"Ed Pawlowski" wrote in message
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wrote in message
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All,

Last night, the temp here in Iowa dipped down to around -10 with a -35
degree windchill. This morning I noticed the temp was about 4 degrees
off of where I had the thermostat set (It was set for 68, but the
heater was running continuously to keep it at 64). Right now, the
temp has risen to about -5 and the heater is running continuously to
keep the house at about 66-67 degrees.

When you look at the windchill, I think this is probably one of the
coldest days since I moved in 2 years ago.. Does this sound normal, or
could there be an air flow problem? The amount of hot air coming out
the vents seems to be normal compared to warmer days.

Thanks,
Dan

Couple of possibilities. Heaters are designed for a certain temperature
rise across the coil or heat exchanger. If the leaving air is above the
entering air by the correct degrees, the heater is running properly.

Next is wind chill. The wind chill factor does not apply to inanimate
object, only or skin where evaporative cooling makes us feel colder than
the actual temperature. Wind will though, chill a house faster if there
are leaks, poor windows, defective door weather striping etc. Check all
of that stuff. Even a simple fix like a towel rolled up against a leaking
door threshold helps.

Next factor is the design of the heating system. At some time the builder
should have run the calculations of how much heat is required to keep
your house at the design temperature under severe conditions. If -10 is
the worst it ever gets there, it is about the limit of the system. If you
often get say, -25, your system was not sized properly and should have
been larger.

Fixes include adding more insulation and possibly some supplementary heat.
Even baking cookies is a good idea on a day like this as the oven will add
some heat to the house.

You did not say what type of fuel you have. Oil burners can be de-rated
by putting in a smaller nozzle. If you have oil, be sure you have the
appropriate nozzle for your burner.


If the windows are old or drafty you could cover them with plastic. Also one
of those electric oil filled heaters that look like a radiator might help...