there may be other underlying problems.

good luck to you.

 

[kate1]

I feel overheated just reading this thread. It reaches 80+ in my house and I start putting my pillow in the freezer before bed and opening windows and taking off clothes, by far summer is my least favorite time of the year and my worst season for good sleep. Living in a northern climate though, I do have some resources for staying warm when the central heating can’t keep up (which happens once or twice a year, usually in January especially if you’re in a home relying on electric heat, which thankfully I’m not anymore). First of all, you really do have to just get over wearing clothing to bed. Long johns under nice flannel pajamas and a warm pair of wool socks should keep you plenty warm. I wouldn’t really recommend sleeping with heated electric bedding but if you really feel it necessary, a heated mattress pad is probably the better option. I personally use a hot water bottle to just warm the bed before bedtime. Flannel sheets are a big help as well as a nice down duvet and a thick wool blanket or two. I strongly recommend sticking with cotton, wool, and down rather than synthetics because they don’t trap moisture and have better temperature regulation properties. Finally, to just increase the ambient comfort of the room in general a good fan to distribute the heat more evenly does help and a humidifier is an absolute must. I wouldn’t discount exploring some possible medical causes of your cold intolerance either, human beings generally are very good at acclimating to new environments fairly quickly, years later you really shouldn’t still be that cold especially in Southern California.

 

[ea56]

Re: Reply #19

“I'm actually trying to run away from electric. During the summer, electricity is more expensive because of the air conditioners (2 brand new 12k btu Kenmore smart window units) that run almost 24/7. They work beautifully, but if I touch the external walls in the summer i can feel them cold (so my temperature loss is absurdly high because of the lack of insulation). During the winter the gas bill skyrockets. So if I can manage to reduce or eliminate the use of electric heating sources, it can be great. “

I’ve been wondering for the past few days why you would need to have the temp up to 86 F in the winter, if during the summer you say you run the AC 24/7? It would seem that if cold was really such a problem for you, then I would imagine that logically, you would enjoy the LA summer heat, and have little, if any need for AC during the heat of the summer.

I personally am most comfortable with our home being at a constant 70 to 72 degrees. We don’t have AC, and in the summer, due to the many tall trees around our home providing shade the downstairs stays in this range almost all the time, upstairs is another story, and it can get up to 80 F in the afternoon during hot days, and thats way too hot for moi.

During the fall and winter, I set the thermostats in each room to about 68 F and this maintains a constant 70 to 72 F, which is comfortable. while wearing appropriate warmer winter clothing and socks. I can’t imagine being in 86 F heat and liking it.

My family only lived in one home during my childhood with forced air heating, and my Mom was like you, liked the house to be hot. I can recall my Dad coming home from work one evening and Mom had the thermostat up to 80 F. My Dad said, “Jesus Christ Bettie, wadda you think you’re doin’, growin’ Orchids in here!”.

If you really need the temp up to 86F during the winter I agree with some of the other posters, perhaps you have a metabolic problem that you should check with your doctor about, cuz 86 F is hella hot!

Eddie

 

[thomasortega]

During the summer this apartment looks like a self cleaning oven, I mean way hotter than what is comfortable for me.

It's incredible how this apartment gets hot, i mean, MUCH hotter than outside (outside the weather feels great at 100s) it feels like the sun is in my attic. Opening windows is unthinkable because of the pollution. That black dust everywhere unless I start dusting every day, and my life would turn into a cleaning nightmare. If I don't dust every day, in 3 days the apartment will look like it's abandoned for 10 years.

During the summer i set my A/Cs to 80 or 75, and they struggle. When they reach the temperature and turn off, it doesn't take longer than 2 minutes for the compressor to kick in again. Also, when they turn off, if feels like I just turned on the heaters, because the temperature rises almost instantly.

Right now it's somewhat comfortable at night. i set my space heater to 75 and I can forget it on 24/7 and it kicks in only at night when it starts to get colder. I'm no longer using the A/Cs (or using them very little near noon), they kick in and quickly reach the temperature and turn off and kick in again after several minutes.

Strangely, If i wait to turn the heater and furnace on, I arrive at 2 or 3 am (Uber) outside is cold, but not horrible, i can resist that with only a light jacket and the apartment feels much colder. When I open the door I feel like entering that walk in refrigerator at Costco.

 

[launderess]

Without proper insulation and a few other things nearly any building is going to become quite warm indoors during summer if you keep windows closed.

Can leave ours closed most of the day with heavy drapes shut, and things remain cool well into the evening. But that is with turning on AC say around 11PM and leaving it on until next morning. In short once place has cooled keep it that way by restricting (much as possible) heat from entering.

Either you or landlord really should pony up for a home energy inspection. Sometimes local utility companies will offer things for free or at reduced rates. Other than that look around for a good deal.

It really does sound as if your home/apartment doesn't have much insulation, which is common for older buildings. Things that went up when energy prices were "cheap" people didn't care as much about heating costs. If you got chilly just turn up the thermostat.

From early in last century until rather recently there also was a "ventilation" movement. Sparked by the 1916 flu pandemic people believed in fresh air, even in winter. Thus buildings were either designed or required by code to have heating systems capable of keeping indoor temps at say 70F even in dead winter with windows opened, and or they were "drafty" by construction intent. Again the idea was that fresh air prevented one from catching the flu (it doesn't)....

When your LL ripped out the previous hot water or steam heating system with rads it really sounds as if no one sat down and gave serious thought to how much heating is required. An energy audit would have arrived at proper sizing of a new furnace or whatever heating system that replaced previous.

 

[thomasortega]

Well, the insulation is definitely non existent here, given the way the external walls are cold during the summer (with the A/C on) and how they are extremely cold internally during the winter.

It's a point where the windows (replaced sometime probably in the 50's, standard guillotine windows with aluminum sashes and super thin glass.) are irrelevant because the whole wall gets cold.

Anyway

Redoing the insulation is obviously unthinkable. My landlord will definitely not spend that money and I wouldn't be stupid to consider talking to him about that.

I can say I'm lucky, because my rent is ridiculously cheap (considering LA prices) and as I always paid rent a few days in advance, my landlord loves me and he didn't even raise the rent when he could.

I moved from a million dollar high end upscale building that was built in 1997 in Brazil with state-of-the-art technology and marketed as the most modern and safest apartment building in my state. Of course I had to adapt myself and honestly, I'm loving the challenge, but some things are a PITA. An apartment like mine here in los angeles would easily cost over 10 million dollars to buy or paying 50k dollars per month on rent would be nothing.

When I lived in Dallas, my apartment was huge (i mean really huge, probably twice bigger than this and it was also a 2-bedroom apartment), the living room was comparable to a ballroom so wide it was, the bedrooms were enormous, it had central A/C and furnace, fancy triple pane windows that were also sound proof and it was so well insulated it was probably more air tight than a mason jar. and rent was 4x cheaper than what I pay here. Moving to an apartment with the same features here in Los Angeles means I would have to sacrifice something near 5 or 6k dollars on my budget, EVERY MONTH! It's simply impossible for me to even consider that.

I have a friend from Brazil (my former boss) that has a daughter studying in Orlando, FL. He bought a huge house (I mean almost a mansion), 6 bedrooms (actually 6 master bedrooms with giant bathrooms with large jacuzzi on all of them and "celebrity" closets) in a gated community with all the luxury one can imagine AND a super fancy swimming pool with jacuzzi and waterfall that surrounds half of the house and "invades" one of the living rooms. It's a house that could easily be on HGTV. It was brand new when he bought it for only 380k dollars. With 300k dollars in great los angeles you probably can't buy even the land in the worst neighborhood (Compton).

My husband owns a tiny house in Tehachapi (It's a hole in the middle of nowhere, close to Bakersfield) That house is depressive, extremely modest, ugly, small and among the "luxury" features, I can mention it has a garage door, windows, the bathroom has a toilet and the kitchen has a sink. (Did I mention that there's nothing in this life that I hate more than that house and someday that "thing" will end up destroying my marriage?)
That "thing", believe it or not, is worth much more than my friends mansion in Orlando. Welcome to Californiaquistan!

Solution is: I have to make things work with the resources I have available. It's a scenario somewhat comparable to that reality show "The 1900 family". Back to the topic. My apartment has a horrible insulation (basically none).

I have a williams wall furnace that is mediocre and obviously under dimensioned for the apartment size and the temperature loss. I need to discover a way to extract as much heat as possible from it.

During the winter (when it's REALLY COLD) the internal walls are freezing cold and the williams furnace isn't enough. I use electric space heaters together, but I'd love to discover a way to reduce the use of the space heaters, so at least during the winter my electrical bill could be lower.
Wearing anything to sleep is a NO, NO, NO for me. I simply can't sleep at all.

Honestly, if I had the money, I'd give to my landlord a central HVAC system or those split-type HC air conditioners.

 

[lowefficiency]

Thomas, I'm wondering if maybe part of the problem is a difference of measurements?

The winter temperature setting, 86-90 degrees and desiring warmer, is way warmer than typical... and the summer setting of 75-80, while relatively normal sounding, does seem to be way too cool for your otherwise stated preference for warmer temperatures.

Perhaps one or more of your units has a faulty or miscalibrated thermostat? Or perhaps the fact that each thermostat is independent and located in different areas means they aren't giving a true reflection of the actual temperature in your living space?

Before doing anything else, I'd get a good reliable thermometer, and place it in different areas of your home... particularly in the middle of rooms and not near the floor or ceiling... each time giving it a half hour or so to stabilize. That will give you some data points on the *actual* temps, not just what the temp is along a wall, by a window, etc... especially given the current close proximity of the thermostats to their respective heating/cooling devices.

It could very well be that you don't actually like the temp at 86+... that simply you have to set your thermostat to those temps to get the rest of your apartment to, say, the 78 that you'd like.

 

[thomasortega]

Interesting.... for a second I stopped and thought about that.

Yes, in fact, the furnace heats (duh, that's obvious) and the thermostat is somewhat near the furnace (living room).

The portable space heater... well, i don't need to say the thermostat is IN it.

Near the furnace it's hot (I mean, uncomfortably hot) but a few steps away from it it's freaking cold. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night, feeling like a penguin and i stand right in front of the furnace to stop shaking.

And yes, I have a fan pointed to the furnace to help spreading the hot air.

I also have two ceiling fans (bedroom and living room) that I keep running to move the air.