We didn't win the furnace game this year like we did last year when I posted about it on November 01 HERE. Every year, or almost every year, we play the game, fighting the weather, and trying to make it through October without engaging the furnace. We didn't even come close this year because we flipped the switch on Thanksgiving, Monday, October 12.
It was 16C/61F (how palindromic!) at lunch time when we relented. I don't think Sue would have, but I asked her to flip the switch early because I don't run quite as hot as she does.
I had a brain cramp at the time and told her that we had never made it through October without calling upon the heat. She thought I might be wrong, and indeed, when I checked older posts, I discovered that it was only last year that I blogged about winning the game and turning on the furnace on exactly November 01.
Memory is simply not reliable, but I am pretty sure that I do recall many examples of us giving in before the end of October.
Sue, however, believes that previously, in Sarnia, we, at least once, managed to keep the furnace off until December. She may be right, but that was cheating, for we had a fireplace that nicely warmed the part of the house where we spent most of our time. It was a split level, and we could close off the upper levels while we spent most of our days on the lower half. The bedroom was up there in the colder half, but blankets saved the day -- or the night in that case.
We do keep our place on the cool side in winter. The standard daytime target on the thermostat is only 20C/68F, and we allow nighttime temperatures to drop as low as 15C/59F although it doesn't always reach those depths. When I rise before the heat has kicked in, as I frequently do, I often have to bundle up in layers and hoodies for the first hour or so.
We do, however, afford ourselves one little luxury.
Yup! When it is shower time, we first warm up the bathroom with a little heater. Pure Canadian decadence, I tell ya.
12 comments:
We have a little space heater that we use when it's really cold outside and we want to warm up the bathroom. We have already turned on our little heater for occasional coldness. :-)
Last night was chilly here, and there were frost warnings, so I lugged the plants that I wanted to keep inside. The rest had to fare the weather on the chance that it didn't get cold enough to blast them. I have windowsills all covered with plants now...and the living/dining room is at 66, while bedroom was toasty at 68. I haven't gotten out the space heater for bathroom yet...but thanks for reminding me! Y'all stay safe and warm!
We play that game too--but last night dipped into the thirties and this morning, our heater is on.
Haha Gotta laugh at this post. 61F is cold, but here in Hawaii the temperature sometimes drops to 55F in January in the morning. Now that is freezing for me. And no heater either.
Does that mean that you're anticipating a colder than normal winter? It's impossible to predict here. A cold fall can sometimes lead to a mild winter. Your temperatures are more extreme though, right? My heat is programmed, and the furnace thinks I'm still working. Thus it comes on (if it needs to) at 5, goes off at 8, comes back on at 2:30 and goes off at 10. I only notice when the temperatures are cold, which they're not yet. During the "on" times, the house is at 70 and "off" will go down to 60, although it rarely does. I like sleeping cold with multiple blankets and the window open.
We have the fireplace on many morning now but not the heat pump. We hope to get to November without that.
Our bathrooms in Illinois were right over the furnace so it was pretty warm enough. However, Art would keep the thermostat pretty darn low to conserve energy in winter. I was OK since I run pretty hot too. But here in Hawaii, I'm always too hot and Art is again trying to conserve energy by not using the air conditioner. Sigh...
I hope you don't end up with a lot of snow this year.
I have roughly the tame winter settings in my house. You get used to things.
Well, I am pleased to report I'm as tough as some Canadians I know. My running temp is 68 F, too. I don't go down at night because the super informs me I save no money doing so.
We had snow the past two mornings that melted away by afternoon. 20s and 30s so I finally had to turn on the heat, too. :)
I'm finding that some days I put it on to get it up to temp and I can turn it off thereafter.
The fireplace is a bonus here. The girls lit one over Thanksgiving and it heated the house.
Lucky you! I've been cranking up the furnace since September or maybe even some mornings in late August. -Kate
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