| Men are FURNACES - Women are ICE CUBES |
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| Written by Administrator | |
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This is all about the thermostat wars that RAGE on all summer and winter about where to keep the temperature. Finally, here are some answers.
This is a typical conversation that goes on in my house: “Jim, I’m freezing.” “Honey, no you are not. Freezing is 32°F, outdoors. The thermostat reads 69°F, indoors. It is not freezing in here.” “I’m cold.” “Babe, how can you be cold when the temperature is 69°F in here?” “I don’t know. Can you turn the thermostat up?” “I could, but that will increase our gas bill. Can’t you put a blanket on?” “I AM FREEZING! WHY WON’T YOU TURN THE TEMPERATURE UP?” “Uhmm...this is circular reasoning. We just went over this. How about 70°F. Will that do?” “.......” Does this sound like your house? If so, then you have a lot in common with everybody else. It is the endless battle about do you save money by turning the thermostat up and down relentlessly. Here is the answer for heating: For every degree you turn the thermostat down, you will save 3% in your fuel usage. However, for each degree you turn the thermostat down, you will also have to suffer at the hands of your wife, because she is cold. My advice: If you want to save energy, turn the stat down. If you want to stay married, keep it at 73°F. Here is the answer for cooling: The same rule goes as with heating, only in the opposite direction. For each degree you turn the stat up, you will save 3% in your electric bill. But, AC is a little tricky. Since there are two processes going on at the same time (dehydration and cooling), you may only want a maximum of a 5-6°F swing. That means that when you go to work, only turn the stat up by 5 degrees max, or you may find that the time it takes the AC to catch up is too long. Don’t forget, central AC is all about humidity control, not cool air. Humidity control takes much longer than making cool air. Lastly, installing a digital, programmable t-stat to cycle the equipment on and off in your home is a very good idea. This can save you an additional 10% in your utility costs! Good luck on the thermostat wars! |
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