I just cant wait. for winter heating bills

[kenmore1978]

bottom line is

unless you heat with hydro generated electricity, EVERYONE is going to get hit with higher heating costs. There's a few other tricks, too, like trying to live in fewer rooms of the house and closing off registers and radiators in the unused rooms, and if one has a choise of the three fuels, switch off so theh pain is spread amongst 3 bills instead of one.

 

[partscounterman]

I'm just gonna keep my mouth shut and not gloat or anything...

Aloha, David

 

[dalangdon]

don't forget your thermostats!

A programmable thermostat is a wonderful thing. I have our set so that the furnace goes on at 6:30am and shuts off at 8:30am, and then starts again at 5pm and shuts off at 10pm. Overnight, we have doggy heaters in the bed ;-)

http://danlangdon.com/images/dogs.jpg

 

[kenmore1978]

programmiing

Almost the exact same program I have on our thermostat, except that it cuts back at Midnight

 

[toggleswitch]

David & Dennis:

If a trip to your door-step is cheaper than my annual heating bill..

guess who's coming-a-callin?
and staying for seven months.

 

[toggleswitch]

A very quick and easy fix to commerical buildngs that deliver heat from the ceiling, is to put a return (suction back to the heater) near the floor, instead of on the ceiling.

This will reduce statification (floor-to-ceiling temp differences), and result in greater compfort at a lower temperature setting.

IMHO radiant heating in commerical settings would be too expensive to install, and not quick enough to heat the store up, so there would not be a night set-back in temperature possible. Zoning becomes complcated as does adding heat beneath refrigeration units and freezers.

It does make a nice SUPPLEMENT to home heating though, especially cold concrete basementfloors.

 

[toggleswitch]

The princess and the pea....

Had an electric blanket years ago loved it.
Heated matress pad, not comfy for me-- felt the cable "bump"

Love them in theory, but don't like EMF's on my person.
Scandinavia says these are not healthy. For the same reason also moved alarm clock and radio to other side of room, so that they are not near my head on the night stand.

 

[DADoES]

I think EMFs are overrated. I have an electric blanket (an old but still serviceable one from the grandmother), used it for one season. Didn't care for dealing with the dangling cords/controls and the extra layer when changing the bed. Perhaps I should pull it out again.

I do a 13-hr setback for both heating and cooling. 10:45 AM to 11:45 PM. When I'm there, I'd rather be comfortable, even while asleep. 60°F/70°F heating. 82°F/77°F cooling.

I do use bathroom exhausts, but not indiscriminately.

27 light bulbs have been changed to CFs. Architectural lighting out front is now 114 watts instead of 660 watts. Patio lighting is 90 watts instead of 375.

F&P washer with EcoActive action uses minimal hot water and 1000 RPM spin makes for minimal drying time. High air-flow and lower-temp SmartLoad dryer also makes reduced power consumption. DishDrawer takes 0.8 gals per fill, heats itself, and has no drying heater at all. DC motors on all three are efficient. I recall the DishDrawer pump pulls only 90 watts. Or is it 60 watts?

Tankless water heater eliminates standby losses, and eliminates overheating by facilitating setting the temp per task. 102°F standard setting for showering and dishwasher. 112°F for jacuzzi. 116°F for warm clothes. 140°F for whites, typically one load every 2 to 3 weeks.

Be careful with single-lever faucets. There is a flow of hot water unless set *precisely* on cold.

 

[mayken4now]

Wear warm clothes in the house and to bed. Get an electric space heater, MAKE THE GAS COMPANY WAIT ON YOU.

Steve

 

[toggleswitch]

Stevie:

One electric space heater costs the same (in my area) as heating three rooms with fuel oil.

Since I really only heat the main floor (5.0-rooms) the savings is not so great if there is any.

Also IMHO going from cold to hot to cold to hot is what helps lower ones's reistance resulting in a cold.

-Steve

 

[lesto]

An excellent and fun way to stay warm and save on running your furnace so much is to fire up as many classic filtrators as possible.

 

[partscounterman]

Toggleswitch-

You are welcome to come and visit! No doubt you can find a cheaper fare out here vs. your fuel bill!

That goes for the rest of you too-we love visitors!

 

[toggleswitch]

TYVM

 

[bostonwash]

electric blankets.?

Those are kind of scarey. It's like sleeping in a big toaster. I wouldn't want to take that cancer risk. here's a product not real popular with bed wetters.

 

[kenmore1978]

electric blankets

I've used electric blankets for years and never had a problem, nor have I ever heard any horror stories from friends. I think the EMF thing is overblown, and the newer blankets have addressed the so-called problem.

 

[toggleswitch]

Consider me from fom Missouri, the *show-me* state

Jaune:

If you find research or ads with this shown, would you please post a link or shoot me an e-mail.

I would love to buy a *safe* electric blanket.

TYVM

 

[toggleswitch]

Heating season begins

15-oct-2005

NYC heating season begins officially....

O M G

Hey MN, when do you gusy start pumping out the BTU's?

 

[tomturbomatic]

About running the dryer: If it is vented to the outside, you should run it during the warmest hours of the day and try to have the make-up air come in on the sunny side of the house. If you do not have a whole family showering every morning, the moisture probably does not merit the exhaust fan pulling all of that air out of the house during a season when many people have to add humidity to the inside air.

 

[toggleswitch]

Thanks for the tips, Tom!-

if it paid for me to do so, i'd rummage up a used (read being tossed out to the Krusher) electric dryer for the winter and use it unvented..

but being the gas dryer is basically the only gas appliance, i'd be paying for the service and it would be unused. for me it makes no sense to do so.

 

[petek]

During our coldest days of winter, when it's hurtin cold outside and I do mean hurtin, I've always pulled the dryer vent out of the wall and attached a filter to the end so as not to waste all that heat and humidity