The start of heating season?

[TheOtherMe]

Sept 30, 2019 11:08:25 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

My house has a bunch of south facing windows, so as long as the sun is out, we can go without the furnace for a long time just by opening the blinds and letting it heat up during the day.

But, I still have the AC on in MN and it's supposed to be upper 80's and humid today.

Same situation a bit south of you.  It's very, very humid today.  I flipped the AC on.  So far it has not kicked in, but it will.

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

Spent 3 days last week in Northern New England for YDS’ Parents Weekend. It was sunny and 75 and gorgeous. Today it’s 43 in his neck of the woods. 😂

I’m currently driving home from an event at ODS’ college in Maryland this weekend. Friday was 90, yesterday was 80+ with FULL hot sun at the outdoor event. Today was 64 and rain.

I’m heading home to highs the next few days in the 70s.

So, it appears I keep staying one step ahead of the Heating/Put a Sweater On intersection. I’m going to make it to October before I have to fire up my Massachusetts furnace!!! 🎉🎉⭐️⭐️ 😂

[TheOtherMe]

It's 85, with a feels like temp of 91.  On September 30.

A/C has been running this afternoon.

[Lizard Queen]

It's 80-ish and humid here, but I still have the thermostat turned to heat. I forgot to open the blinds today, so it was only 69 inside the house when we got home around 4. I'm warming up under the covers.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Our heat is on.  It has been cold and wet.

Friday, we went up to Vancouver for dinner.  The temperature was probably 10 deg colder, and the rain was absolutely frigid.  A friend of mine, who lives further inland in BC said they got snow.  Yuck.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

We are no where near heater weather.   I'd settle for just turning the AC off.  We got back up into the 90's yesterday.

[swamp]

DH broke down and turned the heat on last night. 

Today it's 78 and humid. 

[chiver78]

I usually try to wait til Nov. to turn on the heat, if at all possible. living on Cape Cod, my weather isn't typically as harsh as higher elevations and inland MA. 

today though, my body doesn't know which end is up. when I am painfully overtired, I am generally freezing. I have yet to figure out the correlation, but it is what it is. I landed at a damp, 55-degree chilly, drizzly Logan Airport this morning at 6am after a few days in the AZ desert (high 80s) and one in the northern part of the state that was in the 60s but still minimal humidity. I was shivering in my hoodie at the grocery checkout a few hours ago, and the cashier thought I was nuts. I got about 4h of sleep last night, with the red eye flight. I am so very much looking forward to snuggling under my blankets to sleep tonight, with my windows cracked open. 

[NastyWoman]

I would have to search for it somewhere in the "what are you doing thread", but due to the crazy weather we had this last year I belive it was early February before I turned on the heat for less than two weeks last winter. My normal is turn the heat on sometime in November (before TG) and turn it off early March.

This week I closed my balconey sliding glass door since it was a little chilly and I was not yet ready to put on anything with long sleeves - not even made of thin tshirt material

[Blonde Granny]

It's 85 today and the AC has been running day and night for months. I'd love to have it cool down enough to turn it off.

[countrygirl2]

It was actually 94 in southern Indiana today, I couldn't believe it.  We didn't do anything outside today.00

[plugginaway22]

86 today, 90 predicted for tomorrow.
Unusual for October! AC still humming.

[Deleted]

It's in the low 80s most of time here (Kansas City) and I run the A/C maybe an hour a day. Fortunately I live in a house built into the side of a hill so the kitchen and bedroom windows are 2 stories off the ground- no worries about someone breaking in.  I turn it on to cool the house down in later afternoon and as long as it's in the low 80s at night I'm find if I use the ceiling fan.

The plantation shutters help, too.  I can really feel the layer of heat between the shutters and the windows if I open the shutters so they have some R-value.

[TheOtherMe]

Mine was on briefly today while it got serviced for winter.  The AC was set at 77 so I had to turn it up to 79 so it would kick on and off.  

He's gone and the heat is back in the off position.  

[Deleted]

I learned the hard way not to wait until the absolute last minute when I can't take the cold anymore to turn the furnace on.  One year I did that and it didn't work. 

Now I usually run a test day before it gets too bad just to make sure it's firing up and to burn off all the dust and crap in the ducts when I can still open up the windows later to air it out. 

Which reminds me.  I'd better go buy a new filter.  That's pretty much the only maintenance I've ever done on my 20 year old furnace, so we're probably getting into "knock on wood" time with it. 

[bean29]

Sept 28, 2019 22:02:16 GMT -5 @bamafan1954 said:

DH has moved into the master bedroom, which is the coldest room because it has two or three vents.  He wanted me to shut one off, but I discovered they are rusted open.  The dog and I loved the temp, but he hates it.  So I blocked it off with a lap board.  Will that hurt anything?

The dog no longer sleeps with me because his former bedroom is the warmest room in the house.  She is currently a vent hugger.  Her coat is getting too long, but a trip to the vet for grooming is hard to schedule right now.

Life is what it is.  DH is starting to look like a 76-year-old mountain man. 

I think you could replace them yourself.  I have mostly floor vents - they just lift out, they are not even screwed down.  Either measure it, or lift it out and take it to the hardware store.  3 vents will probably be less than $30.00.  If they are wall vents, they are probably held in with 2 screws. 

It is possible that there was something sitting over the vent in the past that caused the rust.  I had a laundry basket sitting on the vent in my walk in closet for awhile, but then I realized that the carpet in there was wet from the condensation.  I moved the laundry basket and bought a small shoe shelf that is like metal mesh so the air can flow through.  there is also a few inches of clearance from the floor to the first shelf.

I replaced my furnace filter the other day - they were a very good price at Farm & Fleet so I bought three.  I always write the date installed on the filter and try to replace at least every other month.  I haven't had the heat on yet, but still have had the a/c on this week--unusual in WI.  I will turn on the heat when the house is less than 70-72 degrees.  I believe in being comfortable.

[Deleted]

Oct 2, 2019 12:05:57 GMT -5 bean29 said:

Sept 28, 2019 22:02:16 GMT -5 @bamafan1954 said:

DH has moved into the master bedroom, which is the coldest room because it has two or three vents.  He wanted me to shut one off, but I discovered they are rusted open.  The dog and I loved the temp, but he hates it.  So I blocked it off with a lap board.  Will that hurt anything?

The dog no longer sleeps with me because his former bedroom is the warmest room in the house.  She is currently a vent hugger.  Her coat is getting too long, but a trip to the vet for grooming is hard to schedule right now.

Life is what it is.  DH is starting to look like a 76-year-old mountain man. 

I think you could replace them yourself.  I have mostly floor vents - they just lift out, they are not even screwed down.  Either measure it, or lift it out and take it to the hardware store.  3 vents will probably be less than $30.00.  If they are wall vents, they are probably held in with 2 screws. 

It is possible that there was something sitting over the vent in the past that caused the rust.  I had a laundry basket sitting on the vent in my walk in closet for awhile, but then I realized that the carpet in there was wet from the condensation.  I moved the laundry basket and bought a small shoe shelf that is like metal mesh so the air can flow through.  there is also a few inches of clearance from the floor to the first shelf.

I replaced my furnace filter the other day - they were a very good price at Farm & Fleet so I bought three.  I always write the date installed on the filter and try to replace at least every other month.  I haven't had the heat on yet, but still have had the a/c on this week--unusual in WI.  I will turn on the heat when the house is less than 70-72 degrees.  I believe in being comfortable.

Yes, I am planning on replacing them myself.  Getting to the hardware store is the hard part. 

[Deleted]

It was 96 degrees when I got off work today. LAWD!!! It’s freaking OCTOBER! I guess we’ll be skipping fall like we skipped spring, and eventually go straight to stupid winter. I feel like imma just melt into a little brown puddle.

I’d still rather deal with this than below freezing temps though. I think.

[Deleted]

No lie, after last Winter, I'm really dreading the next 6 months. That was the first time Winter almost got the best of me. I hope it was just because of how bad it was and not because I'm just getting old and soft!

[CCL]

It's been 90s here. 91 today. I think yesterday was 92 and broke the record for Indianapolis' hottest day in October, ever.

[Tennesseer]

Oct 2, 2019 19:13:35 GMT -5 CCL said:

It's been 90s here. 91 today. I think yesterday was 92 and broke the record for Indianapolis' hottest day in October, ever.

97 today here in Memphis. Hottest October temperature in Memphis ever.

[cktc]

Urgh, air handler crapped out tonight. It's getting back to high 90s over the next couple weeks so we'll be fixing the a/c for the 3rd time this summer.

[Deleted]

Oct 2, 2019 17:50:51 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

No lie, after last Winter, I'm really dreading the next 6 months. That was the first time Winter almost got the best of me. I hope it was just because of how bad it was and not because I'm just getting old and soft!

Winter always gets the best of me and I’ve never had to deal with anything close to all that you dealt with last winter. I think it’s safe to say that that was enough to be close to “tew murch” for many of us.

[schildi]

Sept 28, 2019 16:35:15 GMT -5 Rukh O'Rorke said:

Going to climb in with the cats, a hot water bottle, and some covers and watch TV.

and by hot water bottle, I mean an empty gallon vinegar plastic jug filled with the hottest the tap water gets.

You need one of these:

www.amazon.com/Microwavable-Heating-Pad-Solution-Arthritis/dp/B00WL05FCK

[bean29]

I was trying to listen to an audio book, but I keep zoning out/dozing off/waking up & I don’t know what is going on. I set the heat to 72 before I went to bed, woke up, and I was freezing. Checked thermostat, now set to 70. I reset to 72, and threw on light jacket & turned on heating pad.

I agree with MPL, Last winter was Hell. I do think the Polar Vortex conditions were due to Global warming-hope we will not have colder winters/more snow in future winters.

[resolution]

Our Fall weather is just now starting. Yesterday it was in the low 90s, today should be 80, and the rest of the week in the 60s. I called up the heating oil company yesterday and ordered a tank of oil but I am hoping to hold off on the heater for another month.

[bobosensei]

I turned the heat on in Georgia over the weekend.  I was fine leaving it off a little longer, but my boyfriend turned it on.  I was fine staying bundled under the covers.  He's got the nest set now where both heat and air come on depending on the range.  It's been warming to high 60s or low 70s during the day, but we have a streak of rain coming   

So far no CO leak like the guy who looked at the furnace and AC claimed there would be.  

[MN-Investor]

I turned on the heat - set to 66° - on October 11. It's 43° outside right now and very windy, so that cools off the house quickly.

I should have gotten a new furnace this fall - my current furnace is about 40 years old. I do have a furnace tune-up scheduled so it will be checked out. My sweetie replaced the fan (blower motor?) a few years ago when it stopped working. He knew there were issues and so had ordered a replacement fan. I do have electric heaters which I can use on a temporary basis if something does happen to the furnace. A few years ago the furnace fan stopped working in mid-December but DH could not replace it until a couple weeks later. We survived late December using just electric heaters - not ideal in Minnesota. Well, at least I got the insulation in my attic increased to a really good level last February so that should help keep the house warm too.

But I do hate cold Minnesota winters and I hate the short days. Sigh.

[Deleted]

I've run my furnace very little so far this year; I have plantation shutters that do a great job of letting in the sun during the day and insulating against the cold during the night when I close them.  This morning, though, I turned the heat up- the house was at 63 and I keep at 65 in heating season.  I am very impressed with how well the house holds the heat- yesterday AM I woke up and it was 45 degrees outside and 65 inside with the thermostat set on "ECO" (it kicks on only if temps are below 58).

They never rave about good insulation or high-quality replacement windows, but they make a difference.

I'm finding it very annoying that my natural gas bill the last few months has been almost steady at $28; I use gas for cooking and the hot water heater in warm months, so it's minimal.  The fixed charges, with so little variation for actual use in the warm months, aren't a big incentive to conserve energy!

[countrygirl2]

Mine is on 74 and runs some, you really don't hear it, I only notice if the curtains are moving some.  But in the guest bedroom you can hear a slight clicking when it goes on and off.  It is on for a very short time. I will turn it to 75 or 76 eventually.