Everyone ready for winter?
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That is a very nice setup. Baby boiler that could easily heat more, Power vent so no chimney needed, PEX to run throughout the house, perfect in my world. Wished there was this available 22 years ago when I put my system in. Does that supply your domestic hot water also? From a deep freeze to rain here and much weirder warmer temps for January. Suppose all the melting snow will be glare ice AGAIN.
Thanks Washman and Wayupnorth.
Actually a chimney is required as it is only an 84% efficient boiler (at the recommendation of the heating contractor). The blower on the exhaust vent was added after the fact because I was having problems with a down draft sometimes and the burner would not ignite. Originally the house had nothing but baseboard electric heaters. When electricity rates started to rise I decided it was time to get rid of the electric heat. My original plan was for a forced air system (so that I could have central air) but due to the way the house was built, it was not possible so I went with the hot water radiant. All the electric rads were replaced with the hot water rads and since the basement has a suspended ceiling it was relatively easily to have the PEX lines installed. There are 5 zones - master bedroom, guest bedroom, main bathroom, living/dining/kitchen and basement. The system does not supply the domestic hot water. I inquired about replacing the electric hot water tank but the contractor thought the savings would be negligible since I am a 1 person household.
The snow has changed to a driving rain with winds blowing from the south.
Gary
Actually a chimney is required as it is only an 84% efficient boiler (at the recommendation of the heating contractor). The blower on the exhaust vent was added after the fact because I was having problems with a down draft sometimes and the burner would not ignite. Originally the house had nothing but baseboard electric heaters. When electricity rates started to rise I decided it was time to get rid of the electric heat. My original plan was for a forced air system (so that I could have central air) but due to the way the house was built, it was not possible so I went with the hot water radiant. All the electric rads were replaced with the hot water rads and since the basement has a suspended ceiling it was relatively easily to have the PEX lines installed. There are 5 zones - master bedroom, guest bedroom, main bathroom, living/dining/kitchen and basement. The system does not supply the domestic hot water. I inquired about replacing the electric hot water tank but the contractor thought the savings would be negligible since I am a 1 person household.
The snow has changed to a driving rain with winds blowing from the south.
Gary
We got a few inches of the heavy wet stuff this morning but it pretty much turned to rain and is now a fading memory.
79°F to 82°F today .... January.
Low 50's here and 2nd day of rain. Not much snow left but will probably all freeze up tomorrow night.
gusherb
Well-known member
We had an unexpected ice storm this morning. It was pouring rain all day yesterday and even had heavy thunderstorms at one point. It got up to 45°. I went to bed and it got windy and dropped to about 33°. I was awakened by the sound of thunder this morning before light and heard pouring, blowing rain, and remembering what the temp was before bed and that it was supposed to be cold today I got up and looked at the temp and it was 30°! I'll honestly say, I've never in my life seen a thunderstorm at 30° ambient. Later on around 7-8 I heard Ice pelting the north corner of the house. When I finally got up everything was coated in a thin but hard frozen layer of ice. The ice scraper couldn't even get it off my car, I had to wait for the defrost to melt it some first. The Ice melt is hardly doing anything on the sheet of ice on the driveway, which looks like those sprinkle down basement floors where it's textured from the sleet pellets freezing into a sheet, so it wasn't the most slippery ice I've walked on.
With all that said, the roads were clear and I'm very grateful for that.
With all that said, the roads were clear and I'm very grateful for that.
This one time at band camp........
well actually this one time I was driving across Iowa when I used to install POS systems and it was during a massive blizzard on I80 that I first experienced thundersnow. In fact I 80 was closed and I did not realize it. The 95 Taurus was doing its best heat wise but it was so intense, the defroster could barely keep up. When I got on the other side of quad cities, all the snow changed to rain and I made it back to Indy in one piece.
well actually this one time I was driving across Iowa when I used to install POS systems and it was during a massive blizzard on I80 that I first experienced thundersnow. In fact I 80 was closed and I did not realize it. The 95 Taurus was doing its best heat wise but it was so intense, the defroster could barely keep up. When I got on the other side of quad cities, all the snow changed to rain and I made it back to Indy in one piece.
gusherb
Well-known member
We've had thundersnow a few times in the last few years around here. It has been known to be extraordinarily loud.
It was up to 67F around noon, but rained heavily about 3PM. The temp has now dropped to upper 40's. Tomorrow the high is supposed to be upper 30's, but warm back up to 50's next week.
vacerator
Well-known member
"winter driving"
like that in thunder snow and freezing rain sure used to push my "threshold too",
and I never even went to band camp.
Hey Jim! jmm63 too buddy!
like that in thunder snow and freezing rain sure used to push my "threshold too",
and I never even went to band camp.
Hey Jim! jmm63 too buddy!
toploader55
Well-known member
Here on the Cape
Hard to believe there was 15+ inches of snow on Sunday Morning.
Temps the past few days in the upper forties and today 63 for a few hours... It's just about gone.
YAY... Weekend is suppose to be in the 20s and 30s but Tuesday (so far) back in the forties.
I'LL TAKE IT !!!
Hard to believe there was 15+ inches of snow on Sunday Morning.
Temps the past few days in the upper forties and today 63 for a few hours... It's just about gone.
YAY... Weekend is suppose to be in the 20s and 30s but Tuesday (so far) back in the forties.
I'LL TAKE IT !!!
vacerator
Well-known member
Ours was $76
I don't program the thermostat, I keep it at 70 f.
1968 brick ranch/bungalow, roughly 1,450 sq. ft., full basement, some added insulation, and we did use the fireplace some which is now a gas log.
Our kids have a quad level house built the same year, with a "Nest" thermostat.
Roughly the same sq. footage, and their bill was $80.
They only have basement beneath the kitchen and front room. They don't use their fireplace, and the family room is below grade. Both houses have forced air gas 95 plus efficiency furnaces.
I don't program the thermostat, I keep it at 70 f.
1968 brick ranch/bungalow, roughly 1,450 sq. ft., full basement, some added insulation, and we did use the fireplace some which is now a gas log.
Our kids have a quad level house built the same year, with a "Nest" thermostat.
Roughly the same sq. footage, and their bill was $80.
They only have basement beneath the kitchen and front room. They don't use their fireplace, and the family room is below grade. Both houses have forced air gas 95 plus efficiency furnaces.
I can only wish my bill was that low and that I could keep the house at 70. We keep the house at 65, and 62 at night or when no one is home. (programmable tstat) We heat with oil so it's whatever the price is when I order it. Some years its downright painfull. So far this year, i got 100 gallons the end of October which lasted Nov and December, that was $250, so $125 a month, not terrible. Got another 150 gal the end of Dec, that was $300. Will probably need another 150 gal the beginning of Feb which hopefully will be it for the rest of the season, depends of the weather.
We dress warmly in the house.
We dress warmly in the house.
vacerator
Well-known member
Jim,
do you have an oil fired boiler, or forced air? Today, I got another gas bill for $138 for through Jan. 5th.
The temp. in our house is actually about 68 or 69 at most times, and we wear a sweater, hoodie, or sweat shirt over the first shirt.
Growing up we had a coal furnace in Detroit, then oil forced air at first in the 1944 built G.I. house in the suburbs. When my dad had to rebuild three walls of the block foundation because it was back filled with clay, (we all helped dig it out) he removed that old oil burner, tank, and put in gas. Oil is more expensive.
do you have an oil fired boiler, or forced air? Today, I got another gas bill for $138 for through Jan. 5th.
The temp. in our house is actually about 68 or 69 at most times, and we wear a sweater, hoodie, or sweat shirt over the first shirt.
Growing up we had a coal furnace in Detroit, then oil forced air at first in the 1944 built G.I. house in the suburbs. When my dad had to rebuild three walls of the block foundation because it was back filled with clay, (we all helped dig it out) he removed that old oil burner, tank, and put in gas. Oil is more expensive.
I have oil because propane is ridiculously expensive and natural gas is never going to be available where I live. I have propane backup in case power goes out. I have two 330 gallon tanks that easily give me my heat and hot water with my trusty New Yorker boiler for a full year. Filling up when it is cheap (1.69/gal.) end of summer helped alot. Now zero on the thermometer and -17 with wind chill. Summer, please come back!
