Last night it was -7 or -8 at 8 pm. Looked to be getting a really cold night, so I put the upstairs pellet stove in T-stat mode. Now, that sounds like a thermostat turns it on and off, but that would be SmartStat mode (which it normally is in - by the way Cop Car, the digital thermostat works great - thanks!) T-Stat mode is slightly different; I set the highest heat output it is allowed to get to (I set at #3, but the rang is 1-5) then if there is a call for heat, the stove goes directly to #3 output. If there is no call for heat, it idles at #1 output. So, it never goes out.
Since the thermostat is in the office, closer to the stove, it stays warmer than the bedroom by 2-4 degrees on a normal day. However, with the frigid temps, the bedroom temperature was getting to the lowest it has been, 66, since I put the stove in. I figured it would get even lower thru the night as the cold from the garage infiltrated the floor. So, by putting it on T-stat, there would be steady heat for the fan to push into the bedroom (dang, I should go into a big explanation of how the heat gets to the other side of the house, but I won't). This worked well and the bedroom was 68 when I awoke this morning.
Anyway, to back up at 8 pm last night - I came into the living room after checking the outside thermometer to see that Fuzzy looked like he knew how cold it was outside and was getting prepared in case the house got cold
Tory and Birdie seemed to be more confident that no such thing would happen.
And yes, I am staying toasty warm with the pellet stoves going - at half the fuel cost of when I used propane.
Bogie--I'm really happy that the thermostat works. It just proves that you really knew what you needed!
As to the 68-degree bedroom: better you than me. I would be smothering.
To be fair, when you were using propane, your house had much more heat loss, didn't it?
Love the photos of your roommates.
Posted by: Cop Car | February 15, 2015 at 02:55 PM
P.S. I know you've been having low temperatures; but, have you been getting the blizzards? I know they've been reported not-too-far from you.
Posted by: Cop Car | February 16, 2015 at 04:17 PM
The house probably had more heat loss, but I am now heating the basement too (an extra 650 sq/ft - about an extra 66% of area) over what the propane heated. Also, the bedroom and craft room are over the garage, so the floor lets in lots of cold air (even with area rugs).
Posted by: bogie | February 16, 2015 at 06:34 PM
Ouch! I would not appreciate the cold floors. That is one nice thing about my bathroom in the basement. The floor is never really cold. (My adjoining bedroom, as you will recall, has carpeting, so even less cold.)
Posted by: Cop Car | February 17, 2015 at 07:41 PM