Don't touch the thermostat!

PineRidge · Jan 20, 2004

Re: Don\'t touch the thermostat!

 I have a question on this topic. I have heard that you should leave your blower fan on all the time. It helps keep the moisture out of some areas and keep hot /cold spots from happening. The one person said it is easier on the motor and does not cost much too run.


It is easier on the motor if there is no start/stop cycle. All blower motors used today are rated for continuous run. That is running them 100% of the time will not due any harm to them. Running your blower constantly may cost you a couple of bucks more each month in electricity usage but it will give you some added benefits as well.

The home will be at a more even temperature as moving air will help prevent air stratification. Furnaces, air conditioners, humidifiers, and air cleaners will work more efficiently.

CTyler · Jan 20, 2004

Re: Don\'t touch the thermostat!

( if the heat pump can NOT bring the house temp to within 4 degrees of the thermostat setting it will turn on the coils. )

I pulled my thermostat manual on line. On mine setting back the thermostat doesn't just kick in the backup when it comes on. It allows 8 min for each deg F in the standard mode. So if I set it back 5 deg(70-65) it will allow 45 min to raise the temp from 65-70 before kicking in the backup. The second mode will allow 15min per deg F.

Wether your kick in you back up depends on how good and/or flexible your system is and if its automatic or not.

Hambone · Jan 20, 2004

Re: Don\'t touch the thermostat!

This has been very helpful.
Now I have a question of the heatpump that switch to propane instead of electricity. This sounds more efficient, who makes them, or is this common now?

Docsknotinn · Jan 20, 2004

Re: Don\'t touch the thermostat!

Yikes ! that is too cooooold for me /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I am always trying to nudge it up to 72 and build a fire. Dave

thcri · Jan 20, 2004

Re: Don\'t touch the thermostat!

( This has been very helpful.
Now I have a question of the heatpump that switch to propane instead of electricity. This sounds more efficient, who makes them, or is this common now? )

All manufactures make them. Carrier, Bryant, Lennox, Trane, they all make them. They basically take their heat pump and instead of having electric heat they use a propane or gas furnace for the air handler. In our area the utility company requires propane or gas backup so they can take you off electricity in peak loads. But, we really squirm around here with any heat pump. They just don't quite make up here in the north.

murph

Golfgar4 · Jan 20, 2004

Re: Don\'t touch the thermostat!

Well, to be perfectly honest, there are some days when it's a little too cool for me too. But I can always put on an extra long sleeve t-shirt. My feet seem to get colder first, so I'm always wearing hunting socks.

The only reason we keep it that cool is because my wife is on a medication that always makes her real warm. At least when we're going to have friends over she lets me set it a little higher for the time they're there. And no one has noticed, or at least mentioned, the fact that she's always wearing short sleeve summery kinds of clothes when they visit. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

We went out to dinner last night, and it was 3 degrees with the chill factor of -20. I was wearing my winter barn coat, gloves and a hat. She was wearing a light sweater and slacks. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

jwstewar · Jan 20, 2004

Re: Don\'t touch the thermostat!

( In our area the utility company requires propane or gas backup so they can take you off electricity in peak loads )

That is interesting, wouldn't gas/propane still require electric for the fan?

Our heat pump (about 4 years old) will kick the propane furnace on anytime it gets below 28 or if I bump the thermostat more than 4 degrees higher than the house currently is. There is a box on the outside of the heat pump that is an outside thermometer. On this I can adjust at what point the crossover takes place to the furnace. At first we didn't have it. The heat pump kept freezing up - didn't know that is what it was doing at the time. Kept calling repairman to come fix it. He would swap out some parts and get it going until it got really cold again. When I when in to complain that I wanted a new unit because that one had already been "fixed" 4 times in 18 months he asked me if I was switching it over to the furnace. I said know, I didn't know that I had to, and I shouldn't have to. He then mentioned the outside thermostat. They came out, put it on at no charge, and we haven't had a problem since.

I like the 28 cutover point. Below that, it seems like the HP runs all of the time and it doesn't put out really warm heat. BTW, we keep our thermostat set on 72 year round.

CTyler · Jan 20, 2004

Re: Don\'t touch the thermostat!

They still require electricity for the blower, thermostat etc.. However it uses very little current compared to the electric heating elements.

CTyler · Jan 20, 2004

Re: Don\'t touch the thermostat!

( I like the 28 cutover point. )

I'm curious to see what the power Co. sets the x-over at. I was kinda suprised at how low it would go and put put heat and not run all the time. I've noticed it kick in the propane a couple times above the x-over point when it was really humid and or foggy out. The unit will start to frost up. I'm assuming it kicks over to propane when/if it needs to defrost.

Had to laugh this weekend. My Wife was ready to make a service call. The unit was raining a ton of water and sounded funny. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Lazy · Jan 20, 2004

Re: Don\'t touch the thermostat!

Hi
Which cost more Gas or Electric? We have always lived in an all Electric home because of the danger of Gas. Last year our total for the year was approx 1400 dollars. How does that compare to someone using gas and electric in the home for a year?

Charlie.

thcri · Jan 20, 2004

Re: Don\'t touch the thermostat!

( Hi
Which cost more Gas or Electric? We have always lived in an all Electric home because of the danger of Gas. Last year our total for the year was approx 1400 dollars. How does that compare to someone using gas and electric in the home for a year?

Charlie.
)

Charlie, that is a pretty tough one. Every house is different due to size and our own personal lifestyles. If you give me a rough idea of size of your house and style I can give you some idea, but not an exact. Also utility rates change from area to area. Example here where I live we pay about.07 cents per KW. Out in the East you will see as high as 12 cents per kw.

murph

Bird · Jan 20, 2004

Re: Don\'t touch the thermostat!

( Which cost more Gas or Electric? )

I think that depends on whether you ask the gas company or the electric company, doesn't it? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif All three site built houses we've lived in had gas heat, water heater, and cooking; electric cooling, clothes dryer, etc. We've lived in two total electric mobile homes and one with gas (LPG) cooking and heating. And we've lived in total electric apartments. I have a slight preference for total electric, but even after all these years, I don't know whether one would save money over the other or not.

herbenus · Jan 20, 2004

Re: Don\'t touch the thermostat!

Mine is set at 4 degrees also. The manual recommended bringing temperature up in 2 degree increments. That way coild stays off and you save electricity. Easier said then done but I do try to only jerk it up 1-4 degrees at a time. Not being digital, it takes a light finger.

Lazy · Jan 20, 2004

Re: Don\'t touch the thermostat!

Bird I'm with you I have compared our yearly cost to friends with same type and size homes and it was about 50/50 which was cheaper. 1500 sq ft. ranch style 3 bedroom 1 car garage.

Charlie.

Docsknotinn · Jan 20, 2004

Re: Don\'t touch the thermostat!

Every time I complain my slippers show up. I complain a lot /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif Dave

Junkman · Jan 20, 2004

Re: Don\'t touch the thermostat!

There are a lot of variables that haven't been considered. How long does it take once you turn the thermostat down to reach that lower temperature? This will give you an idea of how well your insulation is working. Also closing the drapes will help to conserve the heat. Your windows are a hole in the wall that allows heat to escape. I believe that it is best to remove all the places that heat escapes and that will help to conserve the heat in the home. Where a thermostat is located can also make a big difference in your heating costs. If it is on an outside wall, it will be calling for heat more often than if placed on an inside wall. Ceiling fans also help to circulate the heat for more comfort.
We have to turn the heat down in the bedroom, because of the 1 large radiator, 1 small radiator, and one dwarf radiator that are in the bedroom.... 1 60# Weimeraner, 1 Mini Dachshund, 1- 15 week old Mini Dachshund puppy... Between the three of them, they keep the bedroom quite warm. If the Weimeraner gets up on the bed in the middle of the night, you have to remove either her or the covers!!!

Junkman · Jan 20, 2004

Re: Don\'t touch the thermostat!

( Hi
Which cost more Gas or Electric? We have always lived in an all Electric home because of the danger of Gas. Last year our total for the year was approx 1400 dollars. How does that compare to someone using gas and electric in the home for a year?

Charlie. )

If you are afraid of gas, consider changing to oil heat. Personally, I think that all the fuels are safe and that the incident of an explosion is not very great. That doesn't help if it is you home that blows up, but properly maintained furnaces have safety valves on them to prevent these problems. You can also install gas detection devices near the appliance to detect and warn if there is a problem. They cost about the same as a smoke detector. I have also heard of electric homes burning as a result of a defective electrical device. Nothing is 100% safe, but there are risks to everything and you have to determine the risk factor that you are willing to live with.
We also supplement the oil heat with a pellet stove because my wife prefers the living room to be warmer than the rest of the home. This one pellet stove burning one 40# bag of pellets ($4.00) will keep our 3500 square foot home warm without any oil backup as long as the outside temperature is above 34 degrees and there is no wind.

thcri · Jan 20, 2004

Re: Don\'t touch the thermostat!

Charlie,

Around here with Electric you would pay about the $1400.00 like you said. With Natural Gas you should get by with less than $1,000.00 per year. Our gas rates are fairly cheap. My own personal house, 5000 square foot rambler with finished lower level, heating 3 car garage and I have ice melt on the front stoop I pay around $1400.00 per year for natural gas.
I would never think of going electric on my house unless I went with Geo-thermal and based on the experience I am seeing with that I would say not even then.
murph

Lazy · Jan 20, 2004

Re: Don\'t touch the thermostat!

Well I can work on and maintain my electric furnace and I don't have to worry about it blowing up or carbon monoxide poison or maintaining all the safety devices you speak of. Electric is much cleaner also. And even if I could heat for less than a 1000 dollars using gas I would still have to pay maybe 500 dollars for the electric so I wouldn’t be saving any money. I wouldn’t use an oil furnace if the oil were free; those things are nasty we had one when I was a kid. In the past 30 years I have had maybe 2 problems with the furnace and none with the radiant heat installed in the ceiling plaster we have in one of our houses all I have to do is change a filter in the furnace.

thcri · Jan 20, 2004

Re: Don\'t touch the thermostat!

Charlie,

There is no doubt electricity is safer and maintenance is cheaper. But being in the business I am not afraid of the natural gas at all. Very seldom do I hear of problems with gas anymore. My comment as far as electrical was the expense in our area to use it. Electricity became big around her in the mid 70's because of oil and gas prices going up. For the most part they all have been taken out due to operating expense. My house would be well over $2500.00 to operate on electric.

But don't feel like I was knocking you for electric. There is areas where it is actually cheaper than gas or oil.

murph