It is about that time for some heat

[supton]

Wife set the thermostat to 60 at some point, and wants to see if we adjust. Heat has been running all ready, this house is a ranch and something is off, just uses a lot of oil. Starting to look for air leaks, oil ain’t cheap.

Id think about a wood stove but my allergies are still flaring, even this late in the year—the other day I thought i was allergic to the rain.

 

[Malo83]

Heat went on for the first time yesterday, but only for the morning chill, been in the 40's the last couple of mornings and the wife gets cold, stays off till the next morning, thermostat set at 70*.

 

[RhondaHonda]

We’ve been alternating between AC and heat usage here. If I lived alone I’d probably
just leave it off this time of year….but I don’t. I have pretty basic Lennox 95% furnaces that are almost 9 years old. If one requires replacement I’d still stay fairly basic, maybe upgrade to a variable speed furnace but that’s about it.

2 of my neighbors have geothermal and their bills are next to nothing for 4-6,000 SF homes. My buddy got a quote to replace 2 furnaces and AC units with geothermal and it was $86k. He politely declined.

 

[Wrenchturner44]

We’ve been alternating between AC and heat usage here. If I lived alone I’d probably
just leave it off this time of year….but I don’t.

RH.....I hear you loud and clear. Same here. Funny how that works to our disadvantage.

 

[ripcord]

 

[Snagglefoot]

My system automatically flipped from the heat pump over to my propane boiler with the hot water to air heat exchanger. The temperature hit 27 F last night. 🥶

 

[Snagglefoot]

The temperature is back at 33 F and my heat pump is kicking out heat at over 100 F. Low temp heat pumps are getting more common north of the border.

 

[brianl703]

Is that a Trane (picture above this)?

 

[Snagglefoot]

We’ve been alternating between AC and heat usage here. If I lived alone I’d probably
just leave it off this time of year….but I don’t. I have pretty basic Lennox 95% furnaces that are almost 9 years old. If one requires replacement I’d still stay fairly basic, maybe upgrade to a variable speed furnace but that’s about it.

2 of my neighbors have geothermal and their bills are next to nothing for 4-6,000 SF homes. My buddy got a quote to replace 2 furnaces and AC units with geothermal and it was $86k. He politely declined.

I agree. A surprisingly large number of people don’t pay attention to capital cost. Do you know if that quote was for a buried coil, or a pair of water wells.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Is that a Trane (picture above this)?

American Standard, 10 years old, which I believe is now owned by Trane.

 

[BISCUT]

No heat yet…pellets and gas fireplace so far.

 

[brianl703]

American Standard, 10 years old, which I believe is now owned by Trane.

I think American Standard has always been Trane. That unit looks identical to my Trane condensing unit.

 

[Snagglefoot]

I think American Standard has always been Trane. That unit looks identical to my Trane condensing unit.

Yes, on the Trane website they admit the parts are 99% alike, IIRC. The absolute top dog is a Trane.

 

[brianl703]

Yes, on the Trane website they admit the parts are 99% alike, IIRC. The absolute top dog is a Trane.

The spine fin coil is what tells you it's really a Trane.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Here is some info on Trane and American Standard.

 

[RhondaHonda]

I agree. A surprisingly large number of people don’t pay attention to capital cost. Do you know if that quote was for a buried coil, or a pair of water wells.

That was drilling wells a few hundred feet down and running the tubing down and back. I believe his parents have a different setup, tubing that runs horizontally instead of vertically because they have a lot more ground around the house.

 

[Snagglefoot]

The temperature is back at 33 F and my heat pump is kicking out heat at over 100 F. Low temp heat pumps are getting more common north of the border.

View attachment 124371

In the propane boiler mode, which uses a water to air heat exchanger in the plenum, the heat coming out of the duct is 126 deg F. To some people this feels “ warmer” overall, even though the thermostat is at the same setting as when using the heat pump.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Fired up the airtight wood burning stove today. The temp today is 20F and the stove, which is situated in the basement has no problem keeping the propane fired boiler/furnace off. With the furnace circulation fan on, the temp coming out of the duct is 81 F bringing warm air from the basement and circulating it.

 

[andyd]

My wife has her room running at 60F on the electric baseboard. She pays the electric bill. I haven't run the oilburner, except to make sure all was OK. I have a Defiant woodstove I use when it gets 50ish down stairs. Mostly I burn cardboard boxes rolled up and wired. I did buy a cord of 'Semi seasoned" firewood that looks to be mostly oak. I pay for the #2 fuel oil and propane.

 

[andyd]