older homes in cold weather
 

I'm noticing in upstate NY, zero or subzero weather and just wonder
how the older homes handle these temps? Does your heater constantly
run? Pipes stay safe? Etc... Do you have to do anything special
to your home for these kinda temps?

older homes in cold weather
 

On Wed, 23 Jan 2013 16:26:26 -0600, Doug
wrote:

I'm noticing in upstate NY, zero or subzero weather and just wonder
how the older homes handle these temps? Does your heater constantly
run? Pipes stay safe? Etc... Do you have to do anything special
to your home for these kinda temps?

It only got to 1F here last night, so the furnace doesn't even run 25%
of the time. It is sized for 20 below- which we hit every few of
years.

My house is 120 yrs old or so-- but the oldest window is 15 years old-
and I've insulated it to or beyond modern specs over the past 30
years.

My neighbor, a bachelor, has a similar house, with original windows
and no insulation. He 'camps out' all winter in one room with a
kerosene heater. I like my way better.

Jim

older homes in cold weather
 

On Wed, 23 Jan 2013 18:57:57 -0500, Jim Elbrecht
wrote:

On Wed, 23 Jan 2013 16:26:26 -0600, Doug
wrote:

I'm noticing in upstate NY, zero or subzero weather and just wonder
how the older homes handle these temps? Does your heater constantly
run? Pipes stay safe? Etc... Do you have to do anything special
to your home for these kinda temps?

It only got to 1F here last night, so the furnace doesn't even run 25%
of the time. It is sized for 20 below- which we hit every few of
years.

My house is 120 yrs old or so-- but the oldest window is 15 years old-
and I've insulated it to or beyond modern specs over the past 30
years.

My neighbor, a bachelor, has a similar house, with original windows
and no insulation. He 'camps out' all winter in one room with a
kerosene heater. I like my way better.

Jim

Wow, interesting. Yeah I like your way better too. Thanks.

older homes in cold weather
 

One friend of mine near the PA line, near Binghamton. Had her water line
freeze, a day or two ago.

I've been OK. It's been miserable cold. I was out tonight, and it was cold
in the truck, took a long time to warm up.

My residence is a 1974 trailer, three bedrooms. A couple friends and I blew
some cellulose into the ceiling. Used to have huge icicles, from the heat
loss. When I took out my old furnace, in 2004, it was 80k BTU. I had a
choice of 70 or 90, and glad I chose 70. Actually, for here, 70k may be too
much. I havn't paid a lot of attention as to the duty cycle. I put in a 90
percenter, hope that saved some bucks. Took out an 80 percenter. I also use
a humidifier, which uses a couple gal of water each day.

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

"Jim Elbrecht" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 23 Jan 2013 16:26:26 -0600, Doug
wrote:

I'm noticing in upstate NY, zero or subzero weather and just wonder
how the older homes handle these temps? Does your heater constantly
run? Pipes stay safe? Etc... Do you have to do anything special
to your home for these kinda temps?

It only got to 1F here last night, so the furnace doesn't even run 25%
of the time. It is sized for 20 below- which we hit every few of
years.

My house is 120 yrs old or so-- but the oldest window is 15 years old-
and I've insulated it to or beyond modern specs over the past 30
years.

My neighbor, a bachelor, has a similar house, with original windows
and no insulation. He 'camps out' all winter in one room with a
kerosene heater. I like my way better.

Jim

older homes in cold weather
 

On Wed, 23 Jan 2013 16:26:26 -0600, Doug
wrote:

I'm noticing in upstate NY, zero or subzero weather and just wonder
how the older homes handle these temps? Does your heater constantly
run? Pipes stay safe? Etc... Do you have to do anything special
to your home for these kinda temps?

Nope. Just pay the heat bill.

In really cold weather, (-20F) the furnace may run continuously or
nearly so but that's also true here in the South when it gets down to
+20F. Basically, the heating systems are sized for the expected
temperatures.

Pipes can freeze but mainly because something isn't built right (water
service or hyrdonic heating systems in exterior walls or worse, in
cantilevered floors/walls). In a properly built house this doesn't
happen, unless the heating system is down (pay the bill).

Hi there! Although I know you are quite knowledgeable with conservatories, I would like to add a few information. 1)Winters are a good time to to build your own conservatory for it is the best time to rest. 2)If your conservatory has a right foundation, you will not feel the cold temperature outside. 3)Lastly, it will keep the boiler heat insulated.

If you want to know more about conservatories, I can share with you all the information I have. Keep in touch!

older homes in cold weather
 

On Wed, 23 Jan 2013 16:26:26 -0600, Doug
wrote:

I'm noticing in upstate NY, zero or subzero weather and just wonder
how the older homes handle these temps? Does your heater constantly
run? Pipes stay safe? Etc... Do you have to do anything special
to your home for these kinda temps?

Really depends on insulation, insulation value of construction
materials, and how air tight it's built. Type of windows make a big
difference.
Pipes are always ok if they're in heated spaces, and always freeze if
left bare in unheated space.
I've been surprised at how low my heating bills have been in my last 2
uninsulated brick houses. The ranch I'm in now has attic batts, and
that's it. I did put in all thermal pane windows, but good storm
windows are almost as good. More hassle putting up/taking down.
Pretty easy to track heat loss and address it in most houses. The
expense and payback can widely vary.
My brick ranch is 54 years old, and it would cost more to insulate the
outside walls with 3-4" than the much older stick house I grew up in.
Besides replacing the drywall, I'd have to restud, and box the windows
and doors. Never seriously considered it.
Pulling the drywall, and putting in foam panels is an option, but
haven't looked hard at that either. Wouldn't get much R-value,
because the panels would be only about 3/4" thick.
The air in there already has some R value.
The old stick houses with clapboard siding like I grew up in were
usually drafty. We didn't walk around half naked in the winter.
But when money is tight, you adjust to all that.
You can insulate any house - if you have the money.
But going after drafts always has a high payoff.

older homes in cold weather
 

On 1/23/2013 6:57 PM, Jim Elbrecht wrote:
On Wed, 23 Jan 2013 16:26:26 -0600, Doug
wrote:

I'm noticing in upstate NY, zero or subzero weather and just wonder
how the older homes handle these temps? Does your heater constantly
run? Pipes stay safe? Etc... Do you have to do anything special
to your home for these kinda temps?

It only got to 1F here last night, so the furnace doesn't even run 25%
of the time. It is sized for 20 below- which we hit every few of
years.

My house is 120 yrs old or so-- but the oldest window is 15 years old-
and I've insulated it to or beyond modern specs over the past 30
years.

My neighbor, a bachelor, has a similar house, with original windows
and no insulation. He 'camps out' all winter in one room with a
kerosene heater. I like my way better.

Jim


Probably one of those that "doesn't smell and you don't even know it is
running" deals?

That seemed to be a fad around here maybe 10 years ago. The things stink
no matter how much you imagine they don't. As a bonus you get to deal
with frozen pipes in the underheated spaces.

older homes in cold weather
 

On 1/23/2013 5:26 PM, Doug wrote:
I'm noticing in upstate NY, zero or subzero weather and just wonder
how the older homes handle these temps? Does your heater constantly
run? Pipes stay safe? Etc... Do you have to do anything special
to your home for these kinda temps?


I think it is less usual to find older homes that weren't retrofitted
with better insulation etc. So if they did a good job there isn't much
difference compared to a newer house.

older homes in cold weather
 

On Thu, 24 Jan 2013 17:32:14 -0500, George
wrote:

On 1/23/2013 6:57 PM, Jim Elbrecht wrote:
On Wed, 23 Jan 2013 16:26:26 -0600, Doug
wrote:

I'm noticing in upstate NY, zero or subzero weather and just wonder
how the older homes handle these temps? Does your heater constantly
run? Pipes stay safe? Etc... Do you have to do anything special
to your home for these kinda temps?

It only got to 1F here last night, so the furnace doesn't even run 25%
of the time. It is sized for 20 below- which we hit every few of
years.

My house is 120 yrs old or so-- but the oldest window is 15 years old-
and I've insulated it to or beyond modern specs over the past 30
years.

My neighbor, a bachelor, has a similar house, with original windows
and no insulation. He 'camps out' all winter in one room with a
kerosene heater. I like my way better.

Jim


Probably one of those that "doesn't smell and you don't even know it is
running" deals?

That seemed to be a fad around here maybe 10 years ago. The things stink
no matter how much you imagine they don't. As a bonus you get to deal
with frozen pipes in the underheated spaces.

We had one thirty years ago. We were able to keep our pipes from
freezing, once, when the boiler crapped out. We ran it, and one
borrowed from a friend, for over 24 hours until we could get the
boiler serviced.

older homes in cold weather
 

On 1/24/2013 5:34 PM, George wrote:
On 1/23/2013 5:26 PM, Doug wrote:
I'm noticing in upstate NY, zero or subzero weather and just wonder
how the older homes handle these temps? Does your heater constantly
run? Pipes stay safe? Etc... Do you have to do anything special
to your home for these kinda temps?


I think it is less usual to find older homes that weren't retrofitted
with better insulation etc. So if they did a good job there isn't much
difference compared to a newer house.

I live in a subdivision built in 1968 outside of Toronto. The home
builder here was known for illegally under insulating homes (walls) and
ours is one of them but to be honest you can't tell. As long as the
drafts are cut down on the west and north walls where the wind can't
blow inside things are fine. When I first moved in here i found drafts
along the inside corners from lousy drywall joints and simply putting up
new beading and mud eliminated the drafts and raised the temperature.

Getting rid of the 1968 single sheet garage door and installing an r16
insulated garage door raised the temperatures in the rooms above the
garage by 2 C but the real savings came in summer cause it cost less to
cool those same rooms down as well.


We can get a week or two at a time where the temperature will never rise
above freezing and I spend more time worrying about warming up the wifes
car than I do heating the house.


Now let me tell you what it was like growing up in a 100 year old
Canadian wooden farmhouse that was on top of a 400 foot hill that was
heated by wood furnace that never ran at night, then having to wake up
at 5 am to start farm chores before school....

older homes in cold weather
 

On Wednesday, January 23, 2013 5:26:26 PM UTC-5, Doug wrote:
I'm noticing in upstate NY, zero or subzero weather and just wonder

how the older homes handle these temps? Does your heater constantly

run? Pipes stay safe? Etc... Do you have to do anything special

to your home for these kinda temps?

My ancestors froze their butts off at Valley Forge in 1777. They just dug in and had a Christmas Eve Party in Trenton. They moved to western PA after Lord Cornholio was sent packing. Just south of upstate NY.
I flipped a house there a few years ago and damn near got a hernia. The heating systems pipes froze burst and I ended up replacing the whole system. Then the first cold month bill was $800. Suck it up. I insulted the walls through horsehair plaster, insulated the attic, replaced most all the windows and slashed the heating bill nearly in half. more could have been done, but I think geothermal would have been better. Oil and gas is very expensive. Crippling

older homes in cold weather
 

On Wednesday, January 23, 2013 11:24:07 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Wed, 23 Jan 2013 16:26:26 -0600, Doug

wrote:



I'm noticing in upstate NY, zero or subzero weather and just wonder

how the older homes handle these temps? Does your heater constantly

run? Pipes stay safe? Etc... Do you have to do anything special

to your home for these kinda temps?



Nope. Just pay the heat bill.



In really cold weather, (-20F) the furnace may run continuously or

nearly so but that's also true here in the South when it gets down to

+20F. Basically, the heating systems are sized for the expected

temperatures.



Pipes can freeze but mainly because something isn't built right (water

service or hyrdonic heating systems in exterior walls or worse, in

cantilevered floors/walls). In a properly built house this doesn't

happen, unless the heating system is down (pay the bill).

I eneded up keeping the heat set at 50 degrees so the pipes would be safe in the basement. Then I converted a room in the attic and used a kerosene heater. Big savings. But them old houses can light up like a christmas tree in seconds

older homes in cold weather
 

On Thursday, January 24, 2013 7:53:05 AM UTC-5, Vic Smith wrote:
On Wed, 23 Jan 2013 16:26:26 -0600, Doug

wrote:



I'm noticing in upstate NY, zero or subzero weather and just wonder

how the older homes handle these temps? Does your heater constantly

run? Pipes stay safe? Etc... Do you have to do anything special

to your home for these kinda temps?



Really depends on insulation, insulation value of construction

materials, and how air tight it's built. Type of windows make a big

difference.

Pipes are always ok if they're in heated spaces, and always freeze if

left bare in unheated space.

I've been surprised at how low my heating bills have been in my last 2

uninsulated brick houses. The ranch I'm in now has attic batts, and

that's it. I did put in all thermal pane windows, but good storm

windows are almost as good. More hassle putting up/taking down.

Pretty easy to track heat loss and address it in most houses. The

expense and payback can widely vary.

My brick ranch is 54 years old, and it would cost more to insulate the

outside walls with 3-4" than the much older stick house I grew up in.

Besides replacing the drywall, I'd have to restud, and box the windows

and doors. Never seriously considered it.

Pulling the drywall, and putting in foam panels is an option, but

haven't looked hard at that either. Wouldn't get much R-value,

because the panels would be only about 3/4" thick.

The air in there already has some R value.

The old stick houses with clapboard siding like I grew up in were

usually drafty. We didn't walk around half naked in the winter.

But when money is tight, you adjust to all that.

You can insulate any house - if you have the money.

But going after drafts always has a high payoff.

Drafts and thermal insulation even plastic with a space of air works only if the roof has good r

older homes in cold weather
 

Made you really appreciate warm siblings?

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

"Hench" wrote in message
...

Now let me tell you what it was like growing up in a 100 year old
Canadian wooden farmhouse that was on top of a 400 foot hill that was
heated by wood furnace that never ran at night, then having to wake up
at 5 am to start farm chores before school....