thermostat setting for winter.

[frank]

here in the midwest we are having a blast of cold weather. down to 6 degrees fahrenheit last night, calling for -10 wind chills today. I was wondering what most of you members from the midwest set your thermostat at? I have mine set at 68 degrees and it seems cold. maybe I just need to acclimate. it cycles between 67 and 69 degrees. thanks

 

[WhoDaresWins]

My house was built 10 years ago and I think it is well-insulated. I have my thermostat set on 68 during the day and I bump it down to 66 when I go to bed at night. In the morning if I want it a little more cozy, I turn on my gas log fireplace and read on the nearby sofa while I have my coffee.

 

[pb4uski]

We're in the northern part of the northeast and we set our for 68F during the day and 62F at night. That said, we have a woodstove in our great room where we spend a lot of our time and it is commonly 70-73F in that room when we have a nice fire going.

 

[frank]

my house is 20 years old and also well insulated. 2 by 6 inch walls, good windows, maybe I should consider a gas fireplace or something similar.

 

[braumeister]

We keep it at 64 daytime, 62 at night.
We prefer it cooler than most, and we think it's probably healthier. Sweaters are nice.

When I was a kid, we lived in an uninsulated frame house with very little heat. A small coal stove on the ground floor, bedrooms on the second floor. Waking up in the morning, it was not unusual to find a fairly thick coating of ice on the inside of the single pane windows. This was in Brooklyn, NY if you can believe it!

Edit to add: I think what you're experiencing is the reason so many people retire to warmer climates.

 

[ls99]

DW likes it comfortably warm. Therefore it is. Even so we only use around 450 gal of heating oil and a cord of firewood a year.

I did lots and lots of insulating right after buying the house, before moving in, then changed to triple pane low E windows. It is paying off handsomely in perpetuity. Love it when things work out better than planned.

 

[Goonie]

The old homestead is 97 years old, but well insulated, thermopane windows, and fairly tight so it stays pretty cozy. But I usually keep our thermostat set at about 72 because my Mom, who was born in this house 87 years ago, is always chilly. During single-digit temps (or colder), I bump it up to about 73-74 to keep her thawed out.

I always have a portable fan blowing on me to compensate for those balmy conditions. I prefer it cooler, and would be much more comfortable at about 67-68 degrees. That's why I go out and spend a lot more time out in my workshop during the winter....usually around 55 degrees out there!

 

[HFWR]

66 at night and when I'm at w*rk, somewhere between 68-71 the rest of the time.

 

[eytonxav]

my house is 20 years old and also well insulated. 2 by 6 inch walls, good windows, maybe I should consider a gas fireplace or something similar.

In my experience, unless you have a wood burning stove insert, most fireplaces will not contribute a thing to heating your home, and in fact my result in loss of heat.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Our little house is very old but new windows a few years ago took the draftiness out of the equation. After keeping the thermostat very low a few years ago at hypothermia in the daytime and are-you-kidding-me at night, we are now in our midsixties feeling the cold more, so keep it at 70 daytime and 65 at night. Most of our windows face south and our shades open all the glass, so sometimes we bump it down a little during the day because we just feel warmer.

 

[Senator]

I am ion MN. Mine is 68 when I am at home. Slightly lower at night.

I do kick it up to 71 once in a great while, just until it hits 71, then it automatically goes back to 68. I have hot water heat, so it takes a while.

 

[travelover]

68 F during the day, 60 at night. I have a two stage furnace and it stays exactly at the temperature set because it nearly always runs on the lower, 35,000 btu mode which provided a stable temperature.

 

[Car-Guy]

When it's colder weather outdoors we keep it at 72 when we are up and 68 when we go to bed. When it's warmer weather outdoors we keep it at 72 all the time. Living where I do in Texas, that often means tuning the AC on in early May and it stays on until mid October. Heating the house is not a big deal at all, even though it was about 28 outside this morning.

 

[38Chevy454]

Even though I am in southwest, I am up in mountains and have cold winter temps. Had 4 inches of global warming at the house on Sunday. My house is 2x6 walls and pretty good insulation, we keep thermostat at 66. Master BR is at north end of house and farthest from furnace, so BR is actually few degrees colder than family room and kitchen area. Consequently we do not turn back the thermostat since it is about 62 in BR at night.

Being out in country and on propane for heat, we do not turn it up past 66. Just wear a flannel shirt or sweatshirt and it is comfortable.

 

[BuysToys]

We keep ours on 68, but we also use our wood burning stove, so the temp in the house right now is 72.

 

[RE2Boys]

Generally, 68 when wife and kids home, 66 at night. 60 during the day when it is only me at home.
We do have two fireplaces with ventless gas logs, so when I'm home during the day I have the logs on in the living room, keeps the furnace from running during those times.
The other gas log fireplace is the family room and we often heat that room to 71 or so in the evenings.

 

[W2R]

Some winters when I was more seriously LBYM'ing, I didn't even turn on the heater at all. This winter I am generally setting the thermostat at 70-72F.

That said, yesterday was warm again with a high of 78F. I wore shorts and a short sleeved top, and at bedtime before the latest front went through I even had to turn on the AC. This morning the outside temperature is back down to 45F and as soon as the inside temperature gets cold again I'll need to switch back over to heat.

Back and forth, back and forth... (I could complain but I admit it - - I do secretly enjoy changing weather.)

 

[jon-nyc]

About 69-70, day and night.

 

[frank]

I'll have to check out the two stage furnace for the stable temp. that sounds like something useful.

 

[Car-Guy]

Had 4 inches of global warming at the house on Sunday.

 

[RunningBum]

68 during the day, 55 at night.

Heat where you are at. Use a space heater for a single room you are spending time in. Use a blanket when you are sitting and reading or watching TV. Electric blanket or mattress pad in bed. Wear warm clothes, and a hat.

Also check the energy efficiency of your house. Consider clear plastic over windows, more attic insulation, check door thresholds for gaps and adjust or put a towel down.

I agree that a gas fireplace probably won't do much. You'd be much better off just bumping the thermostat a degree or two. If you have the capability to add a wood burning stove those are very efficient.

I think the cold came pretty suddenly this year, part of it might just be acclimation.

 

[WhoDaresWins]

My ventless natural gas fireplace with ceramic logs throws off a lot of heat. I had it installed by the builder when my home was under construction, and the cost 10 years ago was $3000.000 so it is not something that is purely ornamental. I live in a two-story home, and it does a very good job on the first floor (I am not trying to heat the whole house with it). As a matter of fact, I start to swelter after about a half an hour if I am in the small den off my kitchen where the fireplace is located and I frequently have to turn it off. I suppose I could set my thermostat on 62 and rely more on the fireplace and it would not be so overly warm.

 

[target2019]

I find that when cold weather first arrives it takes awhile to acclimate, so the inside temperature is at 69-70 now. At night or when unoccupied I set it back to 66. After a winter bill or two I set it back another degree or two.

 

[Silver]

Central Florida here. Our A/C was on yesterday set at 77. Outside temp was low 80's.

 

[razztazz]

65 during the day.(Altho sometimes I spluge up to 68 when it's really really cold outside)

50-55 at night.