| Author | Content |
dave
Jacksonville, TX
(Zone 8a)
 February 16, 2009
05:50 AM Post #6145451
| There are a total of 442 votes:
| I hate being cold, so I crank up the thermostat (what do you set it at?)
(84 votes, 19%) |  |
| I endure a cool house to save money (how low are you willing to go?)
(205 votes, 46%) | |
| I use a space heater and let the rest of the house stay cool.
(43 votes, 9%) | |
| I use a wood or pellet stove to heat my house
(61 votes, 13%) | |
| I use solar or geo-thermal energy sources to warm my house
(8 votes, 1%) | |
| I don't need any heat; it's plenty warm here!
(41 votes, 9%) | |
|
Previous Polls |
onewish1
Denville, NJ
(Zone 6a)
February 16, 2009
06:36 AM Post #6145495
| we have a wood stove insert in our fire place... it's wonderful! |
leeflea51
Golden, MS
(Zone 7a)
February 16, 2009
07:25 AM Post #6145538
| I endure a 'cool' house. I have asthma and a house that is too hot can cause an asthma flair up. About 68 degrees is ideal for me. Lee |
Dutchlady1
Naples, FL
(Zone 10a)
February 16, 2009
07:26 AM Post #6145539
| Florida... the sunshine state :-) we're in the eighties already.
BUT - when it does get cold here occasionally I do wear sweaters and turn the heat on (moderately) because I hate being cold. |
FlipFlops
Brunswick , GA
(Zone 9a)
February 16, 2009
07:26 AM Post #6145540
| I usually set the thermostat at 72 to 74 during the day...lower at night. I hate being cold and can't wait until winter is over. Can't really complain though because it hasn't been too bad this year. Has called for snow several times but all we have had thus far is some flurries and I could count them almost, which is fine with me. We have had some really cold days but lately (with the exception of the wind at times) it hasn't been too bad. Hopefully, this will be our last winter here because we are trying to sell our house and retire in southeast Georgia where it is much milder. |
grampapa
Wheatfield, NY
(Zone 6a)
February 16, 2009
07:30 AM Post #6145546
| We ususally keep ours at 71 during the day and lower it at night. My DH and I are both disabled and spend a lot of time sitting. Too cold just hurts. (Can I hear an 'Awww?') At least natural gas prices are down from last winter...no $400 bills. |
MiniPonyFarmer
Gilmer, TX
(Zone 8b)
February 16, 2009
08:09 AM Post #6145598
| I have the central heat (propane) set to kick on at 63F. I quit using propane 2 years ago due to skyrocketing cost! I use space heaters for whatever room I'm working in to stay warm. Using the space heaters has cut my heating cost by at least $150/month because I don't buy much propane.
This message was edited Feb 16, 2009 6:23 AM |
Kathleen
Panama, NY
(Zone 5a)
February 16, 2009
08:17 AM Post #6145606
| We have a wood furnace - some days I have to open a window! |
CountryGardens
Lewisville, MN
(Zone 4a)
February 16, 2009
08:19 AM Post #6145610
| Setting the thermostat is the only choice that was even close.
After paying tremendous amount of money for fuel oil last winter, I installed electric heat in our house. I put a baseboard unit in each of the bedrooms & living & dining rooms. We now enjoy a very even heat. It kept the house cozy even during the days when outside was in the -20's.
The best part of this is the savings. A cold month last winter cost nearly $450.00. The electric has run around $3.00 per day!
We have remodeled most of our house, so insulation is not a problem. We will be adding on this summer & so the rest of the old walls will be newly insulated. Should really be nice next year!
Bernie |
CountryGardens
Lewisville, MN
(Zone 4a)
February 16, 2009
08:22 AM Post #6145617
| I should have added, we have hundreds of wind turbines in this area. I hope part of my electric is coming from them! |
senlarrs
Harrisburg, PA
(Zone 6a)
February 16, 2009
08:56 AM Post #6145691
| I have a 'cool' house. Cannot stand being cold but have no choice with oil heat! Keep the house about 68 degrees. Tried to set it to 65 but that was just too cold for me!
Larry
This message was edited Feb 16, 2009 7:57 AM |
debilu
Fingerlakes Region, NY
(Zone 6a)
February 16, 2009
09:21 AM Post #6145760
| We keep the house at 59 when we're home, 56 at night, and 55 whenever we leave, even if only for a few hours. It was cool at first, but you do get used to it. Only time I'm cold is when sitting still, so use blankets while watching TV. Occasionally I'll bump it to 60 for an hour or so.
I think my health has been better too, no cold for years. |
jlp222
Hammond, LA
(Zone 8b)
February 16, 2009
09:40 AM Post #6145833
| I don't use central heat or the fireplace because it dries the air, irritating my already dry skin. We dress in layers and if its REALLY cold we run a warm mist humidifier. Our light bill runs about $70 in the winter. |
AYankeeCat
Fairfield County, CT
(Zone 6b)
February 16, 2009
09:42 AM Post #6145847
| I try to keep the house no warmer than 65 when I am home and 56 - 58 when I am gone or sleeping. The cats all have fur coats but they still whine. Wimps! |
DMgardener
Mount Orab, OH
(Zone 6b)
February 16, 2009
09:47 AM Post #6145867
| Our house is at 64 F and I'm Fine! I think the reason is that I am doing exercises (push-ups, sit-ups, Jumping-Jacks etc.) to keep VERY warm. Did you people know that 500 Jumping-Jacks = jogging 1 WHOLE MILE!!! |
lisabeth
State of..., MA
(Zone 6a)
February 16, 2009
09:58 AM Post #6145900
| We have a programmable thermostat and keep it set to 68 during the hours we are active in the house. During parts of the day when we are out, it is set to 65 and is set to lower to 64 about 9pm and come back up to 68 when we wake up.
We also have what are called 'hot socks' that are used daily at our house. They are brand new socks that are filled with raw wheat berries out of the bins at the health food store, sewed closed and heated in the microwave. The cold members of the family use these 'hot socks' when they are sitting around during the winter. Some of us are hot blooded and wake up if the heat is inadvertently turned up past 64 at night and would never use a hot sock. [g] |
Hemophobic
Kannapolis, NC
February 16, 2009
10:43 AM Post #6146109
| Actually, we've gotten used to cooler temps and almost suffocate when we go to visit neighbors across the street. They have their house way too hot! And I've always liked sleeping cooler. Guess this stems from childhood when we didn't have central heat and snuggled under quilts!
|
WaterCan2
Suffolk County, NY
(Zone 7a)
February 16, 2009
12:04 PM Post #6146456
| I choose #2, endure a cool house. Although it is more of a yearly, necessary, reality of living in the North than a condition that must be ‘endured’. A cool house during the winter, (in my case 68°), is an economic reality in today’s energy strapped world. Besides the obvious economic advantages there are health and home benefits. I found that the lower the temperature differential, the less colds my family & I get since the body does not have to adapt to huge temperature swings on a frequent basis. There are also benefits to the structural integrity of the home since the higher the temp the more frequent the blasts of hot air into the home to sustain a high temperature. Excessive long term dry air (irrespective of humidifiers) has a tendency to dry out the home and makes it more vulnerable to cracks, paint peeling and general structural damage.
I actually prefer a cool house since when I visit a home which is too warm I immediately start feeling ‘itchy’ and my skin dries out!
|
Tallulah_B
(Susan) Calgary, AB
(Zone 3b)
February 16, 2009
12:06 PM Post #6146464
| Try to keep it cool - 20c (68F), and use sweaters, slippers, and blankets (while watching TV). When I'm @ the computer, the north wind hits the room, so we sometimes use space heaters.
When I'm working around the house I keep plenty warm doing work lol |
Katlian
Carson City, NV
(Zone 6b)
February 16, 2009
12:08 PM Post #6146471
| We keep the house pretty cool (55° at night and while we're at work, 62° when we're here). We use passive solar to add as much warmth as possible by opening the insulated blinds in the morning and closing them at sunset or when it's cloudy and cold. (We reverse the blinds routine in the summer to block out the sun and vent extra heat at night.) We added a lot of insulation to our house the first year and I think it has paid off. We also added a storm door in the front this fall and there are no more cold drafts around the door frame, Woohoo!
I wear lots of thick, fuzzy clothes to stay warm but I think DH is a polar bear at heart, he usually wears a t-shirt and shorts when it's warmer than 60°. |
graceful_garden
Hahira, GA
(Zone 8b)
February 16, 2009
12:10 PM Post #6146482
| Yup, 66 for us! Our house is well insulated, and we're in a pretty warm climate - though it's hard to tell that this winter! Except we've gotta get new doors - they all leak cold air in badly! Samantha
PS - Maybe a storm door on the front like Katlian would be our best bet! |
ecrane3
Dublin, CA
(Zone 9a)
February 16, 2009
12:21 PM Post #6146529
| I keep the thermostat at 62 most of the time, but some days I'm really cold so I'll turn it up to 68. My biggest energy savings this winter came from letting the plants in the greenhouse get a little colder--last winter I was trying to keep the GH at 55, but this year I'm keeping it at 45--the plants are still happy and my electric bill is a lot cheaper! |
flowerfantasy
Washington, IN
(Zone 6a)
February 16, 2009
12:36 PM Post #6146597
| Keep ours set at about 70 to 72 as we live in a colder area and I don't like being cold but due to extremely high electric and us being total electric, just to costly to turn heat up. Use housecoat when gets to cold, and jackets. I do have to turn up heat when I take a shower or I litteraly freeze to death. |
plantRN
(Beth) L'ville, GA
(Zone 7b)
February 16, 2009
12:43 PM Post #6146640
| I set the thermostat at 67 and leave it. Cool thing is that I invested in what's called "zone heating" because I have a Cape Cod and 3 floors. With zone heating I can turn on just one floor and leave the other two floors cooler. Saves a TON of money and wasn't that expensive to install. The basement floor is off and the top floor is set to 60--just to keep the chill down and save my water pipes if we do get down to lower temps (which is rare in my area). |
notmartha
Bay City, MI
(Zone 6a)
February 16, 2009
12:46 PM Post #6146653
| keep mine set at 62 and it stay about 68ish!
we also have a eden pure when it gets to cold! the kids had it upstairs and melted it!
we had to get a replacement for that one-so we got another new one!
we live in a drafty old farm house!
last electric/gas bill was $444.00 come on spring
This message was edited Feb 16, 2009 11:48 AM |
ViolaAnn
Ottawa, ON
(Zone 5a)
February 16, 2009
12:59 PM Post #6146723
| I selected solar or geo-thermal energy, but it only tells part of the story. Quite by accident, the house we bought in 1970 faces south and has big windows in the LR and DR, close to where the thermostat is. On a sunny winter day, we get considerable passive solar warming. But we DO have a hi-efficiency gas furnace for the cold days though we turn the thermostat down during the day and again at night. If I'm home in the daytime and get chilly, I usually use a small electric heater unless it's REALLY cold in which case I'll up the thermostat a bit.
This message was edited Feb 16, 2009 1:14 PM |
MySharona
Amelia Island, FL
(Zone 9a)
February 16, 2009
01:37 PM Post #6146943
| Ours is set on 63. We're just below the FL/GA border so we get cold and have several freezes each year. |
KaperC
No. San Diego Co., CA
(Zone 10b)
February 16, 2009
01:41 PM Post #6146960
| We set our programmable thermostat to 70 for morning and evening, the rest of the time it's at 62. Furnace usually goes on just the one time am/pm and the house stays even that way. Those hot socks sound great - that's usually our problem in the evening, our feet get cold and we use our fleecy blankets. Still, sometimes I just have blocks of ice for feet, even if I'm up moving around.
I don't like to feel heat, just don't want to shiver or get achy from cold. |
passiflora07
Chuluota, FL
(Zone 9b)
February 16, 2009
01:57 PM Post #6147026
| I was just skimming the comments, and I can't believe some people can tolerate the 50's in their homes! I guess I'm in the right state because I can't stand being cold. We don't have to use the heater much in Florida, but I will set it at about 72-73 if it gets below 70 inside. I know, we're sissies ;) |
nksps
Redwood City, CA
February 16, 2009
02:02 PM Post #6147050
| Ususally it's set at 67 during the day and 65 at night. We also installed all double paned windows last year. Makes an amazing difference... |
hart
Shenandoah Valley, VA
February 16, 2009
02:38 PM Post #6147185
| We've done all of our heating with our pellet and wood stoves for over 10 years. I'd faint if I got a $444 electric bill. LOL
We dress in warm layers in winter, have a pile of warm throws for when we're sitting on the sofa and a cozy feather comforter on the bed, but the wood heat is I think a lot warmer than gas, oil and electric.
If your feet get cold, get you a pair of real sheepskin slippers or boots. You won't believe how warm it keeps your feet. Check your local Costco. They had the flat heeled, sort of like Uggs, real sherpa boots for $34 something just before Christmas. They might be on clearance now. Sportsman's Guide often has them for a reasonable price too. |
dparsons01
Albuquerque, NM
(Zone 7b)
February 16, 2009
02:39 PM Post #6147191
| About 68. I'll turn it down when we're gone for the day. |
Texasgrower
Palestine, TX
(Zone 8b)
February 16, 2009
02:48 PM Post #6147229
| We keep the house thermostat at 68°. We also have a wood stove in the sunroom. When that is cranked it warms the whole front of the house, thus the heater doesn't come on as much. When the temps are cool at night (40's) and warmer during the day (60s), the sunroom is heated with an electric oil heater until the sun hits the room. I love that thing. |
dahlianut
Calgary, AB
(Zone 3a)
February 16, 2009
02:53 PM Post #6147250
| Other: Dancing 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
KaperC
No. San Diego Co., CA
(Zone 10b)
February 16, 2009
03:06 PM Post #6147276
| My sister visited an alpaca farm and picked up some socks for me - those are really warm. :-) |
KaperC
No. San Diego Co., CA
(Zone 10b)
February 16, 2009
03:10 PM Post #6147285
| lisabeth, where did you find the "hot socks?" I'm not having any luck with googling. |
3pmp
Slocan, BC
(Zone 3a)
February 16, 2009
03:56 PM Post #6147457
| I have an electric furnace which I use for heating my rented trailer. I prefer wood heat over electricity but when there are no other options available I can be quite satisfied with electric since it is a cleaner way over other methods. I find that this heating method dries the air inside so it can also have its downfalls. |
Bookerc1
Mackinaw, IL
(Zone 5a)
February 16, 2009
04:53 PM Post #6147726
| We have a programmable thermostat, set to 68 when we are home and awake, 65 when we are usually gone or asleep. I'm seriously cold-blooded, though, so I generally am wrapped in a blanket and huddled by a space heater.
Dahlianut, maybe I should try your method of keeping warm! Love the picture!
|
dmac085
Greensboro, NC
(Zone 7a)
February 16, 2009
06:06 PM Post #6148088
| I'm hot natured so I can bear some cold but I do have a couple of little space heaters since the rooms are pretty well closed off from each other. I came home to day and it was 60 in the house and I'm wearing a tank top, sweat pants and sandals:lol: I almost never wear a jacket or coat--has to be cold and windy or snowing, sometime raining.
Moving into a place that was 2 story, older and all electric/central heat and air was certainly eye opening as fall as heating and cooling bills go. Makes me very grateful for the mild winters we've had lately. I do sleep better when it is chilly in the house though. |
FlipFlops
Brunswick , GA
(Zone 9a)
February 16, 2009
06:21 PM Post #6148167
| I have got to be a real whimp compared to all of y'all. Fortunately, my heat bill is not $400.00 a month...the house is very well insulated and a brick home. I did find when we pulled up all our carpet in the living room, dining room and den, and had the hardwood floors refinished last summer that it feels much cooler in the winter. I have some area rugs but not the same. I love it in the summer though. Most of the time my heat bill runs a little over $200.00 in the coldest part of the winter. While I crank up the heat in the winter, I keep the thermostat on about 78 in the summer. Guess I'm just a summertime gal except I don't the humidity. Just having the air on takes the humidity out for the most part. |
CountryGardens
Lewisville, MN
(Zone 4a)
February 16, 2009
06:25 PM Post #6148178
| Am I the only one that lives where it gets "cold". You would freeze to death here with your thermostats set lower than 65º. |
dmac085
Greensboro, NC
(Zone 7a)
February 16, 2009
06:34 PM Post #6148227
| You know with global warming the warmer winters may be headed your way:) I know when I moved here to NC in 1994 the winters for the first 5-8 years were colder than they have been the past several winters. Could just be a long range weather cycle but who knows:)
|
debilu
Fingerlakes Region, NY
(Zone 6a)
February 16, 2009
06:47 PM Post #6148281
| We had a few weeks with temps in the single digits here, colder than normal the past 2 years. |
plantladylin
East Central, FL
(Zone 9b)
February 16, 2009
07:08 PM Post #6148365
| Another Floridian here ... air conditioning is on now, but our heat did kick on a couple of times last month when we had two or three nights that got down to 26 degrees! |
momcat
northeast, IL
(Zone 5a)
February 16, 2009
07:43 PM Post #6148540
| Thermostat here is set to about 58º. We had a long below zero stretch, where I did bump it up to 62º for a bit. With layers of clothing, and blankets to wrap up in when I sit to watch TV, it's really not too bad! Besides, my house is old and drafty, and has no insulation in the outside walls, it's really not worth the cost to try and get it any warmer in here.
Deb |
mortswife97630
Lakeview, OR
(Zone 7b)
February 16, 2009
08:02 PM Post #6148641
| my electric blanket died so I'm back to my hot water bottle on my feet at night. It has been down to -0
this winter.
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
lisabeth
State of..., MA
(Zone 6a)
February 16, 2009
08:05 PM Post #6148648
| The hot socks are home made. I imagine you might see them for sale somewhere but I haven't seen any that are as good as what we make ourselves. We buy an inexpensive pair of knee socks or similar, with a close weave, buy the wheat berries at the store, fill the socks and then sew the opening shut. We have been doing that for about 8 years or so. I keep two in my bed and so did my DD. While one of our sons loved them and the other was too hot for them. DH is also too hot for them. Sometimes they stretch out and get 'pilly' after awhile and then we just replace them. They can be emptied into the compost pile too. They are so inexpensive to make and easy. Fun to try to find bright wacky colors or dark neutrals for the fellows. We often make new ones for Christmas gifts. If you don't want to sew, you can keep them closed with a thick rubber band too, but with repeated microwave trips, that doesn't last too long.
You heat them in the microwave about 3 minutes tops for each one. I have a duck down comforter on my bed and with two hot socks I am never cold any more. Sometimes I get warm enough to get out of the covers to cool off for awhile..lol. They last a fairly long time too, if they are covered by something that insulates them, like a comforter, two or three hours later they are still a little warm.
They are very portable and make the trip to the couch or even inside a coat when you are out shoveling on a very cold day. In the car when it is just warming up, under a coat. Great for sore muscles too.
As you can see, they are very popular at our house and have become a family joke...lol...because they have become so indispensable. 'Where's the hot socks?' Is a popular phrase here.
lisabeth
|
garden_mermaid
San Francisco Bay Ar, CA
(Zone 9b)
February 16, 2009
08:08 PM Post #6148660
| We have hydronic heating (air is heated over coils from the hot water heater), which is actually an energy efficient setup. Thankfully we have a battery operated automatic thermostat. The heater is set for 55'F after 10pm, 68'F beginning at 5:30am, 66'F beween 8am and 6pm, back to 68'F from 6pm to 10pm.
If I'm feeling comfortable with the temperature and the heat comes on, I can manually adjust the temp a few degrees lower. Some days 67'F is comfortable. Other days that is too cold.
My utility bills shows we are using less than half of our baseline quantities for electricity and gas each month. The Kw and therms per day are lower than last year, but the cost is definitely higher. |
roybird
Santa Fe, NM
February 16, 2009
08:11 PM Post #6148671
| We keep our natural gas wall unit heaters, one at each end of the house, set at about 65-68 during the day if we are home. At night or when we go out, down to about 60. We also have two wood stoves for when it is really cold and they heat the house better than the gas heat. One is large and heats quickly. The other is small but has a fan and uses less wood. Then, we have recirculating oil space heaters which we use at night, one for our birds near their cage and one for us in the bedroom. We have a couple of rooms we usually close off and keep cooler, too. We dress fairly warm and use blankets if we are sitting around. My D.H. turns the heaters down and I turn them up! |
ownedbycats
Southern, NH
(Zone 5b)
February 16, 2009
08:59 PM Post #6148842
| I keep it at 60 - night and day.
I (usually) have a sweatshirt on and sit under a blanket. I got sick of DH complaining (yes it is colder over the garage) so I got him a space heater - he's used it once. |
KaperC
No. San Diego Co., CA
(Zone 10b)
February 16, 2009
09:34 PM Post #6148995
| lisabeth, I finally found them online. Most are made in the UK and are actual slipper socks with an insert of wheat berries. Unfortunately, they are aromatic, too. Guess I'll stick with my rice pillow and just put it under my feet. |
hawkarica
Odessa, FL
(Zone 9b)
February 16, 2009
09:48 PM Post #6149065
| Another Florida person here. I turn the heat on a few times each year but not enough to worry about. Life is good.
Jim |
garden_mermaid
San Francisco Bay Ar, CA
(Zone 9b)
February 16, 2009
11:06 PM Post #6149403
| Have you tried wearing two layers of socks with red pepper flakes at the bottom between the two layers? DH says that's the technique that kept his feet warm when he lived in the Berkshires (and he's very happy to have moved home to California). |
LLMac
Mountain Grove, MO
February 16, 2009
11:17 PM Post #6149438
| Have to keep it super warm for my grandmother -- the home health gals always gripe about it and want to leave the doors standing open, but they're making WAAAY too much Uncle Sam money to think they are 'house guests' here. Propane is a huge rip-off racket -- every year they raise the price "just because we can -- BRU-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!" and it's killing us. I just have to heat her living area to her comfort level (between 75 & 80) and let the rest of the house go. There's enough heat coming out of there to keep anything else from any danger of freezing! |
Bookerc1
Mackinaw, IL
(Zone 5a)
February 16, 2009
11:28 PM Post #6149484
| So, lisabeth, am I gathering that you don't actually WEAR the socks, but use them like a little heating pad to warm up? I kept picturing a double-layer of socks with the wheat berries bunching up between them.
|
Katye
Sammamish, WA
(Zone 7b)
February 16, 2009
11:54 PM Post #6149602
| 68° when we're at home, and a woodstove fire for December through February when it goes below freezing.
My Ridgeback has a short smoothcoat, so she lets us know when to start the fire. Sounds like she's mooing - pitiful. We throw a blanket over her, and she loves to roast underneath it.
|
Sally_OR
Eugene, OR
February 17, 2009
01:05 AM Post #6149880
| DH stays on the cold side from meds. So we have to keep the house somewhat warm. Use the pellet stove in the winter (when it gets down to the 30's) in the room where he sits, the rest is cooler. |
LostIndian
Algonac, MI
February 17, 2009
01:17 AM Post #6149947
| I SET MY THERMO AT 68 DEGREES. |
sweeetdreamer
Grants Pass, OR
February 17, 2009
06:06 AM Post #6150230
| We keep the gas furnace set to 68 during the day because of little ones and 62 at night. Sometimes when we're lounging around it gets a bit cold but a sweater or quilt helps. When we're up and moving we don't even notice the temp (unless it's too warm). We had a 200 dollar bill for December from not turning the thermostat down at night. Turning it down by just 6 degrees droped the bill 50 bucks. Most people think our house is too cold but we're used to it and have a hard time being at other peoples houses. We also don't ever get sick while everyone else we know sufferes through at least 2 colds during the winter. Yay for conservation!! Advantages all the way around. |
rhodiegirl
Deering, NH
(Zone 5a)
February 17, 2009
08:36 AM Post #6150389
| We use to use our fireplace to keep warm besides all the electric heaters. Now we use our woodstove, it will just be getting modified this summer to be more effecient for us. |
plantladylin
East Central, FL
(Zone 9b)
February 17, 2009
09:08 AM Post #6150446
| Brrr ... I've been reading where so many of y'all keep your thermostats set at @68 during the cold winter, and that just sounds cool to me, maybe I've been in Florida too long, LOL! Our thermostat is set at 72 all winter and 75 during the summer months. At 7 O'clock this morning our outdoor temperature was 54, inside temp said 72 but I was chilly ... walking around the house with a heavy robe over my pj's, and socks on my feet! My husband left for work with a jacket on, he wears short sleeve shirts year round but does require a light jacket on cold mornings ... some of us southerner's are wimps!
I just can't imagine living where it gets down in the 30's or lower, and stays that way for more than a day or two! Our winters in this part of Florida usually consist of maybe three or four nights that drop into the 30's, usually in late January. Sometimes we go quite a few years where winter temp's don't ever get below 40 at night. This year we did have three nights of 26-28 degrees with freezes and a couple of times where it barely made it out of the 40's all day! Our weather right now seems to be fluctuating a lot. We had a high a few days ago of 84, today is only supposed to be high 60's, it will be back to near 80 tomorrow and Friday is only supposed to be in the 50's. I can't complain though, after seeing the news and what some folks are experiencing I count my blessings!
Hang in there y'all ... Spring is on the way!  Really! We've been seeing some Northern birds migrating through the area and I've been feeding them every day so they have the energy for the long journey back to your back yards!
|
lisabeth
State of..., MA
(Zone 6a)
February 17, 2009
09:51 AM Post #6150592
| Bookerc1... No, the socks are not worn. They are like a hot water bottle or heating pad w/o the electricity. :-) Not really a pad though, as the wheat berries fill the sock so it is more like a heat tube that is as thick as say a 1 litre bottle of water, but of course, flexible.
Someone also mentioned lamb wool slippers, I use those too and that is another item I wouldn't be without in the winter. They really keep your feet warm and toasty.
|
FlipFlops
Brunswick , GA
(Zone 9a)
February 17, 2009
11:38 AM Post #6150997
| I agree with you plantladylin, I must be a real whimp too although I don't live as far south as you do. However, I don't think I could survive the cold cold winters up north or in the midwest. I guess it's what you get use to. We have folks retire down here (mostly in Williamsburg VA) from the New England states and they think it's balmy down here in the winter. Anytime the temp goes below 70 outside, I'm cold LOL We travel south so much (my brother has a place in Bluffton, SC) and plan on retiring in GA soon, so I guess I am getting use to the milder winters. |
Pamgarden
Central, VA
(Zone 7b)
February 17, 2009
12:16 PM Post #6151151
| 68 by day/65 at night Now the real problem is I can't take the heat of summer! |
dmcdevitt
Schroon Lake, NY
(Zone 4a)
February 17, 2009
01:08 PM Post #6151340
| LOL on what people call cool. I would die at 68!
I keep the thermostat no higher than 60, and sit by the woodstove if I feel cold.
I wear a hoodie...when it's 22 below zero I have my hood on indoors. Keeping your head warm is a HUGE help!!
For me it's not just money, it's the ethics of burning fossil fuel. I also use no air conditioning - ever. |
roybird
Santa Fe, NM
February 17, 2009
01:15 PM Post #6151373
| Wearing a hat is a good way to stay warm. I wear one in the house when it is really cold, like in the teens outside. We also put sheets of clear plastic up over some windows and close curtains at night. |
gabagoo
Yonkers, NY
(Zone 5b)
February 17, 2009
01:30 PM Post #6151445
| I keep mine 65-68. Sometimes I wear a hat inside.
My house is ALL electric... heat, hot H2O... everything.
I'm in a NW corner unit (townhouse/condo) so it's cooler than the other units.
It's nice in the summer though. I never have to run the AC.
I have an electric blanket that I turn on about 1/2 hour before bedtime to warm up the bed. I turn it off when I go to bed. The room itself may be cool, but I'm snug & warm in bed.
I'm SO looking forward to Spring! |
grownut
Clarkson, KY
February 17, 2009
01:36 PM Post #6151476
| Wrench in the works here -with the electric heat I'm OK at 67º - cool, but OK. With recent ice storms and no electric we did wood heat -temps around 58-60º -it was warmer. If I have windows and sunshine (we live in a rancher and the sunlight isn't so great) I tolerate much cooler temps. I was amazed to be more comfortable with the lower temps (with wood heat) though...
So 67º winter
78º summer |
Antoinine
Mayfield Heights, OH
(Zone 5b)
February 17, 2009
01:40 PM Post #6151514
| Crank up the thermostat 72 daytime 68 night. |
flowerjen
central, NJ
(Zone 6b)
February 17, 2009
02:34 PM Post #6151715
| Programmable thermostat set to 67 during the day 64 at night, we also have a wood pellet stove so the furnace doesn't kick in all the time. |
sweeetdreamer
Grants Pass, OR
February 17, 2009
03:19 PM Post #6151881
| I've also heard that rice works well in the socks and can be microwaved. Most people use them for sore necks and backs. The heat works great for aching muscles, and the shape helps them stay put around the neck. |
garden_mermaid
San Francisco Bay Ar, CA
(Zone 9b)
February 17, 2009
03:43 PM Post #6151970
| Cold and heat are relative. When I lived in Florida, 75'F from the A/C would make me shiver. I put long underwear on whenever it dropped below 72', since I was used to the warmer temps. So I'd be bundled up at the beach and the snow birds would be romping in the water in their swimsuits. When I lived in the Sierras, 68' would have been too hot indoors, since I was used to cooler temps.
|
marcha
Brattleboro, VT
(Zone 5a)
February 17, 2009
03:58 PM Post #6152020
| We are fortunate to have 3 zones in our small 1940's vintage cape. The mudroom/laundry room, which we added in 2003, has radiant heat in the floor and the thermostat is kept at 60. The first floor thermostat is kept at 66 during the day, but we sometimes turn it up to 68 for the last hour of our evening [we usually close between 10:00 and 10:30 :)] because the living room is cool when just sitting to read or watch TV (thermostat is in the dining room). The second floor which has 3 bedrooms (including the one used for office, computer, etc.) is kept at 65 during the day. The spare bedroom has no heat (leaky radiator has not been replaced), so we keep the door closed during the winter. Both first and second floor thermostats are turned down to 60 for the night. |
mothermole
Deer Park, IL
(Zone 5b)
February 17, 2009
04:18 PM Post #6152094
| 65-67 and it's plenty warm here. Only from about 3pm-6pm does it feel chilly as we have a lot of south facing windows and the sun does a nice job on the warmth. We also have feather beds, down comforters and eider down comforters. It's plenty warm and cozy here. |
ceejaytown
The Woodlands, TX
(Zone 9a)
February 17, 2009
04:40 PM Post #6152192
| 72 in daytime, 65 at night - if we need to amend nature. Gotta be colder at night! But it's weird that in the summer, the A/C is set to 78 in daytime, and 71 at night. I can't stand it colder than that. |
AFDolly
Glennie, MI
(Zone 5a)
February 17, 2009
06:28 PM Post #6152656
| We have an outside wood boiler.72-74 during the day and 68 at night.We go thru about 22 face cord of wood ,from October thru May ,and the wood runs us about 900 dollars |
City_Sylvia
Dallas, TX
February 17, 2009
06:30 PM Post #6152678
| I keep my thermastat on 70 at all times. I bundle up in the daytime and at night I plug in my electric blanket and stay in the bedroom. The cats like the electric blanket too. :) |
grownut
Clarkson, KY
February 17, 2009
06:31 PM Post #6152688
| Now my electric mattress pad beats your electric blanket... |
ByndeweedBeth
scio, oregon, OR
(Zone 8a)
February 17, 2009
06:42 PM Post #6152750
| We keep ours at 60 all the time. I sleep under a sleeping bag (and 2 dogs snuggled close) in the winter. |
Bookerc1
Mackinaw, IL
(Zone 5a)
February 17, 2009
07:27 PM Post #6152919
| Amazing how much body heat a cat can give off. Mine puts each of us to bed in turn--goes and sleeps on the boys' bed until they fall asleep, but jumps down from the top bunk and curls up on my tummy when I go to bed. The only one he won't cuddle is my DH, and that's because DH would just push him away.
|
MollyD1953
Canandaigua, NY
(Zone 4b)
February 17, 2009
07:36 PM Post #6152973
| I'm with grampapa and CountryGardens! Our programmable thermostat is set to 70 during the day and 64 at night. Any colder hurts my body. It's funny that what is considered 'cranking up the heat' varies as much as what is considered 'cold' ! LOL No AC here. Not needed. In fact we rarely have to run fans in the summer as natural breezes take the heat away for us.
MollyD |
Aunt_A
Tulsa, OK
February 17, 2009
08:15 PM Post #6153137
| 58 to 60 at night.
63 to 70 during the day; depending on the humidity level.
The bill is too high even at those temps.
However, I can't stand to go visiting at a "hot house" now. 75 to 79; give me some air so I can breathe!
LOL
|
Joan
Belfield, ND
(Zone 4a)
 February 17, 2009
08:29 PM Post #6153203
| Goodness! I thought we kept our house cool and it's at 70 degrees, year around, night and day. If we set our thermostats in the 50's the houseplants and everything would freeze.
Even set at 70 degrees, when the subzero winds are howling, it's still cold. |
SueME
Moline, IL
(Zone 5a)
February 17, 2009
08:37 PM Post #6153237
| I endure the cold house with the cat on my lap. We keep each other warm. Plus an electric mattress pad. |
pdoyle23323
Chesapeake, VA
(Zone 7b)
February 17, 2009
09:52 PM Post #6153649
| keep the house cool to save $ Keep the house at 63 during the day, 68 while were home and up and 63 when we go to bed. |
rntx22
Clear Lake, TX
(Zone 9a)
February 17, 2009
10:36 PM Post #6153825
| Thermostat set at 56 at night, 60 in the day. In summer I keep it at 82 in daytime and 78 at night - if I didn't my electric bill would be outrageous! You get used to those temps...
I LOVE winter here in Houston because I hate hot weather, and I save lots of money on my electric bill (my heat & A/C are electric). The cold weather is a wonderful (but short-lived) break from the horrible humid and hot 10 month summer weather!!
I HATE central heat, it dries you out so bad.
|
Bookerc1
Mackinaw, IL
(Zone 5a)
February 17, 2009
11:15 PM Post #6154037
| I've GOT to stop watching this thread! I shiver every time it pops up on my thread watcher! When I see "How are you keeping warm?" I automatically think, "I'm not!" and pull the blanket tighter.
|
CricketsGarden
Nauvoo, AL
(Zone 7a)
February 18, 2009
12:07 AM Post #6154267
| BURRRRR
I crank up the heat---but never over 72. Mostly 70 day and night.
Kinda sad right now cause my electric throw blanket stopped working and walmart wont have anymore til NOV and DEC |
grownut
Clarkson, KY
February 18, 2009
12:07 AM Post #6154268
| lol. |
Kylaluaz
Weed, CA
(Zone 7b)
February 18, 2009
02:33 AM Post #6154664
| I have a kerosene heater, came with the place, there was a lump sum for heating fuel paid by landlord when I moved in and we figured $60 a month. So, I keep comfortable. Which means setting it in the range of 68-72 depending on factors. However, when the power has gone out (it relies on electricity) I have been pleased at how well insulated this place is, it has not gotten too bad. Twice power went out for several hours while I was asleep -- and when that happens I wake to find it slightly cool, and when the heater comes back on it is automatically set at 56 -- both times it has taken me a while to notice it is getting a bit cool and go turn it up.
I also have an electric throw I use on the bed most nights.
|
BLOSSOMBUDDY
(Zone 5a)
February 18, 2009
07:58 AM Post #6154915
| Hate being cold, but will run the thermostat at about 57 to 65
How long will we endure.. depends on if we are on releif or not.
LP is outrageous, electric costs are ridiculous and they will shut you off if you cannot pay. Such a deal when you got medical issues and cant work. Makes a lot of sense for those companies to hurt people even more when they are down. What a system there.
Been known to use space heaters IN DESPERATION when the LP ran out. Had one catch fire. Lucky the house did not burn and glad the dog went off drawing my attention to it.
Weather in zone 5 in winter, spring stinks because it is so unstable anywhere for 40 below with a feels like of 85 below and it almost feels colder at the damp 32 above., least below zero it is a dry cold. but hate seeing that stick around at all |
Tir_Na_Nog
Houston
United States
(Zone 9b)
February 18, 2009
08:03 AM Post #6154929
| lee i have asthema to but its never stopped me from wanting to crank the heat up :). I used to SIT right in front of space heaters until you could feel my skin was hot but I loved it! I used to ride (pre-passengers as a parent and spouse lol) in the car and crank the heat up there to and have it blowing full blast more of a short trip!
Then I found Texas and I've been quite content :) but even in our winters here the thermostat is scheduled to run on 70 degrees and I just up it to 73 once or twice during the day. And I still use an electric blanket!
You won't find me complaining (much :) of our Texas summers because it's a beautiful trade-off for having mild winters. |
BLOSSOMBUDDY
(Zone 5a)
February 18, 2009
08:16 AM Post #6154956
| Yo Texas, send real estate catalogs!!
|
BLOSSOMBUDDY
(Zone 5a)
February 18, 2009
08:19 AM Post #6154962
| Been know to curl up with the dog and a huge pile of blankets on some nights
and been know to go out to the pickup and fire it up and sit in there on occassion just to get a small space warmed to take the chill off too.
I never run the AC.. to expensive, but hate chilled air anyway. It is too hard on arthritis bones. |
Dave47
Southern, CT
(Zone 6a)
February 18, 2009
08:48 AM Post #6155036
| A cool house to save money and to reduce pollution. |
herbalbetty
Middleburgh, NY
February 18, 2009
08:57 AM Post #6155059
| We have the downstairs thermostat set at 62. Although, if it is cold and windy, I will bump it to 66. The upstairs is on a separate thermostat and is kept at 58 or so. We have a heated mattress pad that we turn on about 2 hours before bed and then shut off as we slide under the covers. I really don't like it hot! Summer temps over 80 make me swell up like a balloon! :-) |
patgeorge
Nurmo
Finland
(Zone 4b)
February 18, 2009
10:23 AM Post #6155284
| 22 Celsius/ 71 Farenheit. Use an ultrasound humidifier. It's -20 C outside today.
|
gen2026
Camden, AR
February 18, 2009
10:26 AM Post #6155288
| LOL ... I have been enjoying everyone's comments about the temp, but one observation I wanted to make is that 70 degrees in one house may not feel like 70 in another. We just moved into a new home 5 yrs ago that we did most of the work on - we tried to make it as energy efficient as possible - but one thing I learned in my research and have since proven is that making the home "airtight" makes it FEEL warmer. In my old home, which was built in the 40's - there was some draft ...we had replaced the windows over the years and added some insulation into the walls as rooms were redone, but for the most part the walls had no insulation and there were small air leaks here and there ... sometimes I had to keep the thermostat on 75 to stay warm. Now, in my new house, we caulked EVERYTHING that was humanly possible, used cellulose insulation, and have a geothermal heating/cooling system...and the thermostat stays on 70 in the winter with no drafts. We could actually tolerate it cooler since most of the time we are sitting around with relatively lightweight clothes on ... If we are planning on having a bunch of people over we actually have to reduce the thermostat or everyone will be too hot ! It has amazed me the difference in the way the "temperature" feels when the drafts are gone.
Genna |
BLOSSOMBUDDY
(Zone 5a)
February 18, 2009
10:28 AM Post #6155297
| Found the lower temps at 57 on the thermostat... have not had any colds in 7 years...
Yes, and more insulation in the attic and a dry crawl space.
Alwasy combine errands when running the car!! LOL!
Now to convince neighbors to stop burning garbage and tires, we woudlall be better off. |
emillner
Bedford, TX
(Zone 8a)
February 18, 2009
10:28 AM Post #6155298
| Winter seems to have passed Texas by for the most part this year, which is troubling. I already have shrubs that are breaking bud - a full month or more ahead of their ususal bud-break time. |
Seandor
Springfield, MA
(Zone 6a)
February 18, 2009
10:45 AM Post #6155368
| Our house is set to 14 degrees celcius most of the time. (about 55 degrees) and the thermostat is set to rise to 16 degrees (about 58 degrees) for 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the late afternoon.
It sounds very cold, but while the dining room stays very cool, with both radiators on in the bedroom, the temperature rises to about 71 degrees. |
BLOSSOMBUDDY
(Zone 5a)
February 18, 2009
11:00 AM Post #6155434
| I have hadit where the house was 45 inside...dont like it.. but the pipes did not freeze and I survived. Be nice to be able to LIVE and enjoy things a little.
During the day.. one space heater at my desk...sweatshirt, sweat pants and gloves on INSIDE whild doing my typing. |
rosethyme
Denton, TX
(Zone 7b)
February 18, 2009
12:08 PM Post #6155727
| I like to keep the house cool around 68. Plus it saves money. At night, I just pile on more quilts or blankets to stay warm and cozy. Sometimes I splurge and have a heating pad on my feet. |
JuneyBug
Dongducheon CpCasey
South Korea
(Zone 4b)
February 18, 2009
12:41 PM Post #6155878
| I have a programmable thermostat set to 67 except for a warm-up to 74 just before I get up in the morning. The electric furnace doesn't turn on much otherwise as I have a pellet stove in my sun room that keeps my plants toasty and the house at a pretty comfortable temp. I use a portable elec. heater in the most bitter spells of winter weather as my office is about 60 feet from the pellet stove. With such dry heat, I have to use a 2 gal garden sprayer to mist my plants and boost the humidity in the sun room and the house. Even at $4 a bag, the pellet stove has dropped my elec bill by several hundred bucks a season. |
HappyJackMom
Happy Jack, AZ
(Zone 5a)
February 18, 2009
01:40 PM Post #6156183
| We use a wood stove only, and get free logs from the National Forest for our firewood. This past October we were able to get seasoned logs that had been stacked in big piles to be burnt when the weather allowed. So to those of you who might complain about burning wood and smoking up the air, they were going to be burnt by the Government anyway. This way, our forests are thinned out so that the healthy trees can survive and we can still stay warm.
You can buy "hot socks" from Wal-Mart, they are called "Bed Buddies." We have used them for years. The home made one sound great too. I have found, that they will reflect your body heat also, and they stay warm longer once the bed is warm. I couldn't survive without them.
We don't use the propane heater unless we leave the cabin for a day or so. We set the thermostat at 45-50° for the orchids and the cat, when she's up here. 8^)
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
Kelli
L.A. (Canoga Park), CA
(Zone 10a)
February 18, 2009
01:57 PM Post #6156246
| The furnace is set at 75F or 76F. I can't bear it colder than that, even with two shirts on. Yes, I'm wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and socks and shoes. At the temperatures that most of you discuss, I would be chilled to the bone and almost nonfunctional. Yes, I've heard of a thing called metabolism, but I've never seen it. We turn off the furnace when we go to bed. With a blanket and two comforters, I'm fine.
In the summer, the air conditioner is set at 76F. Then I'm wearing shorts and a t-shirt and I feel fine. Why is 76F in the winter colder than 76F in the summer? There's got to be something more to warmth than just the temperature. It must be the draft thing that Genna talks about. We have double-glazed windows and 6 or 8 inches of insulation in the attic, but I don't think the walls are insulated. I don't know how it could be done on the first floor of a two-storey house, either, without tearing the house apart. |
gloria125
Greensboro, AL
February 18, 2009
02:05 PM Post #6156295
| I am in a 100 year old house with gas space heaters. I use a space heater where I am. I don't heat the house. This year the space heater I use sprung a leak, so I had the gas turned off. I am using a quartz electric space heater.
Not really the best solution especially when it gets down in the 20s. Next year Ill do more winterizing and get back on Natural Gas. |
BLOSSOMBUDDY
(Zone 5a)
February 18, 2009
02:09 PM Post #6156315
| Kelli, it is the dampness that makes it seem worse.
Here in Illinois it can be 20 below and that feels warmer than 32 above.
The cold DAMP is the kicker.
If you get on the weather channel, they now have maps that tell you the pain index for people like me who suffer with arthris or other ails...
Many people are also very sensative to changes in the barometric pressures. It can be a beautiful day, but if the pressures change.. OUCH.. often peoples ears pop. Its the decompression of one system to another. For me, if it falls below a certain point, then I feel like I am getting cruched.. IN a sense. that is what it is...the pressure system onto something or someone. Thats the best I can explain it in laymens terms.
My gripe in my area is that people burn GARBAGE.. I recyle 95% I do not have garbage pickup. And what gets me, people that do could do a better job of recycling. To haul my waste away, usually costs nothing but the gas now to get to the dump or the phone call to my peoples who recycle and they pick it up for free.
I am glad soeome is able to get the free wood sources. About time the government allowed that.
|
gloria125
Greensboro, AL
February 18, 2009
02:44 PM Post #6156446
| Kelli - insulating walls. Here a retrofit for old houses with plaster walls is to have cellulose blown in. The company makes a small hole in the exterior siding and blows in the material, then replug the hole.
But . . . making your house too tight is not a good idea either. Especially if you have carpets that are emitting formaldehyde gas. |
blomma
Casper, WY
(Zone 4a)
February 18, 2009
02:57 PM Post #6156495
| I hate feeling cold so turn up the thermostat to 72 degrees during the day when I am home. Set it at 70 at night, and 68 when I'm at work. |
BLOSSOMBUDDY
(Zone 5a)
February 18, 2009
03:06 PM Post #6156533
| The people that do the insulating can test the house for tightness. When ours was done that is what they did. They test it for drafts and cold spots
If you do the insulating yourself, you should hire someone to do the test anyway. |
grownut
Clarkson, KY
February 18, 2009
03:10 PM Post #6156549
| Lil' bro tried that in his ca 1903 house. Wouldn't fill. Turns out the sides were open all the way to the attic!! They had to re-think that one... |
gloria125
Greensboro, AL
February 18, 2009
03:17 PM Post #6156581
| Yeah. There is supposed to be cross bracing that stops the fill. |
grownut
Clarkson, KY
February 18, 2009
03:25 PM Post #6156619
| We found out later from deeds that the local builder built that house. Best built place in Guthrie, OK. had to gut it to insulate though... |
gen2026
Camden, AR
February 18, 2009
03:27 PM Post #6156628
| The problem is not usually that they are open all the way - but instead it is usually that there are "fire blocks" or pieces of stud crossways across the stud walls ever so often - usually not a SET distance apart in the old houses... It was used to stablize the house and supposedly have prevent the spread of fire - which I doubt it EVER did ...but that is why we could not blow the outside walls of our old house. What we did do however when we remodeled and removed some windows was to take the sheetrock down completely on the exterior wall. Ended up we only needed about 4 sheets of sheetrock to completely replace the interior wall and it gave us the opportunity to thoroughly insulate a westward facing wall that had NO SHADE. That move alone dropped my summer cooling bills by almost 100 a mo - and that was YEARS ago! The sheetrock at the time cost me less than 20.00 and the insulation around 25 - 30. It was small in comparison to trying to do all the outside walls - but the savings outweighed the cost by hundreds of dollars. Prior to do that - those 2 rooms were so hot in the afternoon during the summers that you could barely go in there - after that - they were comfortable and the bills were MUCH less!!
I agree that it is not a good idea to try to make your home completely airtight unless you do not have any Carbon Monoxide being created in the home or formaldehyde from the carpets. We are all electric with no wood stove or fireplace and with no natural gas or propane...so no carbon monoxide. Also, no carpets... so our goal was to make it 100% airtight - which of course is not possible, but we sure tried! At the price of my heating bills last winter, I was thankful that we had insulated as much as we had. This winter has not been as bad thank goodness.
There are a lot of small things you can do to help on airflow such as weather stripping on windows and doors, caulking around electrical sockets, etc. You can use a lighted candle and go around the windows, doors, light sockets, switches, etc and see where the airflow is coming from. There is a gentleman here in Arkansas who has a national radio program on saving energy and cutting utility costs named Doug Rye ( i think his website is DougRye.com) but he says the average home across the country has enough air leakage to equate to leaving a door standing open !! That is a LOT of cold air when the temp drops outside...
Most people (my parents included when they were living) couldn't afford to do all the improvements to their home at one time so we did them in stages over the years until we finally got it relatively energy efficient for an older home. With the new stimulus package there is supposed to be some money or tax incentives or something for increased insulation, etc... maybe that will be a way that some people can help improve their homes...haven't read the specifics on it just read there was supposed to be some money available for that.
Genna |
Kylaluaz
Weed, CA
(Zone 7b)
February 18, 2009
03:38 PM Post #6156673
| All electric is what I am here and I do not like that ... but no choice in the matter at the present. I mean, the heat itself is kerosene but the heater does not function without electricity, so.
I used to know a gal who grew up in post WWII Germany, where the land had been stripped of fuel during the war and afterward... so the people had to get real creative. She taught us how to cook beans in the bed! Heat them to boiling and then turn off the fire and run put the pot in the bed, covered of course, and pile every blanket you have on top to hold the heat in. By dinner time, beans are done.
I actually tried this one day and it worked great! But she also told about a family she knew of who managed to seal their house up so well t hey actually suffocated in there, having forgotten they would be using up all the breathable oxygen, or not knowing...
I read recently that in I believe it is Switzerland a ventilation system has been operational recently in some new dwellings that is actually air tight in a way -- somehow the air that comes in is channeled in such a way it warms -- there is no heating system and triple glazed special windows etc. I will see if I can find the link. The requisite systems are only avail in Switzerland tho due to some kind of international trade or patent system -- would be too expensive elsewhere, but they do hope to overcome that eventually.
In any case, the invention, the idea, is out there, possible, working in many new dwellings in that country, something that can be applied eventually for more and more people. It can be done. That's good news.
Kyla |
garden_mermaid
San Francisco Bay Ar, CA
(Zone 9b)
February 18, 2009
03:46 PM Post #6156710
| The passively heated house you are describing is being used for many new houses in Germany. The house is well sealed and heated by the activities of the occupants. There is a ventilation system that warms the air and a backup heater that rarely seems to be needed. There was a discussion thread on that in the Sustainable Alternatives forum. |
grownut
Clarkson, KY
February 18, 2009
03:50 PM Post #6156729
| I was remembering that one too, but couldn't place it!! |
gloria125
Greensboro, AL
February 18, 2009
03:56 PM Post #6156756
| gen2026. yes. that was what I was referring to the "fire blocks" to stop the air blown insulation. |
Procrastinator
Havelock, ON
(Zone 5a)
February 18, 2009
04:00 PM Post #6156767
| We keep the thermostat at 68 degrees and it is programmed to go down to 65 degrees at night. I wear several layers of clothing and believe it or not, I wear thermal long underwear under my jeans all winter.
I even got a pair for Valentine's Day a year ago. Hey - They are blue and have flowers on them so I did get flowers for Valentine's Day - LOL
My DH wears a t-shirt and is never cold. Mind you, he mas much more padding on him than I do. The only time I decrease the layers of clothing is when I have my grandbaby here and he stays for a few days. I am perpetual motion with him since his is only 18 months old now. Busy, busy, busy. That is the only time I decrease my four layers down to two.
Pathetic aren't I?
I know that I shouldn't think that God makes mistakes but I truly believe that I should have been born in a warmer climate with a much longer growing season. I think I have, "The Grass is Always Greener" syndrome :(
Elaine and Otis |
grownut
Clarkson, KY
February 18, 2009
04:00 PM Post #6156770
| I think what cross pieces this house had didn't fully block the chase. They blew in something like 4 bags of insulation (ridiculous #, don't remember exactly) and it still wasn't full. Went to the 3rd floor/attic and the floor was covered. Never had the problem in any other house. DH and I took that one over and it was our first renovation. |
gen2026
Camden, AR
February 18, 2009
04:07 PM Post #6156793
| guess they got more insulation in the attic that way!
|
grownut
Clarkson, KY
February 18, 2009
04:08 PM Post #6156803
| It was ridiculous!! Good for a laugh, but...lol. |
quiltygirl
Wildomar, CA
(Zone 9a)
February 18, 2009
04:32 PM Post #6156923
| Living inland of the coastal So Calif. mountains means we do have some nights in 30's and even some in 20's, but mostly 40's in winter, then 50's through June and 60's during summer. On my own, I would seldom turn heat on at all, but DH is wuss, so I try t keep it at 66-67 in daytime (he sometimes turns it to 69), then at night, after he goes to bed turn it to 62. When he is out of town and no heat is on, thermometer does not go below 56 @night. I like to have a window open year 'round - just a crack when outside temp is less that 40, but feel claustrophobic with furnace on at night. Just want to breathe cool air, not BE cold, so love sweaters, sweats and lap-quilts. Flannel sheets and the weight of blankets are great at night. DH complains his fingers get too cold while working at home on computer and head gets too cold sleeping. I have managed t get him to wear more clothes around house. What is the sense of turning heat to 72 so you can walk around in your skivvies?
Neighbors recently had new baby while we had our version of cold spell (60 degree high temp). Went to see baby and almost died wearing sweater in there. They were all wearing shorts and tank tops because they had it so hot for baby. Some ethnic/nationality groups keep babies to hot, I think. One time in coastal San Diego, there was a one year old screaming in stroller in store in mall, turning red. He was too darn hot! I could see a Tshirt, flannel shirt, and - get this - SNOWSUIT! We hardly wore that much in Wisconsin in Dec.! |
Kylaluaz
Weed, CA
(Zone 7b)
February 18, 2009
04:35 PM Post #6156937
| Hey, thanks garden Mermaid, glad to know that info (about the passive heat system -- LOL! I could not even remember what to call it!) is already being discussed here on DG. ;-)
Oh, quiltygirl, that poor baby in the snowsuit! That hurts. geeze... |
gloria125
Greensboro, AL
February 18, 2009
04:39 PM Post #6156948
| quilty girl. I think people do have weird ideas about how much heat babies and "old people" need - me being one of the latter. Recently I was in the hospital and had to have some one give me a ride home. The woman was obsessed that I was going to get pneumonia (I had thoracic surgery). I was so happy to get out of that car!!! It was so hot I could hardly breathe.
So happy to get in my house with no heat and open windows! (Our climate here is much like yours in Calif. - a little colder in winter). |
quiltygirl
Wildomar, CA
(Zone 9a)
February 18, 2009
05:09 PM Post #6157033
| I remember when I was pregnant and going over the lists the books had for things babies need, by sis told me not to get all the tshirts and such they recommended till after she was born, as her kids were just too hot blooded to wear all the recommended clothes. DD was the same (born end of Oct.) and was comfortable swimming in the pool in March & April @ 4&5 mos. old. When I used the body sling to carry her, she really got warm with more than tshirts on.
Yes, when my grandma was in a nursing home, it seemed really warm, but grandma liked it. It stayed warm in there in summer too and patients seemed comfortable. What savings I make in winter I can spend in summer with the AC, although I notice that while a heated 72 in winter feel suffocating to me, a cooled 72 in summer (while inactive) is pretty cool. Then again, I am wearing dressing for the weather, not the 'conditioned' inside air.
I also manipulate the blinds year round to accommodate/use the sun & shade to our advantage. It is a little work to go around changing them, but worth it.
I read in the Sewing Forum about someone who has what she called window quilts that they hand over windows to control cold and heat. Good idea for very cold areas, but I would not care for the darkness. We could have used those when we lived in our 24 ft 5th wheel RV for 4 years. Just our body heat made the windows sweat and the walls around our sleeping area had to be blow dried in the AM to prevent mold! Fun times - Not! |
grownut
Clarkson, KY
February 18, 2009
05:13 PM Post #6157048
| Sounds awful. One of the enriching times that you wish...
I think a lot of it has to do with body temperature and weight. Very few people maintain a decent 98.6º anymore. And if you're padded below the skin as well as on top, well...I should stay warmer than I do...lol. |
Kelli
L.A. (Canoga Park), CA
(Zone 10a)
February 18, 2009
05:19 PM Post #6157073
| I heard one time that keeping a baby very warm all of the time just creates adults like me who are cold all of the time. |
quiltygirl
Wildomar, CA
(Zone 9a)
February 18, 2009
05:50 PM Post #6157199
| Maybe that is why the Mediterranean people are shorter than the Scandinavians? We were just talking about that the other day. Since warm weather makes things grow, seems like folks from northern climes should be shorter, not taller. |
Kylaluaz
Weed, CA
(Zone 7b)
February 18, 2009
05:51 PM Post #6157203
| They get leggy trying to reach t he sun? |
garden_mermaid
San Francisco Bay Ar, CA
(Zone 9b)
February 18, 2009
06:26 PM Post #6157316
| I know some tall folks from the Mediterranean and some short folks from Scandinavia, so I'm not sure anthropology will support the stereotypes.
DH's father is from Apuglia, the Adriatic side of Southern Italy (the heel of the boot). FIL was 6'6", DH is an inch taller. Tall happens around the Med too. I tease DH that so many from his region are tall because of the cliffs - they had to reach higher to pick the olives & other fruit.
|
Dyson
Rocky Mount, VA
(Zone 7a)
February 18, 2009
06:31 PM Post #6157339
| Kerosene - expensive but there is no alternative this season. |
dahlianut
Calgary, AB
(Zone 3a)
February 18, 2009
09:46 PM Post #6158324
| Inuits are relatively short compared to other races. They are also the only race I know of that have fat in their fingers. (The pictures you see of them ice fishing bare handed are true.) I used to teach in the Arctic and I would be dressed in layers and some of my students would wear T-shirts and be sweating in the classroom. |
grownut
Clarkson, KY
February 18, 2009
10:15 PM Post #6158472
| I certainly look like I have fat in my fingers. Interesting though... |
dahlianut
Calgary, AB
(Zone 3a)
February 18, 2009
10:17 PM Post #6158490
| (Snort) |
Aunt_A
Tulsa, OK
February 18, 2009
11:37 PM Post #6158796
| gen2026,
You are correct about the drafts. That is why, in summer, we run fans to make it feel cooler because we keep the AC up as warm as we can stand it so it doesn't run too much.
I need a place to live without 20 degree F winters and 100 degree F summers.
LOL.
April |
picante
Helena, MT
(Zone 4b)
February 19, 2009
12:17 AM Post #6158952
| DH insulated the walls and attic. Now it's cozy with the thermostat at 65 F. It helps that it's a small house. Beautiful dance shot, Dnut! |
quiltygirl
Wildomar, CA
(Zone 9a)
February 19, 2009
03:00 PM Post #6161332
| Aunt A - If you raise your temperature request by 10 to 15 degrees (with the winter temp as a low and summer as a high), you could live here. We easily have 100+ summer/fall days, but without as much humidity as you have, no doubt. We have even had a couple mild versions of tornados to make you feel at home!
DH will start to turn ceiling fans off and I ask "is it November yet?" Turn 'em on first of April, off after Thanksgiving! Stupid dogs have scratched and broken pieces of weather stripping at front door. |
cando1
Ozone, AR
(Zone 6a)
February 19, 2009
04:13 PM Post #6161569
| Propane space heater here. I use central cooling in summer but just my space heater in winter. My mobile home is well insulated and have double windows. I can't handle dark in winter so don't even have curtains.Have large oaks around so am shaded in summer and have sun beaming down in winter. This year we've had so many 40 temps that it is hard to keep things from getting too warm. So it's off and on for me.
I've also got a 50lb lap dog to keep me warm as well as a little dog. |
Kylaluaz
Weed, CA
(Zone 7b)
February 19, 2009
04:18 PM Post #6161596
| LOL! Who keeps the little dog warm? |
newhobby
Tolleson, AZ
(Zone 9a)
February 19, 2009
05:18 PM Post #6161831
| I keep it at 74 during the night and crank it to 77 when we wake up till we are all showered and dressed! I am a true desert rat! In the summer over 110 temp I keep the house at 83 - 85...DH would rather 78 ;o) |
Kelli
L.A. (Canoga Park), CA
(Zone 10a)
February 19, 2009
05:36 PM Post #6161907
| But it's a dry 83 - 85... ;-) |
grownut
Clarkson, KY
February 19, 2009
08:19 PM Post #6162559
| Therein lies the difference!! At 90=% humidity it wouldn't be pretty!! |
MDREAMS01
Summerville, SC
(Zone 8a)
February 19, 2009
09:17 PM Post #6162821
| Hello All,
I also have space heater's plus central heat and air becuse it is so old it freezes up so am thanful for the spaceheater's help's keep the kid's warm. I sleep with 3 layers of clothing and 2 blankets over my head. Been wishing I could get an lectric blanket cause have health issues that cause me to be cold all the time. So am very thanful when spring start's bring in a little warmth!! So to all that need warmth I wish you the best, and to all that need cool Blessing's
Carolyn |
dahlianut
Calgary, AB
(Zone 3a)
February 19, 2009
10:33 PM Post #6163135
| Is it really humid in KY grownut? |
newhobby
Tolleson, AZ
(Zone 9a)
February 19, 2009
10:37 PM Post #6163147
| HA! Yeah, dry for the most part...wait till monsoons around here and oh man are we dying! |
Aunt_A
Tulsa, OK
February 19, 2009
10:37 PM Post #6163151
| quiltygirl,
Sounds nice...except for the tornado...I'll leave those behind.
LOL
April |
dahlianut
Calgary, AB
(Zone 3a)
February 19, 2009
10:41 PM Post #6163167
| No kiddin Aunt_A! EEK! |
grownut
Clarkson, KY
February 20, 2009
12:30 AM Post #6163641
| It is when you close the house and let the temps rise above 80º... |
FrangipaniAz
Phoenix, AZ
(Zone 9b)
February 20, 2009
06:10 AM Post #6164049
| My husband has been laughing because every week that I get more and more pregnant, the thermostat is getting set lower and lower... we used to set it at 74 (yes, I'm also a desert rat born and raised, and my hubby an adapted Bostonian)... but with each week that passes he's getting colder but I'm getting warmer... so it's set at 70 right now, but doesn't turn on until the sun goes down, so that's not bad... I still feel warm, but for his sake I will leave it until summer when it's 117 and I'm as big as a house, then ask me what my AC bill costs... lol...
Brittany |
gloriag
Floyd, VA
(Zone 6b)
February 20, 2009
07:13 AM Post #6164099
| I have a good thermostat operated kerosene heater (actually 2, but I don't use the second.) I supplement with a portable radiator type heater by the computer some times. I have been so conservative with the kerosene heater that I think I have enough left to get through the next season too.
The heater is in a great room, and the two rooms off it get progressively cooler but do not come close to freezing. I don't really use those two rooms much either.
I have the thermostat set at between 50 and 55 at night. At various times during the day, I raise it to 68 or 70 or lower it to 65. I find comforters very effective at night. Sometimes I use an old heating pad to warm my feet; that works very quickly. When I read, I cover up with a comforter and put my feet on the heating pad if they get chilly. Cool night sleeping is very comfortable for me; I just pretend I am camping.
Warm stews and hot soups help too. From our local thrift shop I have a wardrobe of various sweaters, sweat shirts, and coats and jackets so I can always find something to fit the interior or exterior temps. I wear long underwear all winter (changing it of course.) This is my second year without a central gas furnace, and I have learned how to deal with it.
This message was edited Feb 20, 2009 8:42 AM |
tabasco
Cincinnati (Anderson, OH
(Zone 6a)
February 20, 2009
09:14 AM Post #6164294
|
well, we went on a big conservation plan for the last gas and electric billing period and froze ourselves to death (almost) (put the heat down to 50 at night and 65 during the day) and saved about $18. for the month and spent more money buying hot chocolates and bourbon to keep us warm!
My sister did the same and she had similar results. It appears to us that most of our heating bill comes from taxes and service fees that we can't do much about. We have a gas furnace and water heater and electric kitchen appliances. |
flowerjen
central, NJ
(Zone 6b)
February 20, 2009
11:54 AM Post #6164925
| Setting thermostat with such a difference night to day makes your heating system work so much harder to get it back up to the temp needed. Better just to set it back a couple degrees from the daytime temp you want. |
quiltygirl
Wildomar, CA
(Zone 9a)
February 20, 2009
02:30 PM Post #6165658
| I think more of our propane is used for hot water (2 teenage girls), showers, DW, WMachine - I am using the cool setting on washer more as well as dryer. Cooktop, not so much - try to use slowcooker for stuff that needs to simmer long.
Gloriag - A thousand years ago my mom sent an electric lap blanket and another year this quilted lap blanket that had snap/zipper almost like a sleeping bag. Just make sure you have the phone next to you when you are on sofa, cuz hopping around in that thing was dangerous for me!! LOL Mom knew I didn't turn on the heater when I was single. Not too bad when you live near the coast, more temperate. |
gardener2005
Baton Rouge area, LA
(Zone 8b)
February 20, 2009
05:25 PM Post #6166351
| It is sweltering hot here in summer so I call this weather natural air conditioning. :)
edit: added is and changed this this to just one this
This message was edited Feb 20, 2009 5:30 PM |
treelover3
Minneapolis, MN
(Zone 4a)
February 20, 2009
10:54 PM Post #6167811
| I have a programmable thermostat and have the temp set at 70°F when I'm home, 65° during the day when I'm gone and the temp sets back to 60° at night. I do have the temp bumped up to 70°F in the morning when I'm getting ready for work since I cannot stand to be cold. I lost 65# via weight watchers and since the weight loss, I'm ALWAYS cold. I think I need to move to Florida! (:o)
|
quiltygirl
Wildomar, CA
(Zone 9a)
February 20, 2009
11:42 PM Post #6167996
| Yes weight can significantly effect how you feel, as do medical conditions. 25 years ago, for all intents and purposes, my thyroid went out and I was cold all summer long and wearing my winter jacket going out at noon in August! But, come winter I was really uncomfortable. I wore tights and thermals under my sIacks at the office. I previously did not use the heat at all at home and then I was coming home, turning the heat to 75-80 and putting my sweats on to sit under a blanket!! Makes me gasp for air just remembering that time period. There were a whole list of other symptoms also, by my meds keep them all at bay. |
hellnzn11
Rosamond, CA
(Zone 8b)
February 20, 2009
11:45 PM Post #6168008
| We bought a pellet stove from Lowes this year and it has been a saving grace, low on cost and easy to pipe out the side wall of the house. It burns pellets pretty slow, since my house is sometimes colder inside than it is outside and our winter is not usually long, though we get in the 20's in the nights for a few months. It won't heat my whole house but it makes a big living area bearable. We use a kerosine, encased low energy electric/Kerosine heater in my bedroom though.
I hate being cold. It is just too miserable to live that way. We are on propane and anything is better than using it for heat.!!!!!!! |
FrangipaniAz
Phoenix, AZ
(Zone 9b)
February 21, 2009
04:45 AM Post #6168545
| quiltygirl, same thing happened last winter with my thyroid and couldn't believe how cold I was... no amount of blankets helped...
Brittany |
treelover3
Minneapolis, MN
(Zone 4a)
February 21, 2009
09:52 AM Post #6168931
| Hmmm... I wonder??? I have a problem with my thyroid too. I do take medicine for it though. Maybe my medication needs to be adjusted? Interesting... thanks for posting and letting me know of your experiences.
|
City_Sylvia
Dallas, TX
February 21, 2009
05:58 PM Post #6170751
| Grownut ... where did you get an electric sleeping pad? |
grownut
Clarkson, KY
February 21, 2009
06:47 PM Post #6170884
| Vermont Country Store. They are wonderful. The bed is always warm, the blankets never too heavy or stiff which bugs me with electric blankets. |
City_Sylvia
Dallas, TX
February 21, 2009
07:22 PM Post #6170985
| ... so true ... and I have cords going everywhere ... sigh.
Is this store in Vermont? |
Sheila_FW
Fort Worth, TX
(Zone 8a)
February 21, 2009
07:35 PM Post #6171066
| 74 day and 73 night...hate the cold! |
grownut
Clarkson, KY
February 21, 2009
07:40 PM Post #6171081
| Here's the link, City_Sylvia http://www.vermontcountrystore.com/Shop;jsessionid=7AB8503C0... |
SueME
Moline, IL
(Zone 5a)
February 21, 2009
08:16 PM Post #6171253
| I LOVE MY ELECTRIC MATTRESS PAD!!!!!! It is so much more comfortable and warm. I find it keeps me warmer than any electric blanket and it is wonderful getting into a bed that is preheated.
|
Katlian
Carson City, NV
(Zone 6b)
February 21, 2009
09:47 PM Post #6171581
| Costco.com has the electric matress pads on sale right now. I'm thinking about getting one but we have a king and it gets pricey to buy anything at that size. |
grownut
Clarkson, KY
February 21, 2009
10:46 PM Post #6171819
| We got ours for Christmas a couple years back. Belated valentine's? |
MsKatt
Mid-Michigan, MI
(Zone 5b)
February 22, 2009
03:43 AM Post #6172553
| 63 during the day and 60 at night. I would die if it were any warmer!!!! We wear socks and slippers (have all hardwood floors) and either a sweater or sweatshirt.
I almost always have a hoodie and shorts on when I'm home, my Mom thinks I'm a nut. :) My kids are warmblooded creatures and just about die when we go visit my MIL who keeps her house at 72.
I have an elderly beagle mix that sleeps at the foot of the bed, on top of my feet...sometimes I have to push her over on DH's side because she's a little heater.
When we drop into the single digits or lower, our living room is quite chilly, but we have a fireplace in there and we will cover up with blankets if watching TV or reading.
I couldn't imagine an electric mattress pad!! Oh, the horrors! :) We have a comforter, fleece sheets and a down blanket on our bed and that's it. The kids have the same with the addition of two wool blankets each. My daughter also shares her double bed with a 200 lb mastiff some nights...when he's particulary cold. Our other mastiff is NEVER cold and sprawls out on the wood floor every night, no matter how cold it is outside...and it's gets pretty darn cold! |
grownut
Clarkson, KY
February 22, 2009
11:54 AM Post #6173376
| Now, now...the bedroom here is more like 57-60º -cooler than anywhere else in the house. The electric mattress pad is set low so it feels a bit like the covers haven't cooled yet. It's not hot unless I have a cold or fever. It merely prevents that sensation of Wake-Up! because you moved your feet to a new spot which your body hasn't warmed yet...And you never have to warm your chosen spot before relaxing into sleep -the spot is ready for you... |
LeBug
Greenville, IN
(Zone 6a)
February 22, 2009
01:19 PM Post #6173810
| I picked “I use a space heater and let the rest of the house stay cool” but I use a small electric heater.
I have LP gas and last year I paid almost $800 every other month for gas! Three times! This year I closed some rooms off and I’m using one of those small electric Holmes heaters to heat the living room, kitchen, bathroom and let some water simmer on the stove when I get up in the mornings, I’ve had my heat shut off for at least three weeks now only to turn it on when I get up to get the chill out of the air, so far I’ve only filled the tank once, I may have to fill it in about another month but that means I’ve done good not doing that third tank! I just use fleece covers at night and it’s not so bad, I love those fleece covers! LOL My electric bill hasn’t been that bad either really worth it! |
CapeCodGardener
Mid-Cape, MA
(Zone 7a)
February 22, 2009
02:48 PM Post #6174199
| Just found this interesting quiz!
I am actually a human-thremostat , in that at 66 degrees I am fine; at 65 and below my fingers and nose always get cold. We keep our downstairs at 66 in the daytime, and turn our upstairs heat off at night because we both like a cold bedroom. (We also keep our bedroom window open a few inches, but we cheat with an electric blanket!)
I would rather be cold than hot! |
JanetS
Braselton, GA
(Zone 7b)
February 22, 2009
05:13 PM Post #6174723
| I keep mine at 67 degress during the day and 64 at night...we are very hot natured..I think we are both human furnaces when we are covered up at night..lol I keep the ceiling fan on at night too...I have to say NONE of this is to save money it is because we like it cooler than most...we keep it at 67 during the Summer too..lol |
City_Sylvia
Dallas, TX
February 22, 2009
11:49 PM Post #6176582
| Nice Grownut ... really nice...I would love microfiber one that has no coils in it. Thanks
MsKatt, you all the way up there in Michigan ...and no covers. lol Whats so horrible about the mattress pad? |
MsKatt
Mid-Michigan, MI
(Zone 5b)
February 22, 2009
11:58 PM Post #6176628
| I would just roast with it is all.. .:) |
City_Sylvia
Dallas, TX
February 23, 2009
12:12 AM Post #6176673
| lol ... you must be very young! ;) |
MsKatt
Mid-Michigan, MI
(Zone 5b)
February 23, 2009
12:26 AM Post #6176730
| Not very...37. :) |
Twincol
Fresno, CA
(Zone 9b)
February 23, 2009
02:23 AM Post #6177021
| I keep my central heat/air conditioner at 67 degrees throughout the evenings. Heat is off during the day and bedtime. I can't sleep when the room is too warm, although I do manage summers by shedding layers. I am more often too warm than too cold, even with a chemotherapy-induced relatively severe case of peripheral neuropathy.
I live in a Land's End Polartek Snugglesack during the winter. It is warmer than my silk leggings or long johns because it traps body heat throughout. I am often unzipping it to cool off. The only problem with a snugglesack is that if you gotta pee you'd better get a head start dropping your "drawers," 'cause it's like dropping your drawers from your shoulders rather than your waist. It takes longer. The only time I don't wear it is when I'm wandering in and out to work in the garden; don't want to get it that dirty.
Also, I keep the doors two of my three bedrooms closed, with the heat vents closed as well. This seems to drop my gas power consumption.
I have two Standard Poodles. One is always trying to find the warm spots and I often throw a sweatshirt on top of her when she's sleeping. She is almost 14 years old. My 70 pound boy loves to leave the house and lay around in their outside kennel, brrrrrr. But then, he's Canadian and maybe it's in his genes. I have doggie doors for them to go through 24X7.
Linda |
City_Sylvia
Dallas, TX
February 24, 2009
10:16 PM Post #6186172
| MsKatt if I was 37 again ... no 40 ... thats when I began to mature ... I would start all over again. Anyway that explains it. LOL
(The only problem with a snugglesack is that if you gotta pee you'd better get a head start dropping your "drawers)
Omg Linda I hope you dont suffer with incontnence ... thanks for the warning! LOL You a hoot!
This message was edited Feb 24, 2009 8:21 PM |
ToucanOasis
Tilaran
Costa Rica
July 16, 2009
09:23 AM Post #6826038
| Two ways.
I moved to 9 degrees north of the equator and a girl named Xenia. |
Dave47
Southern, CT
(Zone 6a)
July 16, 2009
10:38 PM Post #6829099
| Very Good! |
dahlianut
Calgary, AB
(Zone 3a)
July 27, 2009
03:40 PM Post #6872064
| Welcome to DG ToucanOasis. Good choices |
Bookerc1
Mackinaw, IL
(Zone 5a)
July 27, 2009
03:54 PM Post #6872118
| Its in the mid-80's outside. Not too difficult to keep warm at the moment. Now, keeping cool is another matter. . .
|
MySharona
Amelia Island, FL
(Zone 9a)
July 27, 2009
04:14 PM Post #6872194
| I open the door and walk outside into the blistering heat and humidity :P |
Twincol
Fresno, CA
(Zone 9b)
July 28, 2009
09:27 PM Post #6877825
| I just turned the air conditioning on upon return home from work, 5:30. It's 107 outside, 87 inside.
The poodles just asked to be sprayed down with the mister bottle. Not sure if the moisture makes it worse for them or better. My boy just turns into a soggy 70-pound-dead-weight-sweater with water on-board.
How do we keep warm? We just wait a few months around here. LOL!
Linda |
Aunt_A
Tulsa, OK
August 10, 2009
08:22 AM Post #6929481
| Linda,
Isn't that the truth! You made me laugh with:
"We just wait a few months around here."
Wow; sounds like Oklahoma. Stupid 100 degrees with 80% humidity. Glad it isn't 107!
|
Twincol
Fresno, CA
(Zone 9b)
August 13, 2009
09:40 PM Post #6944117
|
Hi, Aunt A!
I lived in San Antonio for more than a year. Hmmm, let's see, I moved there in the Spring, I think I recall. The sudden change from our dry climate to the South's humidity was daunting. It nearly took my breath away, literally. I remember being stunned at the dampness of my shoes in the morning when I put them back on. UGH! i'd never lived in such humidity. But, as humid as it was, I don't think it ever got to be 107. I don't even remember that it got to 100, but, hey, my memory is fried, LOL.
Aaaaa, it's August. Fall is coming. YAAAAAAAY!
Linda
|
MySharona
Amelia Island, FL
(Zone 9a)
August 14, 2009
06:33 PM Post #6947068
| Twincol - nothing like feeling you were slapped in the face by a hot wet wash rag when you step outside is there? LOL! |
Aunt_A
Tulsa, OK
August 14, 2009
10:45 PM Post #6948008
| Hi, Linda.
I visited San Antonio and had a lot of fun but I remember thinking how totally humid the air was. I had thought that Oklahoma was humid but the dampness and sweat never seemed to stop in San Antonio.
Yuck...wet shoes in the morning. Double yuck.
I moved from Upstate NY to Oklahoma and thought we were going to die from the heat that first summer. Couldn't afford air conditioning and we were still NYers through and through.
LOL
|
Twincol
Fresno, CA
(Zone 9b)
August 15, 2009
12:38 AM Post #6948314
| MySharona, Aunt_A, I'm shocked that either or both of you would find SA more humid than your climes! If you look at the Macrobian Zonal Map me-thinks you'll find that you moved from the Northern Temperate Zone to the Equitorial Zone, if I recall correctly, Aunt_A. That would be a huge adjustment. Of course, it helps that you're travelling into a Gulf coastal state, LOL.
But I will NEVER EVER EVER forget travelling from Central California in July to the New Orleans Old Town District for a conference too many years ago to contemplate. I stayed in an old historical hotel. There was no air conditioning, but did have swamp-type cooling. It was worse than visiting Hawaii in July. Unbelievable!!! But what a wonderful place to visit, tho. Hmmm, what was that gr8 little pastry? YUM! And that restaurant? YUM! I wasn't in New Orleans long enuf to adjust, but San Antonio became more tolerable over time, LOL LOL.
BTW, I'm from Maine, originally, moving from Bangor to Detroit to California by the time I was 5-6. I've been here since then, except during the BabyBoomer War while in San Antonio. So I've lead a relatively "sheltered" life. Even my visit to England in August was a blessed temperature and dry three weeks. Must've been made to order, < chuckling >. But, Wales, now Wales was a different matter. Had to buy an enormous plastic/rubber-like umbrella to keep me'n me'Mum dry while wandering about Portmeirion. What an experience.
Oh my. Sorry. I love travelling to different parts of the country. Wish I'd been able to do more of it.
OK, gonna go grab a cool washcloth for the remainder of my waking hours. It's going to be in the 90's tomorrow. Hallelujah! Been waitin' for that!
Stay cool,
Linda |
Aunt_A
Tulsa, OK
August 23, 2009
01:00 AM Post #6978200
| Linda,
Wow; what a world traveler! Sounds like fun; does Canada count? I've been there. LOL
The close as I've come to some of the other places...well, I've got friends from some of those places...
No A/C in New O in July???? Eeeewwwww. I think I like creature comforts very well, thanks.
Have a great week.
A |
quiltygirl
Wildomar, CA
(Zone 9a)
August 24, 2009
03:26 PM Post #6983677
| Now wonder they stay drunk in the French Quarter if many place have no AC!! I have lived in places where it is seldom, if ever needed, like Santa Barbara, CA and San Pedro, CA. God sends His own AC daily about 2 PM, so there are only maybe 3 days a year you wish you had it - during the hot dry winds from the east. Not enough to worry about. But Louisiana, whoooheee
Lynda |
bonehead
Pacific NW, WA
(Zone 8a)
November 12, 2009
06:49 PM Post #7268229
| We've had a ducted forced air wood furnace for 30 years, which is finally giving up the ghost (has a smoke leak we cannot locate). Wood has come from our alder stand which has proven to be a great renewable resource (it looks much the same now as when we first moved here). We are having a difficult time finding a replacement wood furnace, so are considering a heat pump (ouch $$). |
