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IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
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join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy

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[HVAC] When do you turn on your heat

Do you turn on your heat when it gets a certain temperature or a certain date.

Right now I'm wearing my North Face jacket in the house because I'm reluctant to turn on the heat due to cost of electric baseboard heat. I've set a tentative date of November 1st as my heat turn on date but do you think that is too late. If it gets too cold I might consider turning it on sooner.

What do most of you do, temperature or a certain date.

Many institutional facilities (hospitals, shopping malls, office buildings, etc) follow a strict schedule of heat/air conditioning changeover dates. When I was born in October of 1983, the hospital I was born at did not turn on the heat until November 1st and my mother (after giving birth) all but froze.

I finally took down the A/C in the bedroom for the winter, the living room is a portable unit.

Jack_in_VA
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join:2007-11-26
North, VA

Jack_in_VA

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I turn my heat on when the temperature at the thermostat is below 72 degrees. That is the only criteria. If the temperature goes back up over 75 degrees I switch to cool.

Right now it's 65° outside and raining. Heat on set to 72.

chamberc
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join:2008-08-05
Addison, TX

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My thermostats are set to keep the house no colder than 70 and no warmer than 73. They switch between AC and Heat to keep it in that range.

NS4683
join:2000-08-25
NJ

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I usually turn the heat on when it gets about 40F outside and inside gets below 60. I'd rather be comfortable without wearing a bubble jacket inside the house. I have hydronic baseboard heating, which I love.

cowboyro
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join:2000-10-11
CT

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I turn on the heat when it's cool inside and the A/C when it's warm. No set date or temperature, but keep the house between 74F for heating and 76F for cooling. Sometimes the cooling will go down to 72-74F and the heating as high as 78F to make it pleasant.

tschmidt
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join:2000-11-12
Milford, NH

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We heat our house with a cord wood stove in the basement. Normally have our first fire of the year around Nov 1st. Really depends on sun vs temp. House is very well insulated and faces South.

/tom

davidg
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whenever it gets too cool in the house.

large facilities follow dates because the systems they use are not easy to switch modes. We did some work at the local Federal building a few years back and it was stifling hot in the building. They had already switched to heat mode for the season and we had a late November warm spell where we got in the upper 70's to low 80's for a few days. The maintenance guy said they just had to live with it because by the time he could switch it back over and turn the chillers back on it would be cold again.
HarryH3
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join:2005-02-21

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Heat? We still have the a/c going.
nibyak
join:2003-01-28
Strasburg, VA

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There is no correct answer for this. Just like a week or so ago someone asked about sleeping with the windows open. I like it cold and always have. I think I remember someone saying they would open the windows until the outside temp dipped into the 70s, then they would shut them. I won’t open the windows until the outside temp dips into the 50s, but that’s just me. My heat setting is rarely above 67 or 69. My A/C setting is 69 upstairs for sleeping and usually 73 for the rest of the house. I would keep the entire house at 67 if I could afford the electric bill. I also have heat pumps so the switch from cool to heat is just a push of a button on the thermostat. I have used both the AC and heat in the same day. Usually I do that around this time of year. It will get into the low 40s in the morning but heat up during the day. I also have a propane fueled “Woodstove looking thing” which I rarely use because it screws up the even heating of the house. It does come in handy during power outages in the dead of winter. So my advice is to switch the heat on when you are cold and the AC when you are hot.
Spensergig
Past my Prime
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Bradenton, FL

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Mainly determined by "she who must be obeyed", but I start fiddling with the wall device when the house temp gets down to about 55-60.

After almost 10 years here, that's COLD!

dark_star
join:2003-11-14
Louisville

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I never, ever, run the air in the day and the heat that same night.

Before running the heat or air, I try to keep in mind what the weather will do in the next 12 hours, and the next few days.

For instance, if the forecast nighttime low is in the low 50's, I will resist running the air in the day, even if the house daytime temperature gets into the low 80's.

This time of year, I will do the same if the weekly forecast goes from warm to cool. In other words, if it is a little too warm in the house for a few days, I will leave it that way if the weather is about to turn colder.

That way, I avoid running the heat and air for a double win. This months bill arrived yesterday, and my gas and electric bill for the month is $64.50. This is for a poorly insulated (1950's era) 1100 SF ranch with a full basement. Equipped with 10 SEER air conditioner, 80% efficient furnace.

Of that $64, $27 is BS charges and fees that would be there even if I never used a single kilowatt of electricity or cubic foot of gas. So even though the bill is for $64, my actual total gas and electric consumption for the month was $37.
ke4pym
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Charlotte, NC

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No earlier than December 28th and no later than March 2nd.
02778712 (banned)
join:2013-07-08
MA

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The house dropped to 72 last night in the Boston area here. We don't need A/C or heat right now. It needs to drop a lot more before we turn the heat on. I was running the A/C in the bedroom since I like it 67 to sleep.

Jack_in_VA
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join:2007-11-26
North, VA

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said by dark_star:

I never, ever, run the air in the day and the heat that same night.

I run the heat or cooling any time the temperature in the house is not what I want it to be. Day or night makes no difference. It's our personal comfort that is the only criteria we have. If it gets above 75 we cool, if it gets below 72 we heat. Sometimes at this time of the year it's cool during the day and heat at night.

nunya
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I turn on the heat when I get cold.

Tex
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If I'm not mistaken, I thought you mentioned in other threads that Grandma shares the same house. What does she say about being cold?
Expand your moderator at work
wth
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Re: [HVAC] When do you turn on your heat

Now's the time to turn on the heat with windows open to burn off the smell a furnace makes when you first turn it on in the fall for about 5 min. Then I open the duct for the built in humidifier, open all the lower level vents (closed with A/C on) and check/change air filter. Then I turn it off and don't turn it on until it gets below 64 degrees inside.

rfhar
The World Sport, Played In Every Country
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Buicktown,Mi

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When my wife says so.

Jack_in_VA
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North, VA

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said by rfhar:

When my wife says so.

Yep, A happy wife means a happy life. You are a wise man.

MsTerra
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We just let it come on when the temperature indoors trips the thermostat - low 60s overnight and when we're at work, upper 60s when we're home. We don't have AC. The only tricky bit is early fall, when it's warm enough to keep the windows open during the day but chilly enough that if we forget to close the windows it can trip the heat unnecessarily. Luckily, we have gas-fired hot water heat and an efficient tankless combi unit for heat and hot water, so our heating bills are manageable. I've had to bundle up to hang around the house in drafty, poorly heated apartments in the past, and that's not fun.
Critsmcgee
join:2011-12-02

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said by rfhar:

When my wife says so.

Me too but I put an incentive system in place and budget a years worth of heating oil into an escrow account monthly all year. Next I tell her and the kids any left over we use to have fun in the Spring/Summer. It's amazing how that helps lower the heating costs.

djrobx
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Reno, NV

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I never, ever, run the air in the day and the heat that same night.

Before running the heat or air, I try to keep in mind what the weather will do in the next 12 hours, and the next few days.

Basically the same here.

We have an automatic-ignition natural gas fireplace insert downstairs. We might use that around this time of year when the weather can't make up its mind (high was in the 60's yesterday, but will be 88 by next week!). I'm pretty averse to using any heat if I think that might mean needing to use the AC later though.

I don't mind cold, so we generally don't fire up the central heat until late November/early December. I also have a two story house, so I can go upstairs if it's feeling cold downstairs. There's also blankets, sweaters, and my dogs to keep me warm.
peterboro (banned)
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When I can see my breath in the house.

Msradell
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Louisville, KY

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The answer to your question is very simple, WHEN IT'S NEEDED! No sooner, no later.

Jackorama
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Kingston, ON

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Since we are in a rental unit and the heating is a boiler system, the landlord has to follow this bylaw for our area.

"3.36

a. Every dwelling unit shall be provided with a heating system capable of maintaining a temperature of 70 °F (21.1°C) from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and 66 °F (18.8 °C) from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. throughout the year in all habitable rooms including bathrooms and boiler rooms. For the purpose of this section, room temperature shall be determined at any point in the room. All common areas or internal entranceways shall be provided with heating systems capable of maintaining a minimum temperature of not less than 65 °F. (By-Law No. 8597 - 1975; 83-56 - 1983; 87-384 - 1987; 89-326 - 1989)

b. Every building or part of a building which is rented or leased as dwelling or living accommodation and which, as between the tenant or lessee and the landlord, is normally heated by or at the expense of the landlord shall, between the 15th day of September in each year and the 1st day of June of the following year, be provided with adequate and suitable heat by or at the expense of the landlord; and for the purposes of this by-law, "adequate and suitable heat" means that the minimum temperature of the air in the accommodation which is available to the tenant or lessee is 70 °F (21.1 °C) from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and 66 °F (18.8 °C) from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m."

We are lucky that each unit has their own thermostat and can adjust the heat temp in their own unit. This means the landlord only has to make sure the heat is available from Sept. 15 to June 1.

But, It has been between 78 and 80 F in our apartment that we have not used the heat yet. Using mostly big fans in the windows and some A/C, which is not normal at all at this time of the year. Still wearing shorts and a tank top around the apartment. Very humid too.

burrr
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Many years ago, before there was a Mrs, I'd wait until the house reached the low to mid 50's. Now it gets turned on when she tells me to. Usually around 68-70

IowaCowboy
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Where we live heat is not included and is very expensive.

Electric baseboard heat is NOT cheap although it is cheaper than fuel oil. The electric market is less volatile than fuel oil as well.

If I end up with grandma's house (which has oil heat), I'm converting it to propane or natural gas if I can get the gas company to extend a line since there is service on a nearby street. I'd rather heat with electric than fuel oil but I would go with propane as my second choice with natural gas being my first.

[Off topic] the reason we don't live in grandma's house is my mother can't retire yet (it's up in Maine and her job is in Mass) and there are title and estate planning issues that need to be worked out.
scooper
join:2000-07-11
Kansas City, KS
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"Smart Thermostat" - Honeywell 7600 series - autoswitches from cool to heat to cool as necessary (when dumby here remembers to set it on "Auto") - just remembered to do that after the wife was complaining about the house being cold.

And yes - we have swings big enough this time of the year enough to do both heating and cooling in the same 24 hour period - also in the spring.

OP - I'd think twice about using propane - it's at least as price volatile as fuel oil. My propane company fills me up in september and I'm good until next september (usually). Fortunately, most of my heating (and all the cooling) is by heatpump, with my backup being the propane furnace. Now That is the ticket for a reasonable cost of heating.

dark_star
join:2003-11-14
Louisville

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said by Jack_in_VA:

said by dark_star:

I never, ever, run the air in the day and the heat that same night.

I run the heat or cooling any time the temperature in the house is not what I want it to be. Day or night makes no difference. It's our personal comfort that is the only criteria we have.

It's your money. If that is how you choose to spend it, nothing wrong with that.