Open windows in winter

[MichaelB]

My neighbor keeps her second floor window open. This is Northshore Chicago – hot and humid summer, very cold winter. During the summer I assumed she did that to let out the hot air and help cool the house. Now, however, it’s 10 degrees at night and 20 during the day and the window is still open 4 to 6 inches. It’s sometimes closed but the position changes frequently, so it’s not that she forgot or is unaware.

Why would someone do that, especially in such cold weather? DW says she just “likes fresh air”.

 

[Rustic23]

She's a spy and she is sending a signal!

 

[travelover]

She does not pay her own utility bills.

 

[MDJO]

It's for fresh air. My sister in law does the same thing in the winter. Brrrrrrrrr!

 

[Silver]

She has lots of sweaters she likes to wear....to bed?

 

[Nodak]

I do the same thing, with a furnace running the air inside becomes very dry. It makes the house much more comfortable to get fresh air inside whenever possible.

 

[ksr]

Despite the fact that I am perpetually cold, even in winter I keep a couple of bedroom windows open a crack (not 4 to 6 inches, though). I like to have that tiny bit of fresh air entering the house.

 

[ERD50]

I do the same thing, with a furnace running the air inside becomes very dry. It makes the house much more comfortable to get fresh air inside whenever possible.

Why not get a whole house humidifier for the furnace? We have one, it's great. The water is flushed through it so it doesn't really need much cleaning, it has a humidistat, turns on/off automatically. I keep it set just high enough so that we don't get shocks or feel too dry. No moving parts, just a water valve/solenoid. The furnace fan pulls the air through it.

edit/add: Can't pass up a chance to rant on this - So some of these 'open window' people will get money from their fellow citizens to buy a "high efficiency furnace" or to add whether stripping or insulation - and then they leave the windows open! :no: How come the govt doesn't pay me to keep my doors/windows shut and my thermostat low?

-ERD50

 

[haha]

I keep enough windows open all the time to ensure flow through of air. About 3 hours before I intend to sleep, I close the bedroom door and open my bedroom window fairly wide, unless there is a stiff wind blowing from the west in which case I open an inch or so. By bedtime it is cool, and before the night is over it is cold. When I lived alone up in the country I sometimes found my water frozen by my bed by morning.

Sometimes I wrap a blanket around my head. Like dogs, men are happiest with a cold nose.

Ha

 

[rescueme]

My next door neighbor is a Russian emigrant, who lived in Moscow. She does the same thing (and uses her heat pump very little, regardless of season).

Different strokes ...

 

[ls99]

Travelover is onto the game. She is not paying the heating bill.

In winter outdoor humidity is pretty low to begin with. If a house's indoor humidity is way low in the winter, it is because it leaks like a sieve.

Constant infiltration of outside air drops humidity like a rock.

In a well sealed house with normal activity the humidity level goes up, not down. So if humidtiy is low get out he caulking gun, buy a dozen tubes of a caulk and seal up cracks. start at the uppermost level with ceiling fixtures, pipes, chimney chases etc. oh yeah an close the window(s).

The house tends to act like a chimney, heated air escapes at top cold air sucked in at the bottom.

There was a previous thread on the subject of low humidity last year about this time.

 

[ERD50]

I do the same thing, with a furnace running the air inside becomes very dry. It makes the house much more comfortable to get fresh air inside whenever possible.

In winter outdoor humidity is pretty low to begin with. If a house's indoor humidity is way low in the winter, it is because it leaks like a sieve.

Constant infiltration of outside air drops humidity like a rock.

In a well sealed house with normal activity the humidity level goes up, not down.

That is what I was thinking too - thanks for confirming it. Seems like Nodak is doing things backwards here?

Travelover is onto the game. She is not paying the heating bill.

Probably the case - though my MIL would sleep with her BR window open a crack. We just lower the thermostat at night. Most homes have more than enough leakage in winter.

-ERD50

 

[bbbamI]

Hot flashes?....

 

[MichaelB]

The windows have no condensation so there is no indoor humidifier, or if there is, it is set low. The window is not open ‘a crack”, it is at least 4 inches, sometimes more. That has to bleed a whole lot of warm air.

It’s not just at night, it’s day and night, but just this one window. I don’t know which room it is.

I do not remember seeing this last year. When the temperature falls I walk the dog (unrewarded heroic marital sacrifice) and our route is past her house, twice a day. She is recently separated but I can’t believe someone would be that wasteful.

If it’s too stuffy inside or she prefers things a bit a cooler, why not just turn down the heat?

Hot flashes?....

Could be. But still, why not just turn down the thermostat?

 

[ls99]

Maybe there is a body in that room

 

[bbbamI]

Could be. But still, why not just turn down the thermostat?

Mmmm...you've never had a hot flash...have you?

 

[FIREd]

I grew up in cold country and quite a few people used to leave their windows open at night. I too prefer my bedroom to be briskly cold. Last night our bedroom temp was around 65F and it was still too warm for me.

 

[Martha]

Heat balance can be difficult in older homes, with the downstairs cold and the upstairs hot. We would have tenants on the third floor of one of our buildings that would do this, much to our dismay.

 

[aaronc879]

I have more than 1 co-worker who leaves their window open to get fresh air before sleeping even in Wisconsin winter. I don't get it but as long as they can afford the bill then they can do what they want.

 

[haha]

I grew up in cold country and quite a few people used to leave their windows open at night. I too prefer my bedroom to be briskly cold. Last night our bedroom temp was around 65F and it was still too warm for me.

An older friend of mine lived up in the BC Okanagan. He always slept on his open porch. Okanagan is not exactly North Dakota or Manitoba, but it isn't subtropical either. Lots of people like to sleep cold.

Many of us just like to be cool. I have an old LL Bean Thinsulate jacket that my brother gave me in 1980 when he moved from Minnasota to Texas. In a normal winter I may not wear it at all, just my Dickies windbreaker and a sweater. Two years ago it was cold for a while, and I wore it for 2 weeks. I won't ever get rid of it, it is too light and warm to give up even if I rarely need it.

You would be amazed how many people are sitting out on the sidewalk having their coffee or sandwiches with temps in the low 40s. And young people hanging out in front of bars to smoke in tee shirts no matter what the temp. Older women don't seem to put up with this easily, so one sacrifice if you want to be with a women is that you will also be too hot.

Ha

 

[Midpack]

Hi, I am your neighbor. I've been wondering when you'd notice my window antics and say something. I like fresh air, I have hot flashes (OMG) and there is a dead body in that room. But mostly I do it to mess with the neighbors - you're the last neighbor to notice BTW. I started doing it because the darn window won't close all the way and the landlord won't come fix it - but the jokes on her since she pays the utilities...

 

[Nodak]

Why not get a whole house humidifier for the furnace? We have one, it's great. The water is flushed through it so it doesn't really need much cleaning, it has a humidistat, turns on/off automatically. I keep it set just high enough so that we don't get shocks or feel too dry. No moving parts, just a water valve/solenoid. The furnace fan pulls the air through it.

edit/add: Can't pass up a chance to rant on this - So some of these 'open window' people will get money from their fellow citizens to buy a "high efficiency furnace" or to add whether stripping or insulation - and then they leave the windows open! :no: How come the govt doesn't pay me to keep my doors/windows shut and my thermostat low?

-ERD50

I have one but still prefer to get fresh air. At least once a month I'll turn the furnace down to about 60 and open several windows just to get lots of fresh air. My house is small and fairly air tight (heating runs about $600 per year) so it feels more comfortable inside after a good airing.

 

[Nodak]

You would be amazed how many people are sitting out on the sidewalk having their coffee or sandwiches with temps in the low 40s. And young people hanging out in front of bars to smoke in tee shirts no matter what the temp. Older women don't seem to put up with this easily, so one sacrifice if you want to be with a women is that you will also be too hot.

Ha

It's 23 degrees and sunny here right now and there are quite a few people out walking around. My windows are open now. Here this is considered a very nice winter day.

 

[MichaelB]

So, she probably just likes fresher or colder air and wants to encourage circulation. May also be dealing with hormonal issues. That means there’s nothing at all unusual with an open window in freezing weather. Go figure. What energy crisis?

Midpack, I know you’re not my neighbor. You’re far too friendly.

As for the dead body theory, it is a distinct possibility. He has not been seen lately, and they had a phone conversation earlier in the summer (on the back patio, of all places) after he moved out that would certainly establish motive. But then, who would be paying the bills?

 

[haha]

It's 23 degrees and sunny here right now and there are quite a few people out walking around. My windows are open now. Here this is considered a very nice winter day.

Oh for sure; I know that there is no comparison of North Dakota or Eastern Montana with here.

Once i ran into a guy while I was elk hunting. We had a tent and a little stove, he was sleeping in his truck bed. We invited him to our tent, he came but he said that he was from Great Falls and cold weather did not bother him!

I just saw an interesting piece on Espn about the cold bath for NFL players. Some teams even have entire pools kept at hi 30s or low 40s temps. Guys submerge their whole bodies for 5 or more minutes. They believe it makes their careers last much longer.

Ha