I usually set back the thermostat from 69 to 67 when I get up at 3:30 AM and switch the fan from continuous to automatic, but this morning, I just left everything as it was because the house was comfortable and I did not want to do anything to upset the good thing I had going with the ferocious cold outside. The only thing we had going for us weather-wise was that the breeze was gentle.
How Is Everyone Keeping Warm?
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mark_wpduet
Well-known member
It was -3
in Lexington this morning. It's crazy we get that cold with no snow. A couple of years ago we had deep snows and it went down to -18. My water froze at the bathroom sink, which is near on an outside wall. It didn't burst when it thawed, thank God. Our power bills are going to be insane
in Lexington this morning. It's crazy we get that cold with no snow. A couple of years ago we had deep snows and it went down to -18. My water froze at the bathroom sink, which is near on an outside wall. It didn't burst when it thawed, thank God. Our power bills are going to be insane
gusherb
Well-known member
Yesterday's high of 1°F broke record for lowest high on New Year's Day in Chicago.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/chicagos-bitter-cold-new-years-day-marks-coldest-on-record/
Downstate in Indianapolis they tied a record low at -12, Lafayette (90 miles south of here) recorded a low of -19°. The same news article said the local utility in Lafayette had people complaining of a hum which they said was due to the extra high demand. Methinks there must be a lot of heat pumps/electric heating down there or something, or perhaps West Lafayette being a college town lots of space heaters. Who knows. Up here just about everywhere has NG so electric demand doesn't go up at all really.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/chicagos-bitter-cold-new-years-day-marks-coldest-on-record/
Downstate in Indianapolis they tied a record low at -12, Lafayette (90 miles south of here) recorded a low of -19°. The same news article said the local utility in Lafayette had people complaining of a hum which they said was due to the extra high demand. Methinks there must be a lot of heat pumps/electric heating down there or something, or perhaps West Lafayette being a college town lots of space heaters. Who knows. Up here just about everywhere has NG so electric demand doesn't go up at all really.
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.
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.
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.
Not sure what causes power lines to hum. Maybe Tolivac, who works with high power radio waves, can tell us.
Moisture in the air-in high amounts can cause the powerlines to make crackling,buzzing noises.At night you may see corona around the lines,too.See this on the 115Kv lines feeding our site on real humid days-at night the corona is kinda beautiful.Tooo see the corona you have to let your eyes get used to the dark and no other lights nearby.
Oh yes supposed to SNOW in our area for Wednesday.May get 4 ".Glad I don't have to go to work that night.
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.
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.
It was 8 degrees above at 3:30 this AM in Belchville and I just checked and it is down to 6. Both the Weather Porn Channel and AccuWeather agree on this, but only online. Cable Weather Porn Channel only gives readings from and forecasts for DC now--worthless POS. There is no wind though so it was not a brutal assault type of cold, just the slowly penetrating deadly type of cold. I think the next two days are supposed to be windy. That is a different matter. It is very cold in our office so I wore my fleece lined Ball Room Jeans and they are not any too warm in here. Imagine that they put about 75KW of strip heat in our air handler several years ago and have not used it in the past two years. People retire from this place and take secrets with them and things don't work right thereafter.
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.
Summer down under
It's summer here in Australia.
Today about 20 degrees Celsius. (68 F.)
By Saturday, Melbourne will be 41 C. (106 F.)
We will be a bit cooler at only 37 C. (99 F.)
We have been unseasonably cool since Christmas, my tomato plants are wondering where the sunshine went. They will find out on Saturday...
Owner built, mud-brick, passive solar designed, well insulated, double glazed home...haven't needed heating or cooling for weeks. I expect we will need some cooling on the weekend. Mitsubishi Electric 2.5 kw cooling split system in the bedroom.
In winter we have a Magnum wood heater.
It's summer here in Australia.
Today about 20 degrees Celsius. (68 F.)
By Saturday, Melbourne will be 41 C. (106 F.)
We will be a bit cooler at only 37 C. (99 F.)
We have been unseasonably cool since Christmas, my tomato plants are wondering where the sunshine went. They will find out on Saturday...
Owner built, mud-brick, passive solar designed, well insulated, double glazed home...haven't needed heating or cooling for weeks. I expect we will need some cooling on the weekend. Mitsubishi Electric 2.5 kw cooling split system in the bedroom.
In winter we have a Magnum wood heater.
It just seems odd to me to talk of Christmas during your Summer time! Of course, I'm sure it's weird to you when it's 100+F here in July and it's winter there.
25°F this morn. Could be worse!
Sucking in heat.
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.
Still damn cold and now snowing. Winds are supposed to pick up intensely later on today from 40 - 50 mph and keep going for a couple of days with much lower temps? OH come on now. Is every one else in this extended cold spell seeing a large number of house and apartment fires where you live. We have been having a couple every day, causes are heat tapes and space heaters. People have no common sense when using space heaters. Now with this wind coming up people will loose power and no doubt will have a number of people consumed by exhaust from their generators. Hey at least we have gained 6 minutes of daylight since 12/21 so spring is coming.
Jon
Jon
Pete, I had one of those, Westbend I believe. It would really put out the moisture.
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.
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.
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.
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.
gusherb
Well-known member
Apparently we've been having more fires around here too, particularly from people using torches to thaw pipes. Two of them in Cedar Lake, nicknamed Cedartucky by locals due to the not so bright redneck types that live there. So, it doesn't surprise me it happened there.
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/article_2ddb54ed-7638-5309-acb5-6c06ac62b12f.html
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/article_fb95d61f-79c8-5d69-8250-1dce309b3c5c.html
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/article_2ddb54ed-7638-5309-acb5-6c06ac62b12f.html
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/article_fb95d61f-79c8-5d69-8250-1dce309b3c5c.html
Kenmore water wheel
Well, you know, Petek, this is a vintage appliance forum.
So one must ask, where is the hand crank for that vintage humidifier? You think you can get away with the easy approach???
Well, you know, Petek, this is a vintage appliance forum.
So one must ask, where is the hand crank for that vintage humidifier? You think you can get away with the easy approach???
