oil and gas again - Page 9

Little Kopit · 10-30-2005, 11:30 PM

We're already there. It's a pretty high percentage of homes heated with gas. Home heating oil and residential propane are both regulated in this neck of the woods.

[Hey, what time scheme are you on - Daylight Savings?]

brad03ca · 10-31-2005, 12:26 AM

Morning LK: What Time Scheme????
Well, its called...I worked so hard

, got too tired, got dark earlier, pooped right out, feel asleep too soon,.. time zone

........or "The Twilight Zone"

2Roadrunners · 10-31-2005, 01:02 AM

Wood for sale, 16'' lengths, maple, ash and yellow birch. A fall special for people from Ontario and NL.....$75.00/cord, you fetch it.

Lots of us heat electric and I burn wood to supplement it. Still in all, our electricity is relatively cheap, so they tell us, but as yousay, once your system is installed you are at the mercy of the deciders.

BTW. For you tree huggers.....my wood source stems from windfalls, dead trees and now and then a couple of beers for the tree surgeons...they cut and chip what they can and the rest remains there. Burn seven to ten cord a year of free wood, thumbing my nose at Hydro-QuÃ©bec.

brad03ca · 10-31-2005, 01:37 AM

I burn wood aswell Jim. Six cord delivered in log lengths, I cut and split. Use around four per season. only prob for me is.. when oil,gas, diesel go up, so does the price of logs. Hmmm....$75.00/cord is a really good price.

2Roadrunners · 10-31-2005, 01:47 AM

I've always wanted a camper with a wood stove in it....................

Novi · 10-31-2005, 03:58 AM

I don't know about wood chopping as a retirement recreation idea guys?? I prefer shutting the house down (not off) take the little bit of savings and go south for some sunshine

golfing...yeah, casinos...yeah, hot tub...you bet!! I'll leave the wood chopping to the beavers.

Skip298 · 10-31-2005, 04:34 AM

I would be interested in your "shutting the house down method" Novi.......I also heat with wood and have hydro one as back up.....we live in the country so were on well and septic... send PM if you want email addr..

Tom N · 10-31-2005, 04:47 AM

Quote:

Dont understand why deisel isnt dropping?.

Gas is in lower demand in the winter and diesel is in higher demand because of it's association with home heating oil.

Novi · 10-31-2005, 07:44 AM

Hi Skip298,

but basically all I can do is reduce my monthly costs for PUC to the monthly minimum and turn the temp. down on the thermostat and turn the vents off to rooms that do not have water to them, otherwise there has to be a certain amount of heat to prevent freezing. This reduces the monthly costs a bit, thats why a said a little bit of savings. I also put the telephone, internet, and satilite TV on vacation mode with Ma Bell this actually saves me the most and restart them when I get back home. I do keep my cell phone with Bell but I cancell the usual monthly package and take one called Business North America that Bell offers so that we can call anywhere in North America and that way keep in touch with family right from the Motorhome.

Little Kopit · 10-31-2005, 09:08 AM

Ah Novi, not quite shutting the house down! Like the Stephenville Pulp Mill, you're putting your house in limbo.

I did once completely shut a house down. I was moving from NS to NL and the house was for sale. I was pretty sure that one party was going to buy and at a price I wanted, but there were some 'complications'. My plumber suggested that he take care of all of the traps except the toilet at night and I would take care of that in the morning. What was done was to completely fill all of the traps with 100% special anti-freeze down to X'C (don't remember the exact temperature). The house was closed down from Dec 8 to Feb. 15 and it worked.

Generally though, an unheated house will run into problems if this is done winter after winter, or sometimes for even part of a winter. Where I did this was in Yarmouth Co., NS, close to the Gulf Stream, thus the low temperatures weren't too much below freezing.

& Novi what we're talking about has a lot to do with oil and gas and home heating fuel, IMO.

Novi · 10-31-2005, 10:59 AM

Well LK I guess your right it is not too far off topic certainly with natural gas prices having doubled also. Can't wait to see those bills.

Skip298 · 10-31-2005, 11:14 AM

Thanks little kopit, Thats info I was looking for ..I was going to drain the HW heater, toilet and all the water lines..maybe just a touch of air thru to clear the lowest points out..leave three of the 7 electic thermostats at about 55* (all would be in water pipe rooms..) The crawl space (4ft) is well insulated around the walls and it pretty much stays in the mid 40's without heating..leave all cupboard or closet doors open that are built on outside walls...MY biggest problem is that the water pump and pressure tank are in the garage, thats well insulated and heated with 100 watt bulbs...If I turn the water off I am sure to lose the prime in the pump...and that could be a real problem when i come home...If I dont and it does freeze I have a real problem there too,,,,,,,,,what to do, what to do? If the water valve is turned off and no matter what it cannot harm the living area then all I end up losing is a lot of well water and a hydro bill...If I cant get the prime back then the plumber gets a call...... oh well.

Little Kopit · 10-31-2005, 11:51 AM

Skip,

Yes, there was a pump to consider. Given what I now know about rvs, I wonder if the plumber 'winterized it' with the pink stuff or the equivalent of 22 years ago.

How about a preventative call to the plumber? Maybe pink stuff in water lines after you empty them as much as you can. Tighten the valves and get pink stuff in the traps.

Yes, there was a water heater. The plumber must have drained and winterized that too.

What's your heating system? Oil, gas, hydro? & wood?

55'F seems high to me. Remember I've got a pretty draft free house & I keep it below 18/65 , probably 15+/60. How about 7/45. I rarely put the heat on in my basement. If it stays -20+ outside with a blow which takes the basement below and then goes below 3.33/38', then I put heat on.

Let us know what works.