Don't touch the thermostat!

AndyM · Jan 20, 2004

Don\'t touch the thermostat!

Being the cheapskate that I am, I like to turn the thermostat down at night (throw on an extra blanket) and also while no one is at home.

Mrs. AndyM insists this is not saving any money, and in fact costs more money because the furnace needs to run extra minutes to get up to temperature every time I turn the thermostat back up again. She says it's cheaper to keep it at the same temperature continuously.

Which way is the cheapest way to go? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

P.S. If anyone needs any background info, we've got natural gas forced air heat through a Lennox 90%+ furnace. R19 insulation in the walls and R38 in the ceiling.

Lazy · Jan 20, 2004

Re: Don\'t touch the thermostat!

Hi
I have to agree with your wife, but even if you were right you wouldn’t save enough money in a year to buy a happy meal at McDonalds. And you’re better off in the long run to agree with everything your wife says.

Charlie.

ronjhall · Jan 20, 2004

Re: Don\'t touch the thermostat!

AndyM

I typed, “Turn down the thermostat” into a Google search. Got a lot of hits on lowering the temperature. All said that lowering would save fuel and money.

I wonder where myths like this come from. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

I lower the temperature 4 degrees at night and 2 degrees during the day. All done with a programmable thermostat. High setting is 72 degrees.

Copied this article from the Fixit site.
Fixit
Fixit: Set thermostat lower to save money
Karen Youso, Fixit Editor

Published December 7, 2003 FIX07
Q: In the winter, the thermostat in our house is set for 69 degrees until bedtime, when it resets to 62. It takes quite a while for the house to warm up again in the morning. Would we save money if we didn't turn the thermostat so low at night?
A: You save money when you turn down the thermostat overnight. The belief that turning down the thermostat doesn't save money because the furnace has to work so long to reheat the house is a common misconception.
The reason is a principle of physics: The larger the temperature difference between your house and the outdoors, the faster heat escapes from your house.
By turning down your thermostat, you close that gap and less heat is lost. The furnace runs less to replace the lost heat and you save energy. The furnace's effort to rewarm the house does not equal the amount of effort that cycling on and off does to maintain that higher temperature.
Here's an example supplied by the Minnesota Department of Commerce's Energy Information Center:
If you set your thermostat at 70 degrees and spend $800 a year to heat your home, you could save $150 to $250 by reducing your normal setting to 65 degrees during the day and setting it back an additional 10 degrees at night or when you are gone. The more often and further you turn down the thermostat, the more you'll save.
Do not, however, turn the thermostat lower than 55 degrees if you are going to be gone for long periods such as a winter vacation. A cold snap could drop indoor temperatures low enough that water pipes would freeze and burst and cause extensive damage.

thcri · Jan 20, 2004

Re: Don\'t touch the thermostat!

Ron has hit it pretty much on the head. Turning your stat down does save money. Is it something you can see, absolutely not but there is savings.

Now my wife and I are not cheapskates but we do keep our stats at 68 during the day and 66 at night. She just love sleeping in the cooler temperatures.

murph

PhilNH5 · Jan 20, 2004

Re: Don\'t touch the thermostat!

But don't turn your thermostat back if you have a heat pump. Most heat pumps use resistance coils for a backup heat source. They will turn on when you raise the thermostat in the morning . The cost of the resistance heat is greater than any setback gains.
There is a special heatpump thermostat that will bring the temp back up in steps so the coils never kick on.

Phil

fivestring · Jan 20, 2004

Re: Don\'t touch the thermostat!

"And you’re better off in the long run to agree with everything your wife says. "

Lazy is correct. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
Your wife is always right. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

PineRidge · Jan 20, 2004

Re: Don\'t touch the thermostat!

Take it from an old heating man turn your gas furnace down at night to save a few bucks. My Honeywell stat does it for me so my old mind doesn't have to remember to do it. Besides the missus sleeps better if the house is cooler.

Don't turn systems down that use resistance coils like heat pumps, or slow recovery systems like some steam boilers as they will cost you more money.

Docsknotinn · Jan 20, 2004

Re: Don\'t touch the thermostat!

Last year I bought one of the Honeywell digitial thermostats. It has week day and week end programs so you can pre set the heat at different temps for wake, sleep etc. It was about $80 and in a few years I figure it will pay for itself. The boss sets the sleep temp at 62. Which means I just use more wool blankets /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif Dave

Golfgar4 · Jan 20, 2004

Re: Don\'t touch the thermostat!

( The boss sets the sleep temp at 62. )

That's the temp we keep it at during the day! /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

AndyM · Jan 20, 2004

Re: Don\'t touch the thermostat!

( ( The boss sets the sleep temp at 62. )

That's the temp we keep it at during the day! /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif )

I consistently kept it at 60 before I was married, unless I had company over. That's why there are sweaters and blankets! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif