Home Thermostats

[Edward]

Carrier has a really cool T-Stat system where you can actually change the displayed reading on it to be able to lie to you on purpose, so it will read higher/lower than it really is. This is for homes in which the kids like to crank up the T-Stat if they feel cold. The idea is the power of suggestion. If it's really 68 in the room, you can go into settings and make it read 72 or 75 for instance, then when the kid goes to the T-Stat and sees, oh it's already 75 in here...then it will discourage them from cranking it up more.

It's a really cool system and I like it.

 

[jasonc]

Remember I said these are energy savers.So far my electric bill has been low.

they use resistance to generate heat. all electric heaters do. then again you don't have ac much either. I have had a bill as low as 75 during our winter here with one or two days of cold, and a few times or more per month of the ac working. 75 degrees its not going to work much.

as much as I don't understand it a home ac unit will work harder to cool the home and in the process will raise the electric bill a lot. yet with a car, it will get better gas mileage as the clutch isn't on as much. Edward will understand why.

do you live in a small home? I live in a home with less the 1200 sqft. I lived in a apartment that had a window shaker that ran all the time and I never saw a bill over 100.

 

[Edward]

oddly I have been told heaters have the highest consumption of power in a home.

This is pretty much true. Short-cycling is the culprit. Your furnace should cycle not more than 4 times per hour.

Most of the heat is lost in homes through the windows. Upgrade those windows and insulation. Double pane windows are the answer here. Air is a real good insulator, so if you have a 4" airspace between panes, you do good. This is also the idea behind putting shrink wrap plastic over the inside of the windows in winter time. Put the plastic on the inside of the windowsill. The longer your home holds the heat, the less you furnace will cycle.

A very easy way to gauge the insulation in your attic is when it snows. Watch the roof to see how fast the snow melts off of it. The faster the snow melts off the roof, the less efficient the insulation level is.

You can pay higher gas bills, or you can put the same money into insulation and get it back over time from the utility savings. You don't need to spend a lot of money and do it all at once with a contractor. Buy a roll or two here and there and slowly build it up yourself. Just lay it out up in the attic or crush fit between the ceiling joists/trusses.

 

[jasonc]

florid

This is pretty much true. Short-cycling is the culprit. Your furnace should cycle not more than 4 times per hour.

Most of the heat is lost in homes through the windows. Upgrade those windows and insulation. Double pane windows are the answer here. Air is a real good insulator, so if you have a 4" airspace between panes, you do good. This is also the idea behind putting shrink wrap plastic over the inside of the windows in winter time. Put the plastic on the inside of the windowsill. The longer your home holds the heat, the less you furnace will cycle.

A very easy way to gauge the insulation in your attic is when it snows. Watch the roof to see how fast the snow melts off of it. The faster the snow melts off the roof, the less efficient the insulation level is.

You can pay higher gas bills, or you can put the same money into insulation and get it back over time from the utility savings. You don't need to spend a lot of money and do it all at once with a contractor. Buy a roll or two here and there and slowly build it up yourself. Just lay it out up in the attic or crush fit between the ceiling joists/trusses.

florida doesn't have snow, that info I gave out was from a survey. the water survey says the biggest user is the washer/dishwasher.

 

[Edward]

florid

florida doesn't have snow, that info I gave out was from a survey. the water survey says the biggest user is the washer/dishwasher.

Yeah, I dunno what you can do in Florida to gauge insulation. Yes I do. The A/C should only cycle 4 times per hour max also. If it cycles more than that, you're gaining heat faster than you should.

I believe the dishwasher uses too much water. It takes a lot more water, than to wash dishes by hand. Luckily, I don't have room to install a dishwasher in my kitchen. So I plan to install one in my bedroom, lol.

:wink

 

[jasonc]

they have ways. the old homes one is sol,but not the new ones they can. they have a way of checking. im sure. per code a home cant be wooden if built later then 2007. a concrete home must be solid concrete.

Yeah, I dunno what you can do in Florida to gauge insulation. Yes I do. The A/C should only cycle 4 times per hour max also. If it cycles more than that, you're gaining heat faster than you should.

I believe the dishwasher uses too much water. It takes a lot more water, than to wash dishes by hand. Luckily, I don't have room to install a dishwasher in my kitchen. So I plan to install one in my bedroom, lol.

:wink

 

[Edward]

they have ways. the old homes one is sol,but not the new ones they can. they have a way of checking. im sure. per code a home cant be wooden if built later then 2007. a concrete home must be solid concrete.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that concrete is a poor insulator. But they have some spray on insulation for concrete that works well.

 

[jasonc]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that concrete is a poor insulator. But they have some spray on insulation for concrete that works well.

solid 8 inches of block? as in concrete block?

 

[Gary]

I believe the dishwasher uses too much water. It takes a lot more water, than to wash dishes by hand. Luckily, I don't have room to install a dishwasher in my kitchen. So I plan to install one in my bedroom, lol.

:wink

Dumbest invention of all time.

Let's make a machine that washes dishes. The only skills required to operate this machine is that dishes should be somewhat clean before they are put into the dishwasher. (ie. wash the dishes before you "wash" them)

Dishwashers are a waste of space, water and electricity.




Sorry for the rant. Carry on.
.

 

[jasonc]

Dumbest invention of all time.

Let's make a machine that washes dishes. The only skills required to operate this machine is that dishes should be somewhat clean before they are put into the dishwasher. (ie. wash the dishes before you "wash" them)

Dishwashers are a waste of space, water and electricity.




Sorry for the rant. Carry on.
.

silly me, my wife has had struggles with carpal tunnel.try scrubbing with that. I have tendinitis issues where my hand will shock me and I must take naproxen when that flairs up. so I know some eldery people need that. I can surely point that a dryer isn't needed in florida but well on rainy day. im glad I have one.

 

[Gary]

solid 8 inches of block? as in concrete block?

I don't believe those blocks are solid.

 

[Gary]

silly me, my wife has had struggles with carpal tunnel.try scrubbing with that. I have tendinitis issues where my hand will shock me and I must take naproxen when that flairs up. so I know some eldery people need that. I can surely point that a dryer isn't needed in florida but well on rainy day. im glad I have one.

I still think they're stupid.

 

[jasonc]

I still think they're stupid.

ok, be glad you don't have what happened with my wife. her hand cease to work from carpal tunnel nerve damage. the doc said that would happen if she went to long. she didn't. three months after the test. she also had that hand done and still has issues with it.

 

[jasonc]

I don't believe those blocks are solid.

I do, I have seen them pour the concrete in. its inspected per code. hurricane can take out a concrete wall if its not thick. I know my house is that way as I have been up in the roof looking for what wire caused a problem and saw no hole there to for it not to be. old way is every 4ft they would pour concrete in. now its all blocks are solid. doesn't mean they cant cheat the homeowner but it is inspected.

 

[Gary]

ok, be glad you don't have what happened with my wife. her hand cease to work from carpal tunnel nerve damage. the doc said that would happen if she went to long. she didn't. three months after the test. she also had that hand done and still has issues with it.

If they are an aid to your wife, great. I myself would never own one.
.

 

[jasonc]

If they are an aid to your wife, great. I myself would never own one.
.

you cant get them without them installed if you buy a home via the vha and fha loan. they are mandated. doesn't mean you must use them but they are installed.

 

[Gary]

I do, I have seen them pour the concrete in. its inspected per code. hurricane can take out a concrete wall if its not thick. I know my house is that way as I have been up in the roof looking for what wire caused a problem and saw no hole there to for it not to be. old way is every 4ft they would pour concrete in. now its all blocks are solid. doesn't mean they cant cheat the homeowner but it is inspected.

I stand corrected.

 

[Edward]

solid 8 inches of block? as in concrete block?

You got it brother. very low. I just looked it up in fact and 8" concrete, typical as used in basement walls has a R-value of 1.35, almost nothing as far as insulation goes.

The problem is that it holds the cold for a long time.

Cinder blocks depending on the density of the concrete and if they are empty or not is about 2.1 to 2.4 (empty space, non-filled)

 

[Gary]

You got it brother. very low. I just looked it up in fact and 8" concrete, typical as used in basement walls has a R-value of 1.35, almost nothing as far as insulation goes.

The problem is that it holds the cold for a long time.

Which makes them perfect for warm climates. (I would think)

.

 

[Edward]

I do, I have seen them pour the concrete in. its inspected per code. hurricane can take out a concrete wall if its not thick. I know my house is that way as I have been up in the roof looking for what wire caused a problem and saw no hole there to for it not to be. old way is every 4ft they would pour concrete in. now its all blocks are solid. doesn't mean they cant cheat the homeowner but it is inspected.

If the blocks are solid then the R value is less. Air is a good insulator! (Insulation filled will bring it up some too.)