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Stoicdadman t1_iy4tpkf wrote

I, Too, am proud to deny myself a basic human right at the behest of a monopoly that continues to make record profits while providing inferior services.

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wsj OP t1_iy5gtlk wrote

I'm not tough enough to stick it out tbh. I like to be cozy! More from the story:

>Donna Sanders, who made it to Dec. 7 last year without heat, is also still going strong in her third year of doing the challenge.
>
>The 67-year-old retiree from North Kingstown, R.I., lives in a newly built condo with neighbors and good insulation, which she says definitely helps. “There’s no stopping now,” she says. “I’m going to try and break my record. My family thinks I’m insane.”

Stay warm out there!

-mc

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sarah_t420 t1_iy5trfd wrote

Were not denying ourselves anything we just havent needed it yet, with the exception of new york lol

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derpbeluga t1_iy4tack wrote

HVAC also dries out the house, which prevents mold. When we were looking for a home to buy last year we found so many houses with mold issues. Some of those houses were pretty much a lost cause. Others would have cost tens of thousands of dollars to get rid of the mold.

I'd rather pay a few hundred a year extra, be comfortable, and not have my house go to shit. The heat has been on since the end of September.

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wsj OP t1_iy5g5r0 wrote

That's smart on the mold point. I tend to keep my house comfortable too because, well, I like to be comfortable.

-mc

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Full-Supermarket t1_iy50w7m wrote

Same here. What temp do you keep when you are not home?

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derpbeluga t1_iy555ov wrote

60

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Full-Supermarket t1_iy57bg4 wrote

Oh I just keep 57

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theanti_girl t1_iy5e021 wrote

That is incredibly cold. Not sure if you’re in a house or apartment, but you might want to just be cognizant of making sure pipes don’t freeze at any point. Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t have to be below 32 for them to freeze.

Edit: why on earth would I get downvoted for that?

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Full-Supermarket t1_iy5gziy wrote

Lol not sure about downvote but pipes are fine above 50°F I think.

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theanti_girl t1_iy5hihk wrote

I think the concern is… if it’s 50 inside the house, it’s probably NOT 50 outside the house and a lot of pipes are in exterior walls. So if the temp is low inside the house, the actual pipes can drop way below that temp (50 in this case) and get to freezing.

I’m saying this because years ago, I woke up to no heat during a blizzard and frozen pipes and it was a reeeeally shit-tastic few days.

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celaritas t1_iy5zm6s wrote

This happened to me. It was - 15 with wind chills and a tiny air draft must have got through the wall and froze a pipe in the same room as my furnace! WTF! It happens.

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theanti_girl t1_iy624o3 wrote

It’s the WORST! Waking up when you can see your breath… no thanks.

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Full-Supermarket t1_iy5huht wrote

I’m heating upstairs around 73 but keeps downstairs 57 because I just work and stay upstairs. Wasn’t aware people keep it higher.

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theanti_girl t1_iy5j08l wrote

Aha! 73 sounds super toasty and very comfy. If you have zone heating, you could always turn the heat on downstairs only and just let it travel up naturally. But, your house, your business. Either way, 73 sounds delightful.

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Full-Supermarket t1_iy5jff6 wrote

I worked downstairs last winter. The heat didn’t travel upstairs at all. I’m loving upstairs working 😆 It says warm longer.

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degggendorf t1_iy62wmb wrote

>So if the temp is low inside the house, the actual pipes can drop way below that temp (50 in this case) and get to freezing.

On top of that, the cabinets installed along those outside walls will further insulate the pipes from the warm inside air, allowing them to get cooler than you might think.

If you need/want to have your house get below 60ish, you might want to consider leaving cabinet doors open to help prevent freezing.

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derpbeluga t1_iy5h7a2 wrote

How would water in pipes freeze above the temperature that water freezes?

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theanti_girl t1_iy5jauq wrote

I said it below but I’m saying — if it’s below 32 OUTSIDE, it doesn’t have to get to 32 inside for them to freeze; if they’re in an exterior wall, they can still freeze even if inside the house is above freezing. Sorry if I worded it poorly.

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sumthinserious t1_iy6g91a wrote

You’re being downvoted because … Reddit. That’s what it do

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wsj OP t1_iy4mazb wrote

‘To those who called me crazy—you’re right.’ Hi everyone, Maddie here from the WSJ. I thought you all would enjoy our fun story today about New Englanders trying to wait out the cold:

>Brian Chevalier was in bed at his Rhode Island home, worried his pipes might freeze and burst. He had on two pairs of socks, two hats, underwear, pajamas, jeans, two shirts, two vests, two hoodies and fingerless gloves so he could use his iPhone.
>
>It was Dec. 19 of last year. The outside temperature was expected to drop to 19 degrees. Finally, at 9 p.m., he caved: He turned on the heat.
>
>The date marked a new personal record for a chilling annual challenge—one he hopes to beat this year.
>
>Every year, Mr. Chevalier, 36, who works in digital marketing in the automotive industry, refrains for as long as he can from turning on his heat. Being thrifty, of course, factors in. Fuel is expensive this year and many people are cutting back. But beyond that, there is a flinty group that always tries to stare down thermostats come winter.
>
>Denying oneself decadent warmth for the noble suffering of being too cold is a proud tradition among austere New Englanders. “Are you a true New Englander? If your heat is already on, the answer is no,” the Boston Globe asked in a recent headline. “No heat before Halloween” could be a regional motto.
>
>On Mr. Chevalier’s Facebook and Twitter pages—Weather in RI—he has about 28,000 followers who are now cheering him on and sharing their own attempts to keep the heat off. There are humble brags of shivering through cold nights, shared survival tips and posted photos of thermostats boasting temperatures dipping into the 30s.
>
>This year’s challenge is particularly animated in part because of the soaring cost of energy bills. Heating oil, propane and electric rates have increased over the year, and are expected to continue edging up this winter.

Read the full story, free with email registration: https://www.wsj.com/articles/heat-temperature-heating-thermostat-new-england-11669650535?mod=wsjreddit

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WeatherInRI t1_iy9etiv wrote

Thanks for sharing this here! Woke up to a balmy 48° house this morning. Forecast looks to buy me at least another week. 3 more weeks and it will be a new record! Sending warm thoughts to those still playing the game!

All the Best,

Brian Chevalier

Social Mediarologist Weather In RI #401wx

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KyloRenCadetStimpy t1_iy5n9xc wrote

I got overruled by the wife during that cold snap a around Halloween. I usually try to get to at least December 1st. Of course, in that time, it's been about 50/50 as to whether the furnace was idling or not.

​

Of course, she usually has a heated blanket on, while I'm in my boxers with a fan blowing on me.

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RosaPalms t1_iy5oo1p wrote

I am usually this person, but that same cold snap got me this year. Just folded like tent.

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GotenRocko t1_iy5qhif wrote

Had to turn mine on last week with my sister staying with her husband and child for Thanksgiving. And even then they found it too cold at 65, had to turn it up to 70.

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ases8089 t1_iy5oj9b wrote

i personally find this rediculous -why be uncomfotable in your own home? and i still want him to go without ac for as long as possible in the summer - apparantly thats not as fun 😂

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bunnybates t1_iy5vwk6 wrote

We have the heat on the bare minimum so the pipes don't freeze. We also have 2 cats and a dog.

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beta_vulgaris t1_iy63ys3 wrote

I grew up in a house where you didn’t dare touch the thermostat until Thanksgiving, so now I take great pleasure in turning on the heat whenever I damn well please.

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beansoupscratch t1_iy6nr1n wrote

I have a $1000 oil bill looming over me. No heat for my family this year.

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Bisoromi t1_iy7ewmh wrote

In case anyone ever wondered what propaganda looks like, here's your example. Trying to make it look like a folksy show of strength instead of the problem that it is.

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wsj OP t1_iy8pm9e wrote

This particular story was yesterday's A-Hed, which is our daily quirky human interest story, but we have much more serious reporting on the broader topic as well if that's what you're looking for:

Let me know if there's something else you'd like to see! I can poke around more for ya.

-mc

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Wide_Television_7074 t1_iy5r6s4 wrote

luckily our home has many heating zones. only have used 1 zone at 61 degrees at night to sleep. Otherwise it’s set to 57. I’d rather save the money.

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Florkinomics t1_iy5vzm7 wrote

Yes I am. And yes I am. 😆

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Gore-MayCupcake t1_iy5le1c wrote

Mine is off but, not by choice. My furnace is broken.

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wsj OP t1_iy5oxyo wrote

Oh no! Stay warm out there!

-mc

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jt_tesla t1_iy5vzlw wrote

I try to make it to Halloween.

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climb-high t1_iy6bcc4 wrote

I turned mine on 2 weeks ago and my 30 year old boiler completely broke after 4 days. Been without heat for 10 days now waiting on replacement but most evenings I’ve used a space heater to stay above 60.

No hot water either. Ahh

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mr_mooses t1_iy6o63d wrote

I still have windows open.. We didn’t turn the heat on once last year and I don’t think it ever dropped below 60. AC is expensive, but I’ll offset it with the downstair neighbor’s heat. 3rd floor apt ftw.

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lovegiblet t1_iy7p6ll wrote

Anyone else still wearing shorts or just me?

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Reeceologist t1_iy7zt4k wrote

My breaking point was when it hit 56 degrees inside during the middle of the day

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Falsse_Flag t1_iy8a2ey wrote

New Englanders are known for being stingy.

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twistedredd t1_iy8l37t wrote

my room is just above 60 degrees at night and I have a faux fur blanket that is impossible to be cold under. Sleep is amazing in the winter. I'd never put a/c down to 60 in the summer lol.

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_hanShan_ t1_iy5zef4 wrote

You should all get a wood stove. I haven’t turned on my heat yet this season and my house is 76 right now.

−3

edthesmokebeard t1_iy66s1x wrote

Good thing wood stoves are free and produce no heat. Else your comment would make you look like an ass.

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