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arachides= > APXIDIA

What so many homowners don't understand is that heating systems ares sized with a heat ouptut according to design temeratures. (scheduke "J" is it?) At XYZ outside temperature we want it to maintain an ABC indoor temperature.

So when abnormal outdoor temeratures prevail, many heating systems struggle to keep up. In the old days systems were pruposely oversized (energy was inexpesnve). Nowadays when properly sized, when such extreme cold comes, they simply won't keep up. Avoiding a night-time setback in temepratures may help somewhat on extremely cold or windy nights.

Of course those heating systems (steam or hydronic [i.e. hot -water]) that also produce hot water for the taps have some extra cacity that was designed-in for that purpose. Then, of course your showers may be cooler than normal, and the heating circulators may stop to ensure hot water at the taps.

Personall if I get a house again, I'm going to get a gravity gas-fired unit heater or wall-furnace (as seen in California) that does not depend on electricity to supplemment the main heatiung system. Will have heat during blackout-outs, lack of oil-supply and extra cacity when it's so cold your "arachides" are up in your abdomen.
 
We are all hoping for a new cold spell here, but the prospects are bleak.

Last Sunday I was on skates for the first time in more than 10 years. The ice is now already melting away :-(
 
sigh....

It was 38c (101f) yesterday and we are expecting 36c (98f) today....

I'm not a hot weather person and would happily have a couple of days of lovely refrigerated weather....
 
Yay, I love the extremes of January and July

We're suppose to have the coldest night of the winter season tonight and then its suppose to warm up to over 15 degrees above normal by Tuesday, I better wash some shorts for next week!

1-14-2009-15-22-54--Unimatic1140.jpg
 
Robert:

At what daytime temp does work get cancelled by you?

-21*F is a bit cold. Do your homes stay warm? Do you guys have back-up heat provisions shoudl your main system crap-out?
 
Well the high was 16 degrees today. Going down to minus 4 tonight. The thing that sucks is the wind. 20 - 30 mph today. Supposed to be single digits for the next 3 days plus its supposed to snow tonight into tomorrow. This will make for long plowing times. The plow does not like it that cold. Makes the hydraulic fluid a little thick. We have forced hot water gas and never have a problem how cold it gets outside. It heats the house to whatever you set the thermostat at. When it get down to 10 below zero with a good wind the circulator pumps don't shut off for too long. I just keep making my donations to National Grid. I think thats the name of the gas company now. Just changed a little while from from Energy North.
Jon
 
Silly


At what daytime temp does work get cancelled by you?
HAHAHAHAHAHA, never. Minnesotans wouldn't be caught dead taking a day off of work because of some chilly temperatures or snow. I've seen schools close maybe twice for temperatures below -25, but never places of work. Back in NYC I remember people absolutely plotzing at +10 degree temperatures, now I think they are silly lol. Of course you can't compare the two, NYC average high now is 38, where as MSP is 21. Interestingly enough the two cities come together in July NYC and MSP average high temp are nearly the same at 86 F.

-21*F is a bit cold. Do your homes stay warm? Do you guys have back-up heat provisions should your main system crap-out?
Actually it was -18 on Monday evening and -6 last night (normal low temperature for mid January in the city is +3F). I keep the thermostat set at 71 and at about 2am last night I had to get up and turn the heat down to 68 because we have radiator heat and with the boiler running more than normal the house was getting too hot. While my basement can get chilly since its not heated (its about 60F down there now), the house stays really warm. Taking out the old 1932 windows and putting in new windows really made a huge difference.

No back up systems in houses here, but there are lots of 24 hour emergency furnace repair companies that will come right out.
 
Brrrrrrrrrrrr.

Right now it's 7F here and the high is supposed to be 9F, we have NW winds at 18 mph. Tonight it's supposed to get down to -15 with wind chill tonight -30F. Our furnace doesn't keep the place very warm with these temperatures. The house is very old, and has very little if any insulation. The 2nd floor is the worst, only two registers up there, and not enough air coming through to move a sheet of paper. I have a heavy comforter, and an electric blanket so I stay pretty warm when sleeping.
 
I'm Feeling Lucky

To be where I am. We're having record heat here. The beaches are beautiful, pushing 80 degrees. We spent the weekend in Santa Cruz (at the newly renovated Dream Inn--loved it) and it felt more like we were in Mexico.

But since we're on the brink of drought being declared, once this nice spell ends, I would really love it if the "storm door" got flung wide open and we had some good wet systems blow through here to get our rainfall totals up to normal (from 48% locally). Meanwhile if we're not getting rain, this L.A. style of winter weather is suiting me just fine.
 
LOL. Plotzing?

Because we (stupidly) refuse to wear outwear that is ugly and unflattering. Practical shcmatical!

Hey Jim. Turn off (or partially off) a register/vent/grille or two on the lower floor. Airflow to the upper level will be greater, by default!

I have long-johns in the drawer. I'll be damned if they have ever been worn!

Anybody use an electric blanket or an electric bed-warmer (pad below sheets?)
 
Electric Matress Pad

I gave my partner one a year ago for Christmas. I got it at Costco, its a Sunbeam and has two zones. Since we run at totally different temperatures than each other, the two zone thing was perfect. I have never turned my side on! His is always on, and I have to "edge sleep" in order to avoid the heat. I have the thermostat setback to 56 at night, I like to sleep in a cool room, or else I get all sweaty and dont get a good sleep. Partner really loves the heated matress pad.
 
It is -35 C (-31 F) here right now. It was -38 C (-35.5 F) this morning at 6 am. I have the woodstove going and it is 73F in the house right now. I only use the woodstove when I am home - during the day the electric baseboard heaters are the source of heat - very expensive. I also have a whole house generator for when the electricity goes out so that my water pump, sewage pump, hot water tank, etc. will operate.

Gary
 
We've had an electric matress pad for 2 winters now, also w/ dual controls. I usually have mine on 7, and my wife goes from 5 to 9, depending on the hormonal swings. We put them both on HIGH to get things warm, and then turn them down when we go to bed. I wouldn't trade it for the world!
 
It is cold here tonight! I did the "snow duty" earlier, and was glad not to have to go outside again. Seems like this winter has been a real bitch so far, and it is just beginning! We had freezing rain a few times just before xmas, and some peoples power was off for up to a week. All the boyz were staying here as they had no power. About drove me nutzo!

I cannot wait until spring! I hate winter!
 
We had a record low at Bishop International Airport in Flint MI of -19 F. I have a electronic remote thermometer and it recorded last night's low as -12.9 at 6:03 AM. Our Furnace is properly sized and isn't having any problems keeping up. I remember decades ago when the highs were in the sub zeros for a week or so that furnace (same house) ran continuously.
 
It's -8F right now, and the furnace will shut off, and come back on again within 5 or 10 min. after shutting off. I think the thermostat set at 60 or 62. I'm also using oil filled heater in the living room to help take off the chill, it helps but not very much. Upstairs in my bedroom I think it's about 50F
 
Strangely it's warm in my apt. Either maintenance tweaked the HeaTimer brand controls or the superitnendent was given a lesson as to the "heat adjustment" knob.

In a large buildings like this, one adjsusts the "heat adjustment" control knob by choosing certain letters of the alphabet on the dial based on oudoor temms and wind factors.

I have my electric oil-filled radiator in the bedroom, and my little electric forced-air space heater in the living room, as the need arises. Electrical service limitations mean: choose one only at a time!
 
Gary in Canada ... those are some mighty obnoxious air temps where you are!

What are your wind chills like? Is there even a difference? :-)
 
Fortunately when it is -40 there usually is no wind (it's even too cold for the wind to blow! LOL). However I did hear of some places where the temperature was in the -30s and the windchill was -50 F.

It is noon hour now and we have warmed up to a high of -25 C (-13 F) for the day.

Gary
 
Minus 10 with -30 wind chill this morning in Milwaukee.
They did close all the public schools along with most of the private schools ... seems so strange to me.
Not a fan of the cold, would rather have a snow storm over the cold ... but the sun is shining with perfectly clear skys.
Hey, it's winter in Wisconsin ... you take it as it comes.
Pat
 

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