Monday, December 01, 2008

Heat Update

December 1st and I still haven't turned on my central heating (with the exception of setting it at 45F while I was away for Thanksgiving, to make sure the pipes didn't freeze.) I think this can easily continue until Christmas, maybe longer.

It's been in the 40s, 30s, briefly even 20s outside. I've been keeping my kitchen around 54F/12C, which has become comfortable for me. The bedroom I have left to its own devices; overnight lows in there have been between 36F/2C and 46F/8C.

Following is disclosure of all sources of heat coming into the Turbopalace.

Sources of intentional heat (have not yet had more than one on at a time):
1) Oil-filled electric radiator, 1500 watts maximum, usually run at 500 or 1000W power level.
2) Forced-air ceramic electric heater, 1500 watts max, usually run at 750W power level.
3) Hairdryer, 1800W, only a few minutes a day.

Sources of incidental heat:
1) Electric lights: Incandescents in the kitchen throw some warmth. Compact fluorescents elsewhere, not much.
2) Electric appliances: Refrigerator generates a bit of heat, though it barely needs to run anymore. Laptop, a few watts. Others, not much.
3) Natural gas: Cook stove and oven warm the kitchen a few degrees when making coffee & oatmeal. No pilot lights.
4) Oil: On-demand hot water turned on for about 30 min/day. Showering & doing dishes release some heat.
5) Solar: Minimal. No southern wall (see below). Black roof might be picking up a bit, but is shaded by neighbor.
6) Human: Just me. No one seems to want to visit anymore.
7) Feline: 14 pounds of metabolism. But is well-insulated.
8) Other: Turbopalace shares one wall with neighbor who owns the other half of the house, so I'm probably poaching a bit of heat from her side. But she has the whole south-facing side of the house. I suspect she gets more solar heat through her windows than gets passed to me through the wall.

5 Comments:

Blogger Johanna said...

What about the clothes dryer?

12/1/08, 12:52 PM  
Blogger Turbo said...

The clothes dryer, until yesterday, was venting outside-- so if anything it was a source of negative heat (sucking cold air into the cellar).

But I'm working on that. Not that it's going to make much difference, with the frequency with which I do laundry. But if I were a family of six, it would start to add up.

12/1/08, 12:57 PM  
Blogger Susan said...

I can't even read this. Teeth chattering.

12/1/08, 2:05 PM  
Blogger fibby said...

You use a hairdryer?

12/1/08, 8:08 PM  
Blogger Legal Blondie said...

My reaction was the same as fibby's. Also: do you use the oven for making the coffee or the oatmeal?

12/3/08, 9:38 AM  

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