Shut furnace down at night!

[southpennrailroad]

I am beginning to think that the length of time it takes to warm up the trailer after shutting it down for the night compared to just leaving it on low is not worth the savings that I thought I would save. It took a long time of running the furnace this morning, almost a half hour. I started to feel uncomfortable at about 6 am and it is now 6:30. I am not doing this any more. Better to feel comfortable then cold. Now I am half out of the blankets.

[Ratkity]

I heard some anecdotal stories about when the fad for lowering your thermostats to save money when it came out in the 70s (before most programmable thermostats of today).

Whether AC or heat, I remember reading that a few degrees lowering saves money, but large temperature differences actually makes a furnace or AC unit work harder. I can't remember if there was a major fuel savings turning down a furnace low or off.

I know you will do your own experiment and hopefully report back!

Hugs,
Ratkity

[southpennrailroad]

I heard some anecdotal stories about when the fad for lowering your thermostats to save money when it came out in the 70s (before most programmable thermostats of today).

Whether AC or heat, I remember reading that a few degrees lowering saves money, but large temperature differences actually makes a furnace or AC unit work harder. I can't remember if there was a major fuel savings turning down a furnace low or off.

I know you will do your own experiment and hopefully report back!

Hugs,
Ratkity

The way I heard that furnace run for 1/2 hour, I knew it wasn't worth shutting it down from 12:00 am to 06:00. Then the bad side effect was that it took a long time for me to warm up beneath the blanket while the trailer took so long to warm up. Won't do that any longer.
I don't like being beneath blankets all morning. Like only my feet warm.

[southpennrailroad]

Now I am also thinking after this mornings experiment that I am glad I bought that 19,000 btu. and not the 12,000 which would have taken much longer.

[S. Heisley]

Yes, you may have to leave the heater on low. But, then, in the middle of the night, you may have to get up and shut it off if it gets too hot in there. Good luck on getting back to sleep after that! If you find you have the "too hot in the middle of the night" problem, I think I would set an alarm clock so I could get up and turn the heater back on. That way, I could turn the heater off when I went to bed; and, when the alarm goes off at 2:30 (or whatever time is best for your body), I could turn the heat on but would still be groggy enough to go back to sleep...maybe?

I know you got your trailer sides insulated; but, did you ever get the ceiling insulated?

[Deryk the Pirate]

heh was 34' last night and I shut the heater off... woke up and it was 48' outside... my boats cabin warms up pretty fast. I almost left the heat on but figured it wasnt so bad... guess the plus about bein on the boat, the water temp is still in the 50's so it doesnt get as cold as the air temp here.

[eamarquardt]

I heard some anecdotal stories about when the fad for lowering your thermostats to save money when it came out in the 70s (before most programmable thermostats of today).

Whether AC or heat, I remember reading that a few degrees lowering saves money, but large temperature differences actually makes a furnace or AC unit work harder. I can't remember if there was a major fuel savings turning down a furnace low or off.

I know you will do your own experiment and hopefully report back!

Hugs,
Ratkity

I don't see how a furnace will work "harder" to heat a colder room. It will just work longer. With A/C all the "work" is done outside in the compressor/condenser unit. How hard the unit works is more a function of the outside temperature than how cold (within reason) you are trying to cool the room. Turning a heater/AC unit off will always result in a savings of energy. The energy required to reheat/re cool will be less than sustaining even a more modest thermostat setting over time.

The real question is how comfortable do you want to be and how much are you willing to spend to be comfortable. I think that a programmable thermostat would be a good investment both cost wise and comfort wise.

Cheers,

Gus

[mikeschn]

Do you have a thermostat on that furnace. I seem to remember that you do. If so, why not let the temp drop to 68 degrees overnight?

Mike...

[southpennrailroad]

Do you have a thermostat on that furnace. I seem to remember that you do. If so, why not let the temp drop to 68 degrees overnight?

Mike...

earmark>: "I don't see how a furnace will work "harder" to heat a colder room. "
Yep! it worked longer, not harder. caught that huh!



Mike I had to buy a digital and it works well. I just decided to just shut it off instead of let it go to a lower temp. Won't do that any longer. It is nice to wake up to a sightly cool/warm room. Not cold like I was this morning.

[doitright]

I heard some anecdotal stories about when the fad for lowering your thermostats to save money when it came out in the 70s (before most programmable thermostats of today).

Whether AC or heat, I remember reading that a few degrees lowering saves money, but large temperature differences actually makes a furnace or AC unit work harder. I can't remember if there was a major fuel savings turning down a furnace low or off.

I know you will do your own experiment and hopefully report back!

Hugs,
Ratkity

I don't see how a furnace will work "harder" to heat a colder room. It will just work longer. With A/C all the "work" is done outside in the compressor/condenser unit. How hard the unit works is more a function of the outside temperature than how cold (within reason) you are trying to cool the room. Turning a heater/AC unit off will always result in a savings of energy. The energy required to reheat/re cool will be less than sustaining even a more modest thermostat setting over time.

The real question is how comfortable do you want to be and how much are you willing to spend to be comfortable. I think that a programmable thermostat would be a good investment both cost wise and comfort wise.

Cheers,

Gus

you are right if you leave for long periods of time but if you are trying to use the space and save than put it on low not off. The thermostat is to adjust the temp as you need or want it. In a camper you are in and out in winter or cold temp. When it is turned off for long time everything gets cold the cabinets the drawers, closet and they have no air movement. Once they are warm Ok once they are cold they will radiate cold to the heated area and cause the heat to take a long time to over come the cold.
doitright

[doitright]

Do you have a thermostat on that furnace. I seem to remember that you do. If so, why not let the temp drop to 68 degrees overnight?

Mike...

earmark>: "I don't see how a furnace will work "harder" to heat a colder room. "
Yep! it worked longer, not harder. caught that huh!



Mike I had to buy a digital and it works well. I just decided to just shut it off instead of let it go to a lower temp. Won't do that any longer. It is nice to wake up to a sightly cool/warm room. Not cold like I was this morning.

You have a 19,000 btu heater dose it short cycle? It will heat up the space fast but would a 12.000 btu heater work better? We all over do it and same goes with heat . My 3,000 btu heater works just fine in my 6` X 12` scotty rear door. But that is running it all the time dose not have a thermostat. Just set the thermostat to low and not off.
doitright

[southpennrailroad]

Do you have a thermostat on that furnace. I seem to remember that you do. If so, why not let the temp drop to 68 degrees overnight?

Mike...

earmark>: "I don't see how a furnace will work "harder" to heat a colder room. "
Yep! it worked longer, not harder. caught that huh!



Mike I had to buy a digital and it works well. I just decided to just shut it off instead of let it go to a lower temp. Won't do that any longer. It is nice to wake up to a sightly cool/warm room. Not cold like I was this morning.

You have a 19,000 btu heater dose it short cycle? It will heat up the space fast but would a 12.000 btu heater work better? We all over do it and same goes with heat . My 3,000 btu heater works just fine in my 6` X 12` scotty rear door. But that is running it all the time dose not have a thermostat. Just set the thermostat to low and not off.
doitright

Thanks but re-read the opening post that I mentioned that I did this just once and that was last night. I have been using my heater for almost a year now as I live in my trailer and a 19,000 BTU is perfect for me. I don't think that a 12,000 would help. But to ward off those who say If you don't try then you won't know. But to that I say I don't have money to buy another just to test it.

I know I re read this reply and it sounds mean but it isn't. A year in my trailer I just decided to change something for just one night and won't do it again. I will set it on low but not off.

Thanks

Russ

[mikeschn]

Winter in PA... ah yes, I remember it well!

Damn cold at times!!!

Hmmm... we need more insulation!!!

How about you climb into your C.T., then we shoot some liquid insulation in there. You'll have to flap your arms around everywhere you don't want the insulation to set up. You've only got a couple minutes. Kinda like moving bubbles around in a bubble bath!!!

Ah well, stay warm!

Mike...

P.S. Did you get the insulation in that you were talking about in the spring?

[8ball_99]

Digital thermostats save money in a home cause most people are gone 8-10 hours a day.. And even then they don't cut the units off. Just dial them back 5-10 degrees. A heat pump central unit is a hole other deal though. It doesn't hurt them to run for longer periods. Infact its much better for them to run a a couple hours straight then it is for them to cut off and on 4-5 times in those two hours.

With a RV furnace it doesn't matter either way. The more it runs the more gas it will use. You said it ran for 30 mins straight, But it was off for 6 hours. My guess is it runs more then 5 mins an hour so you are saving gas. haha but like they said how much gas you want to save vs how cold you want to be.

Most of them have a built in 5 min cool down so its not like its going to cut flicker on and off non stop if its over sized.. You have to think if you size it for 30 degree weather its going to be to small for those low teens. If you size it for those low teens its going to cycle a little more often when its 30. Its just the way it works. Your better off having more heat then you need then not enough..

I'd just cut it back at night.. Like posted above once the walls cabinets floor ect all get cold it takes a long time for the trailer to really feel warm. Even if you get the air temp up it takes a while for the heat to warm up the surfaces..

[southpennrailroad]

Winter in PA... ah yes, I remember it well!

Damn cold at times!!!

Hmmm... we need more insulation!!!

How about you climb into your C.T., then we shoot some liquid insulation in there. You'll have to flap your arms around everywhere you don't want the insulation to set up. You've only got a couple minutes. Kinda like moving bubbles around in a bubble bath!!!

Ah well, stay warm!

Mike...

P.S. Did you get the insulation in that you were talking about in the spring?

Not all. But I am busy and will wait till winter for sure as I can do it while inside. I got to the walls but I am doing a little at a time while inside.