Turning on the furnace

[gofish]

So have you turned your furnace on yet?

DH is getting our furnace ready to turn on today. So far we have just been using the kerosene heater to take the chill off in the evenings.

We got a new carbon monoxide and smoke alarm to put up. I like to replace them every few years.

Menard's had fire extinguisher on sale so we replaced those too and while he's in the basement I'll have him replace the battery in the smoke alarm there.

 

 

Today is my Sunday to make coffee at church and tonight the African Children's Choir is performing. I'm going to put some white chicken chilli in the crock pot.

For some reason I seem to have lots of laundry to finish:but as DH keeps telling me it's not like I have to drag it down to the river and beat it on a a rock.

It's going to be a busy day.

 

 

What are you doing today?

Edited October 7, 2012 by gofish

[Cat]

I asked DH to start our furnace last weekend. He was going up to Michigan again to help his parents, and if he was delayed I didn't know how to turn it on. He has a somewhat goofy way to change from air to heat... it needs a new thermostat and he has his own way for now. So ours has been running as needed this past week.

 

He burned out the outside (also rigged oddly) wood stove yesterday. Had to get the bugs out and scare out any "nesters".

 

Seems like there's never enough time these days. I'm trying desperately to get ready for Winter. I just have a feeling it's gonna come fast and sit down hard. I'm babysitting DGS nearly every day now through the week, and come home tired.

 

DH's trying to put in the new water heater. His parents had theirs flood their basement last spring, and theirs was newer than ours. Ours, being a "manufactured home", has our water heater upstairs in our bedroom closet, and it's 20 years old. So a leak there would be a disaster. He's putting the new one in the basement. And trying to work around all the STUFF that I'm still trying to sort through and GET OUT.

 

Had to go buy a new set of sheets yesterday. My cotton sheet just kind of split at my feet. I have flannel I could use, but DH says they're "too hot" for now. I could have just used my spare set (also poor quality), but Kohls had a sale and DH's Discover card gave a rebate back on any purchases yesterday, so the timing was good. I was able to get a much better set at half price.

 

BigDD and especially her DH are anxious to find out if the new baby will be another boy or a girl. I suspect it won't be long till they get an ultrasound done. They can get it done at a clinic in a larger town for less $$ than a doctor-ordered one with their insurance share would be.

 

Have fun at the concert... it sounds like it will be fun! If I didn't have plans for this evening, I'd be tempted to go!

[lumabean]

The fuel truck was outside earlier in the week, so i think that's an indication that the landlord was getting things ready to go with the heat (heat, cold water, and septic are included in our rent - a big savings in the winter esp.). I haven't tried to use it yet though because we've been fortunate with temps not dropping low enough to need it yet.

 

We bought a carbon monoxide detector too - our first floor apartment is over the basement where all of the tanks and pipes, etc are. The furnace is gas, something else down there uses a different sort of fuel, and well, odors waft up here all the time (smoke, when someone uses too much bleach in the wash, things like that) so I am thinking dangerous carbon monoxide would just as easily.

[Darlene]

Last night was the first night I fired up the woodstove. I'm with Cat...I've just had this gut feeling for a couple of months that this will be a harsh and hard winter so I'm frantically trying to get everything in order before it hits because I've spent too many winters working outside and am desperate to not have to do that again.

 

When I woke up this morning there were still a few coals in the stove so I added some more wood and have it on low. It's going to be chilly here for a couple of days until it warms back up to normal fall temperatures so right now the heating is fun...cast iron pot on top of the stove filled with water, apples and cinnamon sticks to give the house a nice aroma.

 

All too soon it will be just another chore lol.

[The WE2's]

So have you turned your furnace on yet?

DH is getting our furnace ready to turn on today. So far we have just been using the kerosene heater to take the chill off in the evenings.

 

Yes, we finally pushed the lever on our furnace, although only setting the thermostat at 68. Got down into low 40's last night and we "sleep light" on clothing (smile). Not ready yet to pull out the pj's or insulated drawers!

 

We got a new carbon monoxide and smoke alarm to put up. I like to replace them every few years.

Menard's had fire extinguisher on sale so we replaced those too and while he's in the basement I'll have him replace the battery in the smoke alarm there.

 

 

Today is my Sunday to make coffee at church and tonight the African Children's Choir is performing. I'm going to put some white chicken chilli in the crock pot.

For some reason I seem to have lots of laundry to finish:but as DH keeps telling me it's not like I have to drag it down to the river and beat it on a a rock.

It's going to be a busy day.

 

 

What are you doing today?

 

Gonna winterize our travel trailer, zip the drain in the bathtub drain in the apt. our son's living in, THEN...take a motorcycle ride. A bit chilly, but we have the gear. It's such a wonderful, peaceful thing for us...just touring God's country. I love my prayer time riding behind Mountain Man...and he hears me or hears me singing, and reaches around and pats my knee! LOL Oh well...we all have a way to worship a great God!

[Annarchy]

Ours is an AC/heat pump. Not much to do to turn it on.

 

It was 60 degrees this morning, it is now 80 and is forecasted to reach close to 100 by mid day.

 

This morning I noticed the clouds over the distant mountains looked 'wintery'. Tinted with a blue hue that makes you think of a snow storm.

 

Seriously looking forward to cooler weather and enjoying the stories about your fall/winter.

[CrabGrassAcres]

I turned on daughter's in wall electric heater this morning cause she was cold even with sweats and huddled under a blanket. I've had a sweater on most of the day, but otherwise quite comfy. Mid 60s here today. Daughter is cold natured.

[MomM]

DH turned our heat on today. I'm in jeans and a fleece jacket and still chilly, so DH just bumped the temp up slightly . I love Fall, but need to get acclimated.

[lovinit]

Yes, our furnace is on. Others would find our home to be chilly, because we keep the temp at 68 or 69 and wear extra layers. Dh would like to sit around in shorts and turn the thermostat up - I was the first one to give in this year though sneaking it up to 70 degrees. STILL in extra clothing. Takes me awhile to get used to the cooler temps too.

[Cat]

gofish, Homesteader and I are supposed to have a frost/freeze tonight. I'm guessing Jori, too.

 

I brought in my two plants that have been outside. I'm thinking the cactus may go anyway, but I couldn't leave it out.

 

Outside cat took advantage of my going in the basement door and dashed inside! I had to carry her out. I got out "her" blanket and replaced it in the playhouse for her, so she seemed happier. Little stinker. LOL

[dogmom4]

Last week our highs were 100... this week the highs will 78...the lows 48... Don't plan on turning on the pilot hopefully until November. Our place is pretty small so cooking heats it up pretty well.

[Jeepers]

I put off turning on the furnace as long as possible. It's been chilly here but nothing long sleeves and a blanket can't solve. Our weather is so changable right now I just try to ride it out until Nov.1st.

 

I got my heated throw out so that warms up the bed and me. Also the fireplace helps.

I'm still canning so that heats me up too.

[out_of_the_ordinary]

We turned it on today. It was 30 degrees outside when we got up this morning. We just needed to take the chill out of the house! We're making meatloaf tonight (first time this fall for using the oven, too), so that'll help to warm it up in here. We haven't lit the pellet stove yet.

[coastygirl]

We had our first frost last weds. All of our wood is put up for the next 2 seasons. Fired up the wood stove last week and do a small fire in the mornings. We have not run our electric furnace at all---in 13 years.

[gofish]

Yes it was frosty this morning.

[dogmom4]

I'm always astounded when I hear of frosty mornings and turning on heaters so early in the season. Tee shirts and shorts are still happening here. We don't usually get frosts until January or February. We are so spoiled....

[The WE2's]

I'm always astounded when I hear of frosty mornings and turning on heaters so early in the season. Tee shirts and shorts are still happening here. We don't usually get frosts until January or February. We are so spoiled....

 

Does that mean we can hug you and keep warm!?

[Deerslayer]

We got our first freeze this morning!!! I love love love winter!!!!

[blestmomof4]

If has been pretty cold here for the last couple of days but is suppose to warm up tomorrow. DH was off yesterday so went ahead and cleaned the furnace, changed out the filters and lit it. He also cleaned the gas fireplace and made sure it was working properly. Our laundry room is on the north side of the house and every year the pipes to my washing machine freeze. Trying to figure out how to keep that from happening this year. I'm hoping we won't have a bad winter. We are trying to get this house ready to put on the market after the first of the year and it's hard to get everything done when the weather isn't cooperating.

[The WE2's]

If has been pretty cold here for the last couple of days but is suppose to warm up tomorrow. DH was off yesterday so went ahead and cleaned the furnace, changed out the filters and lit it. He also cleaned the gas fireplace and made sure it was working properly. Our laundry room is on the north side of the house and every year the pipes to my washing machine freeze. Trying to figure out how to keep that from happening this year. I'm hoping we won't have a bad winter. We are trying to get this house ready to put on the market after the first of the year and it's hard to get everything done when the weather isn't cooperating.

 

From Philbe...years ago I used to have a bathroom that the pipes always wanted to freeze up. I had two methods...one was banking bales of straw around the foundation of the room, covering the bales with rolled insulation and then covering that with heavy black milar. A cheaper way (but not nearly as efficient) was just saving all my old leaves when I raked the yard, into heavy contractor trash bags and then piling them tightly around the foundation of the room. No guarantees, but we didn't have any more frozen pipes.

[The WE2's]

We're snow shoe people so looking forward to that part of winter...but would prefer to drive to it rather than live in it! LOL

[themartianchick]

We haven't used the furnace in our house yet this fall, but I've been working on getting a rental house ready since the 1st of the month. That house doesn't have a woodburner of any kind in it, so I've had to use the furnace while there a bit. The house is really well insulated though which makes us a bit jealous. Our own seems like a drafty barn at times. Our tenant of 6 years moved out and the race is on to get everything painted, waxed, and touched up so that we don't lose more than 1 month's worth of rent. Of course, on her last day in the house, the hot water heater went, so hubby has to replace that this weekend.We haven't had too much truoble with frozen pipes in recent years. The pipe closet in the downstairs bath had a few issues years ago and we bought a heat tape to keep them from freezing. If the power were to go out, we can always fill jugs of hot water to raise the temperature in the little closet or we can heat them with a blowtorch or candle.I've got a small shipment of firewood coming next week as a precaution, but we do have a lot of firewood stored and ready to go. Last night, we burned our first fire of the season.

[dogmom4]

I'm always astounded when I hear of frosty mornings and turning on heaters so early in the season. Tee shirts and shorts are still happening here. We don't usually get frosts until January or February. We are so spoiled....

 

Does that mean we can hug you and keep warm!?

 

Absolutely! I'm warm all the time anyways...as I've gotten older my body temp has slowly risen....

[dogmom4]

From Philbe...years ago I used to have a bathroom that the pipes always wanted to freeze up. I had two methods...one was banking bales of straw around the foundation of the room, covering the bales with rolled insulation and then covering that with heavy black milar. A cheaper way (but not nearly as efficient) was just saving all my old leaves when I raked the yard, into heavy contractor trash bags and then piling them tightly around the foundation of the room. No guarantees, but we didn't have any more frozen pipes.

 

And an added benefit...six months later...the leaves will have broken down into nice compost you can add to your garden.