View Full Version : Have you turned on the heat yet?
Our fall weather has arrived in the Pacific Northwest -- Lots of showers, rain this week.
This is the time of the year my dw and I see who can hold off the longest without turning on the heat. So far we are both holding out...I have to admit it was a bit cool when I stepped out of the shower this a.m. :0! (I would never admit it)!
Our birthday is mid-month (we have the same birthdate)so we always try to make it to our BD.
How about you all?
gimmethesimplelife
10-4-11, 11:48pm
I, for the moment, live in dorm housing provided by the company I work for. There is a cold front sweeping down from the NW supposedly arriving in Arizona on Thursday, which is supposed to be a very dramatic weather day in Arizona. I am at 8,200 ft - the snow level is supposed to go down to 6,000 ft and the high is forecast to be 45F, the low 22F the next morning.....The heat will go on that day and night, you better believe it! Looking forward to this - I really am - as it is my brief taste of winter - and some winter photo ops - before I leave for Phoenix.....Rob
Our chimney gets cleaned out next Wednesday, and the first fire will be laid that evening!
ApatheticNoMore
10-5-11, 2:58am
I've used the space heater a little. Yea I'm laughing because I know it is ridiculous, way to early in the year for here of all places, I can't even claim it was particularly cold. :laff: Just I like warmer weather. :) Anyway, ran it briefly, not for hours or anything.
rosarugosa
10-5-11, 4:33am
We've just used our mini electric woodstove/heater; haven't turned the furnace on yet.
Everything is turned off right now. Love these few months.
yes, only because husband and daughter have been "freezing to death." Lows have been in the 40s here for the past 4 nights.....great weather during the day, high was 78 yesterday.
We try to hold out for December 1, but don't always make our goal? We'll turn on the heat sometime in November I suspect. We've had brilliant autumn weather this year, a long stretch of indian summer and now bright and cool.
fidgiegirl
10-5-11, 7:43am
Yep. On. And off. And on. And off. It's off right now.
Miss Cellane
10-5-11, 8:32am
It hasn't gotten below 63 degrees indoors yet, so no heat. I always aim for Nov. 1 as the first day for the heat to be turned on, but sometimes I have to cave in--one year it was Oct. 15, when it was 50 degrees indoors when I woke up. That was a bit chilly.
Our air-to-air heat pump has come on intermittently to keep the house temp at 68 degrees. Our chimneys were cleaned yesterday so we might start the fireplace when the mornings are cool. The airtight stove downstairs will wait for a while yet.
This morning in Phoenix I was delighted to just be able to open the windows. Hope to have a few months before the heater needs to come on. I was in the PNW a few weeks ago Greg and we would go from needing a little heat to needing a little ac to wanting the windows open.....typical fall weather. I enjoyed wearing a sweater!
We had the hottest summer on record here in Texas, so when we hit 40 degrees the other morning, I sat outside in my pj's just to enjoy it! :cool: But it has since warmed up and no, we haven't needed the heat yet. Usually we don't really need it until close to Thanksgiving.
iris lily
10-5-11, 10:03am
No, perfect weather, here for the past couple of weeks, no need to heat or cool.We have had one fire, though, mainly to burn up stuff sitting around here.
Oh yes. For the past week now it's been a dab each morning (10 minutes or so to help take the chill off), a sign of more heat to come. Fall is here, and the cold is creeping in fast.
Not here on the Colorado Rocky Mountain front range - yet. We're having a beautiful fall. I expect I'll be turning it on my mid- to late October.
treehugger
10-5-11, 12:04pm
Not yet, but our Septembers and Octobers (SF Bay Area) are typically fairly mild. We needed the a/c 2 weeks ago. Like others, I am enjoying the in between time when no heating or cooling is needed.
Kara
Heat on some nights (getting down to 45 some nights now), but a/c was on yesterday. It was in the lower 90's, milo being harvested in the field next to us with the almost ever present wind. A little more grain dust than what I want to deal with in the house.
We usually have just 6 weeks per year that we can have the windows open, sigh. And that's if there's no skunk down in the creek bed.
early morning
10-5-11, 7:47pm
Not here in west central Ohio, although we've had some light frosts - well, DH did turn it on last week for a few minutes to be sure it would fire up - does that count? The past few days have been lovely here!
Just gave in & brought the small electric heaters out, so our house can be warm for my DH, who works in a big shop all day, and gets cold...
I caved first...last night I went to bed and our room was cool, and I knew if I was cold -- dw would be FREEZING!! Which means COLD feet on my legs trying to warm them up, lots of "Burrrr it is SOOOO cold" -- aren't you cold? etc. - Understand this is usually midnight or later when she comes to bed and wakes me with all her "burring"!
So I tried to protect my sleep by just getting the room warm in advance! DD went to bed with hoodie on! Sheesh such wimps!
Of course my dw thinks she won our little yearly contest. We were no where near our birthdays...ahhh maybe next year!
Our only source of heat is our trusty wood stove. We had the chimney cleaned in August and had to fire up the stove a few times in September. Today it snowed and it is supposed to continue through the night, so the wood stove is in full operation. This has been a cold year, we had fires in the stove every month except July and August. Love our wood stove!
WorldFoodie
10-6-11, 2:11am
Heat?? I'm here in SE Tx and I'd be happy if my AC wasn't still coming on. The AC is set at 80, and the weather is forcasting some 90+ days, so hopefully not too much more AC. sigh
We had a fire in August, actually. Then we got lots of sun in September, so got a little spoiled. This week, I've been freezing, just can't get warm. I have a roaring fire right now, even tho it's not that cold (48 outside, what am I going to do when it's 10?). I've got a blanket wrapped around me sitting at the computer and am wondering if I should dig in the closet and find my silk long johns.
jennipurrr
10-6-11, 9:35am
Nope, we just stopped the AC here in AL. Hopefully the weather will be pleasant for a couple months.
It's chilly at night but still hitting close to 80 in the daytime. And....we're still waiting on our new heat/air system to be installed.
Ha! I still have the a/c on.:(
treehugger
10-6-11, 1:24pm
We have suddenly needed to start using our heavy comforter on the bed, instead of just a blanket. Sometime in late fall we always switch to flannel sheets, but need to hold off as long as possible because it seems guaranteed to make the weather turn unseasonably warm (and the reverse is true, in the spring).
On all but the coldest nights, we prefer to turn off the heat entirely at bedtime (to save money), but our dogs (greyhounds) get cold, so they need extra blankets. Last night I gave them their fleece blankets for their beds; they love to snuggle! Some people even buy or make flannel jammies for their greyhounds. I haven't resorted to that yet, but they do sleep in their sweaters when we visit my parents in Lake Tahoe.
Kara
loosechickens
10-6-11, 2:59pm
We've always noticed that many people who live in centrally controlled heat/a/c environments often get very narrow in the range of temperatures they can handle. So we've always made it a practice to accustom our bodies to be comfortable in a wide range of temperatures, at least 60-90 degrees, and in actual practice, more like 55-95, so in the areas where we spend most of our time, seasonally, this means very little heat OR a/c. We had the a/c on this summer maybe a handful of afternoons for a few hours, but haven't had the heat on at all, despite it going down to 46 here last night. It was 50 in the house when we got up, but sunny, and sun pouring in the windows, so we took our oatmeal and tea back to bed and ate breakfast there, comfy under the covers, and by the time we were ready to get up it was 57 in here and climbing.
We mostly just take off or put on clothing to adjust, as opposed to heating the space.
Loosechickens we have been trying to do the same the last few years. Warming ourselves rather than our entire living space. I keep reminding myself of indigenous Amazon tribes and Russian reindeer herders. They manage to survive more extreme temps than us softies. But by the middle of winter I start thinking, "well, they have reindeer skins..." Really, I start looking a bit like the Michelin Man (well, woman) with all my layers. I sometimes run into an older woman while walking my dog, she is perhaps in her 70s, and she has never had central heating. Granted we don't have winters like the northern US, but we do have below freezing temps. If you acclimate yourself your body gets pretty efficient at managing temperature variations.
Yeah, in the winter, we probably keep the inside of our place around 60, maybe 55. And go outside, where it's 10-30 and not so bad. But then we go shopping, where inside the stores it's 70-75, maybe more, and it's unbearable. Maybe with the economy, tho, stores won't be cranking the heat as much.
Down to 30 tonight so the heat will definatly be going on.
loosechickens
10-6-11, 11:56pm
yeah, we tend to forget that in much of the world, there is very little heating or cooling of indoor spaces, and people manage just fine. Until very recently in this country even, it was quite unusual to have central heating, bedrooms were seldom heated at all, and people gathered around the fire or woodstove, and carried hot bricks wrapped in flannel up to bed with them. When we had a house, and heated with a wood cookstove, we had an old soapstone about the size of a sheet of typewriter paper and about an inch thick, and we would put it in the woodstove oven in the evenings and heat it, then wrap it in a towel and take it up and put it at the bottom of our bed under the covers and that sucker would still be warm in the morning.
Lots of ways to swing a cat, and to us, keeping our ability to adapt to changing conditions has always been important. It's not that we don't enjoy the luxury of comforts like anyone else, but never like to reach the point of being dependent on them, and in the sense of heat and a/c, making sure that your body is accustomed to and adapted to a wide range of temperatures, while remaining comfortable is important to us. I watch my MIL, who is "too cold" at 72 and "too hot" at 74, literally, and think, "boy would you have difficulty coping with anything but your perfect world". I just don't want that kind of thing to ever happen to me.
Our philosophy is enjoy comforts if you like, but never, never, never allow yourself to become dependent on them, whether it's central heat, hot water on demand, lots of variety in foods, etc. To have that ability to function and function well in adverse circumstances is something worth keeping a bit of an edge in, we think. Of course, to many others, we're just nuts.....
But.....we don't spend much money on changing the temperature in our living space, which translates to a lot of money available for other pleasures...... JMHO
ApatheticNoMore
10-7-11, 2:24am
But then we go shopping, where inside the stores it's 70-75, maybe more, and it's unbearable.
Never had that problem but have encountered the problem of the EVIL A/C. It will be a PERFECT 70 something outside, but inside the office will be cranking the A/C. I hate it.
Once or twice, for an hour at shower time, mostly to help the bathroom dry out (it's on the cold north east corner of the house and suffers from condensation). I've got the wood burning stove in the living room ready to light, and I'm hoping it stays cool enough tonight. There's nothing like a real fire when the nights are drawing in.
Until very recently in this country even, it was quite unusual to have central heating, bedrooms were seldom heated at all, and people gathered around the fire or woodstove
I was a small child in Scotland in the late '60s and this was the case in every house. Often there would be ice on the inside of the bedroom windows when you woke up in the morning, where the condensation from your breath had frozen during the night. Come to think of it, I lived in a flat here in the south of England in the early '80s which was like that, but then I was a university student so staying in bed was frequently an option... :)
My parents bought their first house, brand new, in 1971. It had no central heating (I think we got that in about 1975), but it did have an open fire in the living room and it came with a concrete coal bunker out the back. The coal bunker may have cost extra.
Even now, in our centrally heated, double glazed house with 4 inches of fibreglass insulation in the attic, we still find it useful to keep a couple of hot water bottles for very cold nights. Can't get to sleep when I have cold feet.
Kevin, seeing that it's 15 degrees outside, but the forecast for tonight is 7, which is just about low enough to warrant lighting the stove
Gingerella72
10-7-11, 10:25am
This time of year here, it's not unusual to need to turn on the heat in the morning, then switch it back to AC in the afternoon! :laff:
Not yet. But it's getting close. Last night I sure would have liked a warm house to come home to, but it was chilly. DH was watching a ballgame, so I snuggled up next to him for a quick warmup, then started cooking some dinner and the kitchen warmed up. After dinner I threw a shawl around my shoulders til bedtime. I guess I can hold out a bit longer.
Goodness, we're having a heatwave of sorts in my part of the Midwest! High 70s/low 80s for daytime temps for something like 10 days. I HATE it! We had some highs near 60 and then - boom - heat! Yuck! We've got gorgeous fall color and this heat?
I often go to at least mid-November, depending on the temps. I much prefer to be cold. I've got a lovely down comforter that I've not even put on my bed yet as it's too warm!
In the winter, I keep the heat around 58-60F all the time. I have an apartment, first floor on a slab, and the end unit (there is a unit above me). My bedroom is on the exposed corner and the only place for my bed is with the headboard against the exterior wall. It can get a bit chilly at times, but I much prefer that to being way too hot.
DuraMater
10-8-11, 11:19am
W.MA here. Have had a few nights of freezing in a row, but inside hasn't gone below 62 or so, so no heat. Having a warm weekend now, so should be warmer. Hoping for Nov 1 start but one of us has less tolerance of the cold than the other.. >8)
it is early spring here, and we have a simple gas heater/fire place in our home. it is efficient. it's only on when we feel chilled and when we need it, and otherwise, it's off. we wear layers, and in bed, we use a lot of wool layers and also share a family bed.
this helps throughout winter, as we don't have any central heat and poor insulation (but more insulation than most!!!! just not US standards at all).
it's pretty efficient.
W.MA here. Have had a few nights of freezing in a row, but inside hasn't gone below 62 or so, so no heat. Having a warm weekend now, so should be warmer. Hoping for Nov 1 start but one of us has less tolerance of the cold than the other.. >8)
Another western Mass person checking in...no heat for us yet either! We have an outdoor wood boiler and my partner is the one who prepares it for the winter heating season (I'm responsible for stacking the firewood, which happens to be my favorite chore!). He is leaving on a business trip later this week and will be gone for 8 days, which means there will definitely be no heat before he returns. I'm hoping we'll make it to November 1. Last year we were close...I think we used heat for the first time on October 24.
Just turned on last night for the first time. Feeling like I should have waited a few weeks....
HappyHiker
10-9-11, 6:19pm
Nope, no heat needed so far here in coastal North Carolina..in fact, the A/C came on briefly today. We've had a couple of weeks where no A/C or heat's been needed...it's supposed to cool down a bit after a rainstorm comes and goes in a few days...October's been very pretty so far..love the crisp blue sky and poufy white clouds.
Foothills of western Cascade mountains here. We turned on the new pellet stove last night for the first time. We haven't had the heat turned on since last May. High temps today are in the mid 50s, with lows projected in the mid 40s. We expect to save significantly on heating cost this winter with the pellet stove, as our main source in the past has been propane.
Haven't turned the furnace on yet, but I have a gas fireplace that I've turned on a few times to "take the chill" off. Also put the down comforter on the bed. It's been a nice fall here in the NW. I've lived the last 3 years in AZ, so I'm really enjoying being back to where the seasons change!
reader99
10-14-11, 12:50pm
Just turned off the a/c for the first time this year. In florida.
no heat here in michigan; feels comfortable in here; hopefully dh agrees as he usually wants the heat on first; crossing my fingers
No heat yet here in northwestern Washington, but I've upped the blanket count on my bed and layered on some fleece.
Still no heat yet in western MA, but it is supposed to cool off a bit by the end of this week. I'm hoping we can still hold out until next Tuesday, which would be November 1st. Last night I mentioned to my partner that I hoped we could make it to November before using the wood boiler, he looked baffled and said, of course. But when I pointed out that last year we first used it around October 20th he seemed surprised! So I think he is now on board with trying to power through the end of the month!
iris lily
10-23-11, 9:18am
DH turned it on this week. Pansy.
rosarugosa
10-23-11, 9:35am
We've been turning it on occasionally in the early AM to take the chill off. Being needlessly cold and uncomfortable in our own home crosses the line from frugal to cheap, IMHO.
early morning
10-23-11, 12:03pm
I caved on Friday, when DD's hands were like ice (she was wearing multiple layers - having been on her own and paying heating bills, she is definitely in conservation mode...) and I found DH in bed wearing gloves and his toboggan. He had taken out the air-conditioners, so I didn't feel quite so bad about turning the furnace on. And the thermostat is set on 58 still. Yesterday we opened the windows to warm it up in here, lol.
I turned on the heat a few weeks ago here in Chicago. Our apt heats up so fast though. I have onl;y really kept it on for like 10mins.
frugalone
10-24-11, 10:11pm
No...and I'm not sure this is such a good idea. I did get the electric blanket out last night. We have space heaters that need to come down from the attic and will try to use them as much as we can before we "give in."
Also we are applying for LIPHEAP.
Still no heat going, AC comes on sometimes during the day as the temps are still in the 90's. I did put my flannel sheets on the bed last week, don't really need them yet but they feel so cozy.
Float On
10-25-11, 10:48am
Hey, we finally got our new heat/air system installed last Friday.....just in time for another warm spell, we had a few very cold nights before they came out to put the new one in.
Miss Cellane
10-30-11, 9:34am
Well, I was hoping to make it until Nov. 1, but the nor'easter changed my plans. With temps getting down to just a few degrees above freezing and a 100 year old house with spotty insulation, frozen pipes are something I try to avoid. So the heat went on yesterday evening to get the house up to 60 degrees, and turned down over night to 50 degrees.
It's supposed to warm up later this week, so we can probably turn the heat off again soon.
frugalone
10-30-11, 3:22pm
What Miss Cellane said. Finally gave in because of the nor'easter.
HappyHiker
10-30-11, 9:41pm
Yep, we gave in this morning here in coastal NC...it went down to the high 30's last night and this AM it was too cold to face getting naked for the shower, so on went the heat. I hate hearing the HVAC running after a month off.
No heat here yet (San Francisco). October is generally the nicest month of the year. Our apartment is a townhouse style with the living room and main bedroom facing south one on top of each other. The building is well insulated (for here at least) and both rooms have HUGE windows, so as long as we get some sun every day it's plenty warm inside all year long. We only need heat once the rainy season hits and we start having several days in a row with no sunshine. And even then it's mainly just having it come on 30 minutes before we get up in the morning to take the chill off and then no heat the rest of the day. Some others who post here would probably think we're wimps since I doubt it'd ever get much below 60 even if we never ever turned on the heat.
Well, I was hoping to make it until Nov. 1, but the nor'easter changed my plans.
Same here...was aiming for November 1, but Mother Nature didn't cooperate. Good thing we were well prepared with all of the firewood stacked and ready to go. We're without grid power, so are running on the back-up generator. Staying comfortable and connected to the world as a result, but can't go anywhere as the roads are still blocked.
DuraMater
11-5-11, 11:03am
Nor'easter changed our plans too! NO POWER NO HEAT!!! Had a fire in the fireplace a few times, but that doesn't throw a lot of heat, ran a propane heater for just a bit to take the chill off (a bit scared of CO poisoning even with a monitor). HAPPY to have it all back now, although I did enjoy the lack of technology (listened to the crank radio, read books, played parcheesi and Uno by the lantern) and it was fun for a few days to see how creative I could get boiling water and cooking on the charcoal grill. But very very happy to have the heat now!
We turned the heat on briefly the last two mornings. But the important thing for us is that the a/c has been off for the last couple of weeks!! Yea!!!
rosarugosa
11-5-11, 7:36pm
I would like to know more about generators - what do they cost, how complicated to run, etc? We're not far from Boston and we've never lost our power for too long, but that doesn't mean we never will. We especially worry when we're getting torrential rains, since our pump saves us from serious flooding in the basement, but the pump is run by electricity. Would some of you folks with generators be willing to share some words of wisdom?
I would like to know more about generators - what do they cost, how complicated to run, etc? We're not far from Boston and we've never lost our power for too long, but that doesn't mean we never will. We especially worry when we're getting torrential rains, since our pump saves us from serious flooding in the basement, but the pump is run by electricity. Would some of you folks with generators be willing to share some words of wisdom?
We sell Honda Generators. Probably the 1st thing you want to do is add up how much power you would need to get by. For example your pump, freezer, frig, TV ?, lights?, etc. Remember some appliances need more power to start up (like the pump), but use less power once they are running. You then shop for an generator that will suit your needs. Ideally you want an electrician wire you a separate box that you plug the generator into. This keeps the generator's power in your house and not going out to the down lines...very dangerous.
jennipurrr
11-11-11, 11:44am
It was a nippy 59 degrees in my house this morning...brrr...getting a little too chilly for me. We usually set the heat on 62 at night when we put it on. I think it is supposed to get down to about 30 tonight but then the next week is supposed to be warmer, so I am adding an extra blanket and holding out.
Simplicity
11-11-11, 12:04pm
I've been putting a fire on on colder evenings for about a month now. We take full advantage of passive solar heating with the whole south side of the house being large windows, so even in the dead of winter you can't light a fire during the day here unless it is very overcast or a snowstorm.
jennipurrr
11-22-11, 5:08pm
We put the heat on for one night because the house was in the 50s again and DH and I were both battling a cruddy cold thing. Then it warmed back up. So, I am still trying to hold out through the end of the month. Its supposed to get chilly around the 28th though.
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