# what temp to keep the house in the winter????



## claireauriga (Jun 24, 2008)

If you're out of the house or asleep, turn the heating off all together. 62 degrees F is 17 degrees C - there's no need to maintain the house at that temperature while you're not in it, or while you're tucked up under a duvet.

I generally advocate keeping a house at around 20-21 degC (68-70degF) when occupied, but to save money would go down to 18 degC (66 degF).


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## Jehanzeb (Nov 2, 2008)

I don't even know what temp is my house but it really does seem to be warm when I come from outside .

Regards


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## 3neighs (Jul 15, 2008)

When we were heating with fuel oil, we kept the temp. at 68 degrees downstairs and 65 upstairs. If we went away for an extended time we'd turn the downstairs down a few degrees. 

But now that we have an outdoor wood burner we can keep it as warm as we want! I'd like it at 72, but my husband would rather keep it at 68 so we compromise at 70.  We keep the upstairs between 65 and 68 because we like it cooler for sleeping. I'm the same way, though, I'm still always cold and wrapped up in a blanket!


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

I think about 70, 72 is good.


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## Angel_Leaguer (Jun 13, 2008)

claireauriga said:


> If you're out of the house or asleep, turn the heating off all together. 62 degrees F is 17 degrees C - there's no need to maintain the house at that temperature while you're not in it, or while you're tucked up under a duvet.
> 
> I generally advocate keeping a house at around 20-21 degC (68-70degF) when occupied, but to save money would go down to 18 degC (66 degF).


we cant turn the heat off all together otherwise it would freeze over extended periods... last night it was 14 degrees F out and a bit breezy. Freezing would equal bursting water pipes and an all around mess. Thanks for your input though!!!

3 neighs- totally JEALOUS!!!!! lol growing up we had a wood furnace and I would have it steaming...lol. Now were we live it is gas.


Thanks everyone!!!!


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## claireauriga (Jun 24, 2008)

If you can't turn it off completely, turn it down to something like 12-14 deg C (54-58 degF). That'll prevent freezing and waste less heat.


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## Dumas'_Grrrl (Apr 2, 2008)

I like to keep the house somewhere around 65. Sometimes we bump it up in the evening so we aren't freezing. I love sleeping in a cold house though.

We have an electric heat pump and then a huge wood burning stove. 

In the living room/kitchen areas it's always warmer with the stove...about 70ish then the bedrooms stay about 62-65.

I think what you are doing already is about all you can do... Sorry.
Any colder and I wouldn't trust the pipes to not freeze.

Buy the BF slippers and a good robe for christmas!! :lol:


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## Jehanzeb (Nov 2, 2008)

Let the heat come in this wintry snow! 

Regards


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## Spyder (Jul 27, 2008)

I assume you have some insurance on the house and if you do, you cannot claim damages if the heat is turned off and the pipes freeze.


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## Angel_Leaguer (Jun 13, 2008)

Spyder said:


> I assume you have some insurance on the house and if you do, you cannot claim damages if the heat is turned off and the pipes freeze.


Im not sure how that works... we rent the place and our landlord has insurance on the place but we just have renters insurance to cover our own property, I guess I dont even want to flirt with the possibility of freezing pipes. i dont think i will drop the place below 60/62... Doesnt it take a lot of energy to get it back up to temp? Last year I lived in an apartment so the heat was included.


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## RegalCharm (Jul 24, 2008)

Angel_Leaguer said:


> we cant turn the heat off all together otherwise it would freeze over extended periods... last night it was 14 degrees F out and a bit breezy. Freezing would equal bursting water pipes and an all around mess. Thanks for your input though!!!
> 
> 3 neighs- totally JEALOUS!!!!! lol growing up we had a wood furnace and I would have it steaming...lol. Now were we live it is gas.
> 
> ...


Is your furance relatively new or an older one.? Like what is the efficiency of your furnace? If it is an older model say a coal conversion
(natural Gas) probably 40 to 50% of the heating exchange is going up the chimmney.
it would be a big benefit to install a Hi efficiency furnace of at least 97%
it could pay for itself in 5 yrs. with the savings on the gas bill. And if you 
have other appliances vented into the chimmney it should be lined down to the size of the other appliances flu pipes. (example would be a hot water tank)

Now I am not a big believer in heat pumps where you live because a H.P.
is not efficent at temperatures below 35 degrees F. Heat Pumps are a different animal so to speak. Geo-Thermal would be Ok, but the prices
when I was putting them in started at $12,000 dollars and went up from there.


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## RegalCharm (Jul 24, 2008)

Angel_Leaguer said:


> Im not sure how that works... we rent the place and our landlord has insurance on the place but we just have renters insurance to cover our own property, I guess I dont even want to flirt with the possibility of freezing pipes. i dont think i will drop the place below 60/62... Doesnt it take a lot of energy to get it back up to temp? Last year I lived in an apartment so the heat was included.


do not try to make up a difference of 10 degrees. You will lose
all those dollars you are trying to save.

ah a renter. If the pipes freeze and burst, the landlord possible could make you pay
for the repairs. the price would depend on wheather you have galvanized , copper, or PVC
or CPVC, water pipes. and the price of a plumber.


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## Angel_Leaguer (Jun 13, 2008)

RegalCharm said:


> Is your furance relatively new or an older one.? Like what is the efficiency of your furnace? If it is an older model say a coal conversion
> (natural Gas) probably 40 to 50% of the heating exchange is going up the chimmney.
> it would be a big benefit to install a Hi efficiency furnace of at least 97%
> it could pay for itself in 5 yrs. with the savings on the gas bill. And if you
> ...


It is an OLD furnace... but since we rent we cant do too much for it. We got the landlord to have someone come in and do a tune-up on it (it was making weird noises) if it was my place I would have a new one installed. We have put plastic on our windows to help with the nice breezy stuff. There is also a fireplace in the place but it was was leaking cold air really bad... so we climbed up there and plastic wrapped the top (and didnt use the fireplace...lol) But last night we had the flume adjusted so that it shuts properly, no more air leak!!!. 

It is a small place (like 1000 square feet) so Im hoping it wont take much to heat it all winter...


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## RegalCharm (Jul 24, 2008)

Do you have the CO2 detectors in your house?

with an older furnace It would be a good Idea, in case the heat exchanger is cracked. 

a fireplace with bad dampers will cause your heating bill to sky rocket. so that is good you got that blocked off


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## hotreddun (Jun 27, 2008)

Im incredibly hot natured so I like the house to be at about 68. Unfortunately I am sweating it out this year because of my 4 month old baby at 71 degrees.


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## TaMMa89 (Apr 12, 2008)

The recommendation over here is ca. 18C/64.5F but if keep my heating so low I start freeze. I tend to keep something around 22-24C/71.5-75F.

Still remeber that you can save a pretty lot of heating costs if you keep your heating so low as possible.


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## Angel_Leaguer (Jun 13, 2008)

RegalCharm said:


> Do you have the CO2 detectors in your house?
> 
> with an older furnace It would be a good Idea, in case the heat exchanger is cracked.
> 
> a fireplace with bad dampers will cause your heating bill to sky rocket. so that is good you got that blocked off


Yup we have a CO2 detector... we would have wanted one anyway but in order for my landlord to get a license to rent one had to be installed (which we did)... we just replaced the batteries the other day (plus it is hard wired). Ya I was excited to have a fireplace but it sure was drafty...oh well I guess


Thanks everyone for your input!!! and have a great day


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## RegalCharm (Jul 24, 2008)

Have you looked into the gas fireplace inserts?


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## Angel_Leaguer (Jun 13, 2008)

RegalCharm said:


> Have you looked into the gas fireplace inserts?


We looked but it doesnt pay to buy since it isnt our place... the landlord never even used her fireplace. It was funny cause we mentioned how drafty it was and she was like "its always been that way"... But it didnt make it right. Im guessing it will save quite a bit over time having it adjusted to shut right. Im just hoping this winter goes by fast!!!!


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## Jehanzeb (Nov 2, 2008)

All I want is heat! bring the heat! 

_(Sorry for interruption)_

Regards


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## RegalCharm (Jul 24, 2008)

Angel_Leaguer said:


> We looked but it doesnt pay to buy since it isnt our place... the landlord never even used her fireplace. It was funny cause we mentioned how drafty it was and she was like "its always been that way"... But it didnt make it right. Im guessing it will save quite a bit over time having it adjusted to shut right. Im just hoping this winter goes by fast!!!!


well you could ask if she would discount the rent if you bought one and had it put in. (the amount of the insert plus installation.) Or be able to take it with you if you move. If she did it she could use it as tax deduction . If the house needs insulation and she (landlord) is lower income there are programs that could help her out doing that also. Here is Ohio it is called the Community Action Committee (CAC) and they would not charge her anything to blow insulation into the walls and attic.


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## claireauriga (Jun 24, 2008)

Isn't it a carbon monoxide (CO, not CO2) detector that you need? CO is more dangerous than CO2, though I do have a pretty table in front of me listing the effects (e.g. coma and death) of increased CO2 concentrations ...

All this talk of furnaces, boilers and heat pumps is music to my ears xD I'm a chemical engineer, you see, so these sort of thermodynamic cycles are fun!

What exactly is a household 'furnace', though? Is it just the same thing as a boiler, or what? When I think of furnaces, I think of a) blacksmiths, metal-working and forges or b) power stations.


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## RegalCharm (Jul 24, 2008)

example of residential forced air furnace. for heating the home. this is a natural gas model. This one vents to the outside for flu gases and also draws in outside air for combustion.


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## RegalCharm (Jul 24, 2008)

claireauriga said:


> What exactly is a household 'furnace', though? Is it just the same thing as a boiler, or what? When I think of furnaces, I think of a) blacksmiths, metal-working and forges or b) power stations.


 
Now when you talk of boilers, do you mean boilers that produce steam
for heating or a Hydronic heating system which just circulates hot water.
A very big difference in these two methods of producing heat.

Which type of Geo-thermal systems would you say is the best system
a ground loop or one using wells for the heat transfer.


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## claireauriga (Jun 24, 2008)

I'm afraid I have not studied geothermal heat systems so I couldn't comment much, but I imagine it will depend on the specific geography of each case.

When I talk about domestic boilers, I mean the boilers that use an appropriate fuel (e.g. oil or gas, or even electricity) to provide hot water for central heating and/or taps in the home.

When I talk about industrial boilers, I mean equipment that produces steam for our various process needs.

We have a combi boiler in our house and it uses gas to produce steam, which is used to heat water. It's a _combi_-boiler because it provides both the central heating water and the hot tap water.










Does the furnace pictured provide hot water or hot air? Hot air heating systems are rare over here; I've only ever encountered houses heated with radiators.


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## RegalCharm (Jul 24, 2008)

with all the copper tubing and a circulating pump it provides hot water .

here with a boiler that produces steam for industrial use , a licenced 
boiler operater is required to do the operating of the system. Steam heat is not used here (In residential setting) due to the fact if they are not operated properly you can have a steam explosion.

Now the geo-thermal units can be piped into the hot water tank to help offset the
operating cost of heating domestic hot water.


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## Jehanzeb (Nov 2, 2008)

Sorry for interruption again but this time I congrats both of you (Regal and Claire) and special thanks to the starter of this thread because of this thread we are learning quite alot 

Guys keep it up!!

_(secret: I didn't understand a thing what they talking about but it made me warm by looking at those furnaces so I am happy) 

_Regards_ 
_


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## Angel_Leaguer (Jun 13, 2008)

Thanks for posting that regal... I hadnt been on since yesteraday.


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## wanderlust (Nov 18, 2008)

I keep my window open, and a fan going. I love the cold! My room is at about 45 degrees F. The rest of my house is at about a steady 72. 

My mother makes me keep my door closed or else I make a chill throughout the house!


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## Angel_Leaguer (Jun 13, 2008)

wanderlust said:


> I keep my window open, and a fan going. I love the cold! My room is at about 45 degrees F. The rest of my house is at about a steady 72.
> 
> My mother makes me keep my door closed or else I make a chill throughout the house!


:shock::shock::shock::shock::shock::shock::shock:
Your mom allows that???? I wouldnt allow that...lol, you are NUTS (j/k)


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## PG'sGal4ever (Sep 25, 2008)

We keep our House at about 70 However all the heat rises up to my room and has like no were to go so I usually have my fan on in my room too, or else Id probally die from a heat stroke lol


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## wanderlust (Nov 18, 2008)

Angel_Leaguer said:


> :shock::shock::shock::shock::shock::shock::shock:
> Your mom allows that???? I wouldnt allow that...lol, you are NUTS (j/k)



hehe Angel, it is pretty healthy. And I can't sleep as well otherwise! and maybe I am a bit nuts.


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## Eagle eye 1 (Nov 27, 2008)

I remember something from the Electric company a while ago that said if you turn your heat off completely it costs more to warm the house back up than if you maintained a low temp of say 60 and then warmed it up a half hour before you returned home or before you woke up. I think your electric company can provide current information on that. It may be different with today's technology. They are constantly doing studies on ways for the consumer to save money. Apparently it prevents them from spending money on building and maintaining more and/or bigger facilities.

Eagle Eye 1


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