Everyone ready for winter?

[jmm63]

Mike,

It's oil fired forced air.  Furnace was new as of last year and is much more efficient than the old one, which was 30+ years old.  Although I'm not 100% happy with it.  Its much louder than the old one and we sized it a little more powerful than the old one because the 2nd floor is always cold.  It helped some but not quite.  We have to have some duct work done to fix that.  The master bedroom needs another supply line and the whole house needs more cold air returns.  

 

My mom's house in Allen Park had the original gravity heat furnace from 1948 to 1990 when she put in forced air.

 

Like Mike, we don't have natural gas in the neighborhood.  Its an old lake community that was originally summer cottages.  They never ran gas mains in.  Everyone heats with oil or propane, but propane is really expensive so its oil for most.

 

 

[vacerator]

Jim,

it's worth the slight disadvantage not to have gas to live near a lake. How is your Mom doing?
My folks house on Oakdale had gravity heat when they bought it in 1978.
It also came with a 1955 36 inch Frigidaire electric range. My mom always had a gas stove before that, but she said she liked it.
I don't know what ever happened to it. I moved out on the east side before they remodeled that kitchen, and I worked so much, I didn't get down to visit a whole lot. I think it was thanksgiving about 1983 it suddenly had a new oak kitchen and all new Kenmore appliances.
My sister has the house now. She got new black LG stuff two years ago.
The state didn't take the house to recoup Medicaid form my mom being in a nursing home because they did the Ladybird deed, which took my mom off the house.

 

[twintubdexter]

I really do feel sorry for those people who end up going without electricity for periods of time. The very few instances when my power has gone off was when Southern California Edison said that they had maintenance to do. They gave you a 2 week heads-up and then the off period was short and never in the summer. As it was I would get so upset that friends said I needed to be sedated. 

 

[jmm63]

Thanks for asking Mike,  we actually just had a really bad week.  She's been in the hospital this week due to a really bad UTI and a fall on monday.  Thank God, nothing broken.  The UTI was pretty serious, 3 days of IV anti biotics and fluids and she was released on Thursday and is back home.  Thank God for my sister, who has to deal with 

 

[philr]

The boiler at my new home stopped to heat this weekend, there was a bad weld in the relay of the aquastat, I called the gas company for service but the weekend call was $500... I looked at it and fixed it by myself and I'll probably order a spare online as they are quite expensive in Canada...

 

[washman]

Bit of a warm spell last 2 days.  Goodman is humming right along.  I hope the filter will last until early summer, at 38 bucks a throw, I don't fancy replacing them too often!

 

[gusherb]

It's supposed to be in the 40s and some 50s for the next week here.

I change our filter just over once a year, it lasts a very long time and we have a dusty house. It's the same one you got.

 

[thomasortega]

Everything ready for the winter here... ROFL

A/C checked (new filters)
pantry full of Lipton iced tea
Freezer full of popsicles and ice cream.
Ice maker checked
Swimsuits washed
Fireplace clean (you know, we need to keep it clean because of the Christmas decoration)
Furnace.... (What is a furnace?)
Amazon Dash button for "Sunblock SPF 1200" (button was hit maybe 10 times only today LOL)
Aloe vera balm in the first aid kit (you know, for sunburns)
A new stock of evilness like a mexican soap opera villan, only to laugh when our friends in other states start sending the pictures.

 

[washman]

I do mine 2x a year gusherb

mainly due to the fact that in addition to being non-compliant with DOE and EPA edicts, I'm also a 2nd class citizen.

 

I'm a smoker

 

[wayupnorth]

My system being 22 years old is far from complying with any of the new standards but is very efficient. I dont have any filters, just pet hair clogging up the baseboard units, needs frequently gone over with the vac, I am a second class also and I dont care what anyone thinks. This is what I see every day (that the sun is out). I should say in warmer weather, not in the middle of January.

 

[gosvenn]

I start winterizing my house and all the appliances as soon as the winter started. Right now the temperature is about 30F. While winterizing I came across a couple of drafty windows. I did a bit of research online and I came across a blog that mentioned some tips on how to fix drafty windows ( https://www.clerawindows.com/blog/how-to-check-and-fix-drafty-windows/ ).I don't what caused these windows to be drafty as they are new. If anybody could share any thoughts on this, it would be great.

 

[askolover]

December's gas usage for us was 5900 cu ft.  with the thermostat set on 72-73 and a gas water heater, dryer, and kitchen stove in a 1956 ranch with the original drafty wood windows (to be changed out this year)! My actual cost was $57 total for the gas, monthly service charge, blah blah.  With budget billing I only had to pay $34 (averaged over the whole year).  Gas is very cheap here.