How Cold Are You?

[Andry]

I remember as a kid during the fall and winter my mom always telling us to turn the heat down. And my dad putting up the Saran Wrap around the windows with the hairdryer - this is pre-double/triple pane insulated glass.

Now as a parent I don't find myself checking the thermostat as religiously as I thought I would. Granted, partly it's because my parents had five kids to feed, and I've got just the one. But I find myself wanting the house cooler than what's considered normal room temperature; our thermostat's pegged at 64 F.

What's your house temperature set at, and do you as parents nag your kids to keep the heat down?

 

[wrldstrman]

funny you should start this topic because I was in a conversation the other day about how cold my parents kept our house .My mom kept our house so cold that I had to take a ice scraper and scrape the frost off the inside of the window to watch for the school bus.And what was really funny if you would sneak and turn up the theromstat my mom could tell in a matter of minutes and would come looking for us..so one promise I made to myself is when I got my own home I would never be cold and I keep my heat set on a nice 70 degrees all winter.Now during hunting season when i stay at my moms house a few days i still sneak and turn up the heat and when she comes home she says did you have the heat on..I just smile and say who me....but since she has had new windows put in her house so it doesnt get as cold as when we had the old wooden window frames and sills

 

[foundationguy]

We keep it around 66-68 degrees. But with the projected increase in heating costs this winter, I may have to lower it more. It always amazes me the whole temperature perspective thing. In summer, 65 would be nice and cool, however, in the winter it's too cold for some people. It's really the same temperature so it shouldn't make a difference. If I'm comfortable at 68 in the summer, I should be comfortable in the winter.

 

[Andry]

.... If I'm comfortable at 68 in the summer, I should be comfortable in the winter.

That's wierd how our minds/bodies work isn't it? I suppose it illustrates just how 'relative' creatures we are, as perpspective or backgrounds changes. Yesterday I felt colder than usual even though the house temperature remained constant.

 

[humbled4Jesus]

Hi Andry,

I'm in the Chicago, IL area so we have pretty cold winters here. We live in a condo and have other apartments above us and on one other side, and it really seems to generate more heat so I don't have to turn ours up so much. I keep the thermostat at around 67 degrees during the night. We have electric heat so the electric bill can get really high at times! In our condo, each bedroom has its own thermostat, so unfortunately I have to constantly check my sons room and make sure he hasn't turned it up too high!

Edit: I never heard of the saran wrap technique... I want to try that sometime!

 

[Andry]

Edit: I never heard of the saran wrap technique... I want to try that sometime!

It works. Home Depot has more robust kits for that purpose now. You tape the plastic from the window panes top to bottom (and not onto the actual glass) so that it covers the whole window. Then use a hair dryer to stretch the plastic tight. Voila! Instant insulator. The downside is, you won't be able to open that window until spring!

 

[~Wisdom Seeker~]

I remember as a kid during the fall and winter my mom always telling us to turn the heat down. And my dad putting up the Saran Wrap around the windows with the hairdryer - this is pre-double/triple pane insulated glass.

Now as a parent I don't find myself checking the thermostat as religiously as I thought I would. Granted, partly it's because my parents had five kids to feed, and I've got just the one. But I find myself wanting the house cooler than what's considered normal room temperature; our thermostat's pegged at 64 F.

What's your house temperature set at, and do you as parents nag your kids to keep the heat down?

We live in Northern Indiana, and we set our thermostat between 60º and 62º at night. 64º in the daytime right now.

Our kids aren't allowed to touch the thermostat. Our son has a few times...and he tends to crank up the heater to 90º...which is why...our kids aren't allowed to touch the thermostat!

Oh, and speaking of high fuel prices... I heard on the news that this will be the most expensive Winter as far as fuel prices go in Indiana. And I may only have a family if 5 to feed...but, I can't really afford the estimated 71% hike in fuel prices. It's like the fuel crisis we had in California a couple of years ago. Our bill tripled!

 

[Ladyday95]

I have to always turn down the heat because my mom is always cold. Bought her a little electric heater for her room and that seems to help a little.

 

[Andry]

People in the Sunbelt must be shaking their heads and thinking, "Just move, south."

 

[edie19]

We keep the thermostat at 68 during the winter (lower at night and when we're at work - aren't those programable thermostats great?)

Summertime - about 75.

I'm never cold anymore - I'm 49, I think being warm goes with the territory.

 

[edie19]

It works. Home Depot has more robust kits for that purpose now. You tape the plastic from the window panes top to bottom (and not onto the actual glass) so that it covers the whole window. Then use a hair dryer to stretch the plastic tight. Voila! Instant insulator. The downside is, you won't be able to open that window until spring!

3M makes the kits. We used them in our old house (much less 'airtight' than our current home). Sometimes we'd here the plastic snap because of the drafts.

 

[mnphysicist]

I was pretty cheap when I was 25. I'd wake up and my bedroom would be around 40 deg F. I'd only turn up the heat if I was not feeling well. I rode my bike to work at -20 deg F too, thinking little of it, other than the huge icycles I had hanging off my ski mask.

At this point, I keep things pretty warm, generally around 70-72 deg F. I may have to play some games with zone heating this winter, depending upon what energy prices are, and how cold winter is.

Ron

 

[ladylilac]

try to keep set at 68 in winter and 76 in summer... somehow it always gets changed.... think we need one of those guards...

 

[TammyInChrist]

Ours is usually set on 70 winter/summer but I adjust according to temp. during the day. In the winter we use 2 natural gas heaters, one in the living room and one in the boys rooms which at night is turned down, we sleep better in cooler weather.

Dont our body temps get cooler as we age? I've noticed my parents are always cooler while I am still overly warm