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Nifty Thrifty:  Thermostat  |
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SheilaC
True Blue Farmgirl
1948 Posts
Sheila
Vermont
USA
1948 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 04 2011 : 09:54:08 AM
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What temperature do you keep your thermostat on? This is our first house without a woodstove, and boy, do we sure miss it. We have only a furnace/boiler that runs on fuel oil, and the shock of paying for fuel oil for all our heat and hot water is quite something.
So what do you keep your temps on? Our daytime temp is set at 67 and nighttime is 62. So far no complaints, just the kids put on sweatshirt/sweater and slippers or shoes all the time. My husband does think it's cold when he gets home from work, but I think he's getting used to it.
The fuel oil bill is still a horrid expense. This is our first year living here, and we'll have to adjust :) to this as to everything else. |
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msdoolittle
True Blue Farmgirl
1143 Posts
Amanda
East Texas
USA
1143 Posts |
Posted - Jan 04 2011 : 11:01:58 AM
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Sheila,
In winter:
Daytime is 62-65, depending on outside temperatures. Nighttime: we turn it off. This isn't what I'd recommend (!!!) but our AC system is ancient and terrible, and I do NOT trust it! Temperature on a cold night will bottom out at 50 degrees on the first floor of the house.
Coming soon will be INSULATION and a new A/C system. Though, I would not set it above 68 during the daytime in the winter. We burn a fire in the fireplace every day when it is cold, so we're usually in the (hot) front room anyway. I hate how dry the house gets, so that's another reason I don't crank up the heater :0)
Yes, I wear a robe and socks and slippers most of the time :0D
FarmGirl #1390
www.mylittlecountry.wordpress.com |
Edited by - msdoolittle on Jan 04 2011 11:02:41 AM |
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FieldsofThyme
Farmgirl Guide & Schoolmarm / Chapter Leader
4928 Posts
USA
4928 Posts |
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phonelady
True Blue Farmgirl
323 Posts
Carla
Loveland
Colorado
323 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2011 : 8:11:51 PM
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Mine is at 69 all the time. I'm in a dugout house so it's always cold in winter but we don't have air-conditioning so it's livable in the summer so I guess I have to live with the trade-off [Many older places in Colorado don't have air-conditioning even though it can get to the 100's in the high summer]. we have "water in the wall heat" so that's efficient, at least.
So just like when I was in Alaska, I have to wear sweats and fuzzy socks in the house and heat up my rice bags when I go to bed.
Smiles!
Carla
It's not just life-
It's an adventure!
http://familyhistoryfindings.blogspot.com/ |
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2011 : 9:12:48 PM
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Ours is set at 64-65 during the day, 62 at night...unless it's bitter cold, and then it goes up to 65. During the day, I dress as usual, but always wear one of my good, almost knee length Irish wool sweaters to keep me cozy. And if and when I get to sit down and relax, you'll find me snuggled up with a throw around my hands and feet, sipping a hot cup of tea to take off the chill (nothing warms like a hot cup of tea!). My husband is a natural heat source, so he and our down blanket keep me warm at night! When it's bitter cold out, though, I wear double socks and my nice comfy robe to bed, too. You'd think that would bother my DH, but it doesn't. He says he's fine with anything that keeps my icy feet from waking him! LOL! My sister-in-law keeps her house down to 60 day and night. I have no idea how she does it, except she says she likes to "feel" the seasons, and cozies up daily in her favorite sweaters. She does have six kids, and she homeschools, so maybe keeping up with them keeps her blood pumping high and body heat flowing! LOL!
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
Farmgirl Sister #1974 |
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JojoNH
True Blue Farmgirl
1984 Posts
Joanna
Dunbarton
New Hampshire
USA
1984 Posts |
Posted - Jan 11 2011 : 04:56:15 AM
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This was one area we spent money on to remedy. I could not stand having to regulate the temperature and pay high prices to the oil company. So we imported a "gasification system" from Poland. It's like those outdoor wood stoves you see only it is indoors and much more efficient.
We burn half as much wood ( 5-7 cords opposed to 10 - 14 cords) and we keep the house at 70 all winter long. The stove can burn corn cobs, wood pellets, wood, just about anything. It is tied into our baseboard heat ( hot water) and our thermostat calls for heat when needed. The cost savings over the past 3 years has paid for the entire system! We also can heat our hot water with it so another savings for us there.
Joanna #566
JojoNH
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CountryCents
http://CountryCents.Blogspot.com
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www.JoannasHomeStudio.com "Keeping traditions alive a stitch at a time" |
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Montrose Girl
Farmgirl Legend/Schoolmarm
1360 Posts
Laurie
Montrose
CO
1360 Posts |
Posted - Jan 11 2011 : 06:15:17 AM
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I keep mine in the 60's. I'm lucky as I get great passive solar gain in the day and the house can get up in the high 70's or low 80's with no heat. It keeps the heater off. At night I may drop it to 60-62. The cat climbs under the covers with me!
Laurie
http://www.inntheorchardbnb.com/ |
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meggy2
True Blue Farmgirl
111 Posts
barb
Flemington
Missouri
USA
111 Posts |
Posted - Jan 15 2011 : 06:46:06 AM
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| We have a programmable thermostat. Nights are set at 62 .It jumps to 68 an hour before I get up, shuts off at 5 am when I leave, stays at 60 all day, and goes to 68 an hour before I get home. it is on 68 all evening until 9 pm bedtime. The weekends are set at 68 all day when we are home. It has saved us a TON of money and costs about $100 to buy one. Highly recommend it. |
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Montrose Girl
Farmgirl Legend/Schoolmarm
1360 Posts
Laurie
Montrose
CO
1360 Posts |
Posted - Jan 15 2011 : 08:03:42 AM
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Nini, For those cold feet I love a grain bag. Ours is millet. The only time I like a microwave is to heat it up and then through it at your feet. Warms them quickly and not more complaints. I too have really cold feet. It's the best!
http://www.inntheorchardbnb.com/ |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Jan 15 2011 : 08:48:25 AM
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My central is set at 67 most of the time. It's a heat pump and really can not handle these freezing cold temps we have had the last 3 years. So I have other little heaters to help it out. Then we have a fireplace but it's just open. I just went through a few ricks of wook in 5 days. And it's still freezing in this house. My hands are so cold right now. There has to be a better way. We need to invest in a good fireplace insert. And start getting wood gathered for these really cold times.
Joanna, your system sounds interesting. My uncle had the outside woodburning central heat. It really worked good.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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MaggieMB
True Blue Farmgirl
217 Posts
Mary
western
Pa
217 Posts |
Posted - Jan 18 2011 : 6:32:11 PM
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| We have been keeping our thermostat on 65 this year, which is cooler than we have kept it in the past. It has been surprisingly easy to get used to. I have a big old comfy cardigan sweater that I like to put on if I get cold, and we have a throw on every piece of furniture in the living room. Sometimes if we are hanging out in the living room in the evening, we use a little electric space heater for awhile to take the chill off and it hasn't made our electric bill noticably higher. I LOVE the idea of using a heated grain bag, Laurie, and I think I'll go heat one up when I finish this! |
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edlund33
True Blue Farmgirl
1504 Posts
Marilyn
Renton
WA
USA
1504 Posts |
Posted - Jan 18 2011 : 8:11:44 PM
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I keep my thermostat set at about 62 all the time. I have birds and they don't like temperature fluctuations. Before they adopted me I used to turn the up heat to 68 in the daytime and to 58 at night. We've gotten used to the 62 degrees and what a difference it makes in our utility bill. Also a great way to use my grandma's throw blankets that once only looked pretty and collected dust on the back of the chairs. Our furnace is the original one from 1977 when the house was built. It is incredibly inefficient. This year when we had it serviced they told us it will not last more than another couple of years. BF was not thrilled by this news, but I'm looking forward to the day when I can have an energy-star furnace with a programmable thermostat and electronic air cleaners! Not to mention a furnace that doesn't sound like a rocket about to take off every time it turns on!
Thanks for sharing the idea about the grain bag. I usually pile on several pairs of socks but your technique sounds more cozy!
Cheers! ~ Marilyn
Farm Girl No. 1100
Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. - Ralph Waldo Emerson |
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Cherime
True Blue Farmgirl
1222 Posts
Cherime
Wasilla
Alaska
USA
1222 Posts |
Posted - Jan 19 2011 : 11:03:19 AM
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At 63 degrees and it does get cool sometimes. But with 150 gallons of heating fuel costing $500 I cannot do much else.
CMF |
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Nifty Thrifty: Thermostat |
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Thermostat
