Notes from a furnace-free day
 

I switched off my furnace yesterday morning, and left it off for 37 hours. I was primarily interested in seeing how cold it would get, and whether I could learn to be comfortable in a cold house. To my surprise, the temperature inside dropped very quickly, and settled at a fairly comfortable state.

This table tells the story:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5049/...1401b686af.jpg
All temperatures in °F. The thermostat and my desk are at opposite sides of my bedroom, and the living room is semi-conditioned most of the time.

I'm really amazed how easy it is to be comfortable in a 57°F environment. I put on three layers when I got home, but I ended up taking one layer off because it wasn't needed, then I went outside and changed my tires in a t-shirt. Came back inside and was plenty warm for the rest of the evening in two layers.

Sleeping in a 57°F room was so easy that I think I'll do it more often. In fact, I should order an electric matress pad. Why heat the whole house when you're only using the bed?

I'm very interested in knowing more about humidity and its effects on human health and comfort. I get dry skin in the winter, and if I can increase my comfort and lower my thermostat just by adding a humidifier to the room, I'll do it.

The only kind of humidifiers I've seen are either attached to a furnace and not remarkably effective, or the kind that plugs in to the wall and has manual operation only. You need to be careful to avoid condensation on and near the windows, so I was thinking about rigging up an electric hygrometer + comparator + power relay to control the humidifier. That project is a little over my head at the moment, so I might ask for help from our sensors and circuits gurus if I decide to go forward with it later.

I learned quite a bit and chewed on some interesting ideas today. I'd encourage everyone to try a furnace-free day some time this winter and see if you learn anything about staying comfortable in a house without relying so much on the furnace.

Good report.

I have had the humidifier conversation before, and I hope you don't think I'm joking, but I'm just beside myself that no one ever considers indoor plants as a solution to low winter humidity. They also have the added benefit of improving the oxygen level.


Also, they are reliable, since they have very few moving parts and are energy star rated.

-AC_Hacker

We have lots of plants, but we also have a water container hanging on each radiator. Our's are clay, but a plastic bottle could also be used.

http://ecorenovator.org/forum/attach...1&d=1291275347

And yes, we get water condensation on the windows, but our house's ventilation is messed up.

Nice info. I'll have to give it a try and see how my house does.

Sounds good, but a humidifier? :confused: I'd think that cooking and bathing (especially showering) without using an exhaust fan for either task would give you more humidity than necessary.

You can get small, cheap, combo temperature/humidity indicators from many stores. While they are not usually very accurate indicators of either, they do a passable job of indicating changes.


I have one in my living room, where I can see it, and where I do most of my hanging out.

It's been very useful.

-AC_Hacker

I'm sure you've got more humidity than you like in Alabama, but up north, almost all houses are heated with forced air and are entirely too dry. I cook with lids (huge energy savings) and I do fast, navy showers. Even if I didn't, it would still be too dry in here.

Temperature & Relative Humidity Sensor Module HS1101 | Virtual Village - US

"Analog: relative humidity & temperature voltage signal linear output"

I think I can handle that. I could wire up a $10 humidifier, powered through a relay that's only energized when the sensor reports there's little risk of causing condensation.

Hmm, how could I prevent hysteresis?

So what would be the next step in this experiment, to lower the thermostat to 55F and keep it there?

Well, more like see if I can be as comfortable at 60F with high humidity as I am at 64F with low humidity.



Here's data from the last three days, showing interior and exterior temperature when I got home, after the furnace was off for ten hours. I'm pretty sure these are equilibrium temperatures.
48°F in 25°F out
48°F in 21°F out (partly sunny)
45°F in 19°F out (16 hrs)

Whats your plan to add humidity?