It's close to zero degrees here in St. Paul, MN

[MineralMan]

That's not unusual in January, but I've been dealing with a balky furnace this winter. I've had to replace a vacuum switch that was working intermittently and today, I replaced the old round Honeywell thermostat with a brand new round Honeywell thermostat, because the temperature in the living room didn't seem to match the setting on the old one.

So, the new thermostat is working just fine, but the living room temperature still doesn't match the thermostat setting. Weird, perhaps, but I moved the thermometer into the place where the thermostat lives, and it did match. It turns out that the thermostat is on a wall in the hallway from the living room to the bedrooms in the house. Not a lot of air circulation there, but it's right above the furnace, and not far from a heat register.

The thermostat has been there since 1954, in the same place, so I guess everyone who has lived in this house, including me for 12 years, has been dealing with issues with controlling the temperature in the living room. But, now I know that it's not the thermostat, but its location, so I guess I'll have to experiment until I find the sweet spot. Maybe I'll put a fan in the hallway and create more air circulation.

Thanks, Donald Trump, you moron! But, at least I was distracted from cursing you for half an hour.

[HassleCat]

1. Glad I never had to face those Minnesota winters.

I lived in Wisconsin. Clever me!

[Qanisqineq]

2. Minus 4, windchill minus 20 here in central ND

Hard to get used to again after almost 20 years away from ND!

Edit: windchill, not windmill! Damn autocorrect

Edit: autocorrect strikes again

[liberal N proud]

3. 70 in South Carolina

Sorry, I left the cold of the nor the behind, couldn't take another winter of frozen fingers.

It will get cold here then bounce right back up to 70.

[Warpy]

4. It's 52 here in the high desert

which is why I live here, not there. I also have a balky furnace, a 1946 floor furnace that is original to the house, and a thermostat on a wall eight feet away from it. Every year I fiddle with that thermostat to find a setting that will allow me to sit in the living room without shivering and sleep in the bedroom without sweating and it always takes me a week or two to find the sweet spot. I never mark it because these old bones seem to be less cold tolerant every year.

Our winter (Dec-Feb) tamps can range from -10 to +75 with an average 30 degree difference between day and night. There is a lovely snowstorm that will probably affect you in a few days but miss us and we need the moisture or the skiers on the mountain east of town will be skiing on pine needles and gravel.

And nothing distracts me from cursing Donald Trump for even half an hour and dammit, I've tried.

[Wellstone ruled]

5. Hey man,did you bring in the

Brass Monkey?

[longship]

6. Thank goodness we have Lake Michigan between us!

Here in rural west Michigan we rarely have to suffer such brutally cold temps. However, I have seen below -20F temps here in January in years past. But the rather large lake moderates the temperatures. On the other hand it gives rise to lake effect snow which tends to dump snow on the western coast of the state.

Here's a picture of the Ludington, MI lighthouse.
During winter:


During an autumn storm:


Lake Michigan is a bitch! BTW, that lighthouse is occupied.

[eleny]

9. Wow! It's occupied?! Props to those folks.

Now I have to go read more about it. I love a lighthouse story especially when it's true. Thanks a million for posting about it.

[longship]

12. It's been a few years, but AFAIK it is still active.

Note the wave deflecting structures.


This is an extraordinary design, some of which was added later due to the fucking lake!

If one visits there one is likely to be greeted by the lighthouse keeper.

[eleny]

14. From this aspect it even looks like a ship

[longship]

16. The better to keep the lower levels dry. nt

[longship]

20. Here's another one from winter.

And another rather nice pic:


Michigan has many, many lighthouses, and one can occupy them as a lighthouse keeper. It's a volunteer thing. But there are many opportunities.

[eleny]

30. How striking!

I've been saving some links to read after supper tonight.

I like Great Lakes stories, too. Not many novels out there but the ones I've read were terrific.

[eleny]

7. Speaking of furnaces...

Our house was built in '48 and originally had a floor furnace. The pit where it sat was centrally located. No thermostat. We'd just turn it on, set the flame on low and the heat radiated throughout the house 24/7.

We installed a forced air system in the attic 10 years ago. It was the only option in a house built on a slab and no basement.
I still miss the floor furnace. Come in from the cold and stand over the big grate - aaaah!

[MineralMan]

10. We had one of those floor furnaces in

California, and you're right. Standing over it was great. In Minnesota, furnaces have a lot more work to do. The one in my basement is about 15 years old and probably will get replaced this summer when prices are down. I've been fixing it myself since we bought the house. I understand furnaces, and it's no problem fixing them, but it's very hard to buy parts for them. You can buy them online, but locally, the HVAC supply company won't sell them to individuals - only to licensed HVAC companies.

The problem happens when the furnace isn't working on a cold day. You can't really wait for a part to come. So, a couple of times, I've had to call the repairman. $$$$. One part that would have cost me $50 cost $500, installed by the repairman. Plus, I did the diagnosis and gave the outfit that made the repair the part number, so all the tech had to do was remove 4 screws, unplug two wires and put the new one in and plug the wires back in. It took him the same 15 minutes it would have taken me. $450 for 15 minutes? I'm in the wrong business altogether, I guess.

[eleny]

13. Shaking my head over that cost

You would think they'd cut you some slack.

[csziggy]

17. We had a floor furnace when I was growing up in central Florida

Even though it didn't get cold there often when it did, that heater was wonderful. The old house was uninsulated and very drafty. In the winter, the bedrooms, living room, dining room and Dad' office were all closed off and we only heated the kitchen and Florida room.

We'd pick out our clothes the night before and hang them over the floor furnace. When we climbed out from under our comforters and dashed from the cold bedrooms, those warm clothes were great to get into while standing over the furnace.

That was the only heat in that house until it was torn down in 2012. It never had air conditioning, not even window units - the 1930s wiring was not up to the task.

[eleny]

19. What memories!

I often put our flannel pajamas over the grate while taking a shower before going to bed. Getting into the warm pj's was heaven. Now occasionally I put them in the dryer. But the old floor furnace was right outside the bathroom. So we'd just have to reach out and grab them. I really do miss that old furnace.

[csziggy]

26. I always hated the smell - ours was a kerosene heater

And it had a nasty smell which stuck to our clothes.

But the warmth was wonderful. Now I really regret not putting floor heat in our new house - a nice radiant floor would be great on cold days! If I ever have to redo the flooring that will be on my list to add!

[eleny]

28. Ew! I can see that. Ours was natural gas so no strong smell

Hot water heat with some in the floors would be ideal, Imo. I'd love that, too.

[csziggy]

33. So far our house is all electric

I have a thing about fire and has a gas stove blow up on me once so I really don't like having it in the house. We've got a solar water heater that can get really really hot but I don't think I'd want to rely on it for heat in the floor.

Before I could afford to have the floors redone, I'd put in photovoltaic panels. Maybe we could generate enough electricity to cool the house in the summer and heat it in the winter!

[Laffy Kat]

8. A balmy 11 F here in Boulder County, Co.

And snow flurries increasing tonight and tomorrow. FINE w/me! I have both boys home under my warm roof and just took blueberry muffins out of the oven. Plus, I'm off work until the 14th. Life is good.

[eleny]

11. Hi from north Lakewood!

12° and snowy!

[Laffy Kat]

21. Hai!

It's gonna get worse before it gets better. Thinking about taking the boys to see "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them", but may be too cold.

We ought to have a meet up of DU'ers in this area!

[eleny]

24. We're gonna need a meetup to help us survive

And strategize how to keep Dems in office here. And I'd love to get rid of Garnder!!!

The snow here in North Lakewood near Crown Hill Lake is pretty puffy stuff. But that was a couple of hours ago. I'm going to do some sewing today (I'm retired). Enjoy the show if you decide to go! Stay safe!

[Laffy Kat]

32. Thanks, you too.

Imma 'bout to make the boys do some shoveling.

[Ligyron]

15. Meanwhile, it's 84 here in South Florida

So far, this is the warmest winter I have yet to experience here.

[Laffy Kat]

22. Oh, sure, rub it in.

[eleny]

23. The next few days it'll be below zero at night here near Denver but by Sunday it'll be 50

Go figure.

We had roses until December until we had a major cold snap. Then it warmed up again.

And recently we had a major wind storm that scared the bejesus out of me. it went on from noon to midnight. I was worried we'd be losing giant cottonwood limbs but they hung in there.

It's been crazy.

[csziggy]

27. Here in Tallahassee it's 63 F

The cold front went through Monday and Tuesday.

But it's way warmer than we're used to up here for winter - it reminds me of winter in central Florida when I was a kid.

[shraby]

18. It's 3:07 and 10 degrees by Lake Mich. in Wis. feels like 0 and we've had gusty

winds all day.

[MFM008]

25. below freezing here

were about 5 minute drive from the ocean in WA.
Windy to.

[guillaumeb]

29. Zero degrees is probably also the temperature in Trump's heart.

And I believe that, if a test were given for empathy, Trump's score on that would also be zero.

By the way, it is a balmy 19 degrees in Chicago.

[HipChick]

31. It's about 89 degrees here..

I found a nice Island to escape too..