random curiosity

[ratcreature]

It isn't all that cold here, but I dislike wearing socks indoors, and am not that fond of wearing layers constantly either, OTOH I'm not thrilled with huge heating bills and rather enjoy getting a little of my advance payments back. So winter is a time of constant compromise and dilemma. Also blankets. Unlike socks I don't mind using blankets. So now I'm wondering how cold (or comfortably warm) other people are at their place. (If it's summer right now where you are, just remember your last winter.)

Poll #9180 your winter heating: toasty warmth or extra sweater?

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 53

View Respondents

How much do you heat your place?

View Answers

I don't need to heat at all in my climate zone, it remains comfortable all winter.
0 (0.0%)

I don't (or can't) heat at all, and just tough out the cold with extra sweaters, socks, thermal underwear, blankets etc.
1 (1.9%)

I heat only some rooms, and these not quite as warm as I'd like to save energy/money, and use some extra sweaters, socks, thermal underwear, blankets etc. when necessary.
14 (26.4%)

I heat only some rooms, but these are as warm as I like it.
8 (15.1%)

I heat all rooms when I use them, but not quite as warm as I'd like to save energy/money, and use some extra sweaters, socks, thermal underwear, blankets etc. when necessary.
9 (17.0%)

I heat all rooms comfortably when I use them, and only turn down the heat when I'm not there.
6 (11.3%)

I heat all rooms, but not quite as warm as I'd like to save energy/money, and use some extra sweaters, socks, thermal underwear, blankets etc. when necessary.
13 (24.5%)

I heat all my rooms as warm as like it. Saving some money/energy is not worth being uncomfortable at home.
1 (1.9%)

I heat all rooms as much as possible, but still need some extra sweaters, socks, thermal underwear, blankets etc., because winters are just that bad here.
1 (1.9%)

Comments

[thirdblindmouse]

The house I live in was rather awkwardly subdivided into apartments, so a.) I don't pay the heating bill, and b.) even if I could control the heat, I couldn't change it without affecting other tenants, who I know at least in past years have tended to be too cold.

I'm finding it too hot, so I've been blocking off vents as necessary, and keeping the window beside my bed open whenever I'm sleeping too minimize nosebleeds.

[ratcreature]

You are the second person to mention "vents" for heating. How does that work? Is this like some combination with air conditioning? And something that blows heated air into your place? I only know heating through water-filled radiators (either next to the wall or sometimes through pipes in the floor) with a central boiler (either in the house or district heating providing the warm water), or heating through individual ovens (sometimes still with coal in really old buildings that haven't been upgraded or electric storage heaters, which have become less popular b/c of inefficiency).

[thirdblindmouse]

In my house it is hot air only, not air conditioning, blowing in through a grate in each room, in the floor or wall. It's not silent, but there is none of that annoying banging in the pipes that always seems to happen with radiators. This is the second apartment I've lived in with such a set-up, and judging by the exposed ducts in closets, I think it's a retrofit for older houses. If so, I'm not sure why they did it, but it's handy to not have any floor space taken up by radiators.

[ratcreature]

My water radiators make very little noise unless there is air in the system. Then they gurgle and sometimes bang, but properly vented they are pretty silent.

[thirdblindmouse]

If I ever live in a house with clattering radiators again, I will have to figure out how to vent them properly. The banging makes me very jumpy, having lived for many years with a perhaps unbalanced downstairs neighbor who banged on the walls whenever he was angry with us (which was often).

[ratcreature]

There is usually some kind of screw at the end opposite from the thermostat, that you open, then the pressure pushes out the air, and you close it when water starts to drip out. (ETA: Though usually once a year someone professional has to come to fill up the water in the system downstairs, obviously if just not enough water is in the pipes for pressure you can't get rid of the air.)