and our new install isn't until tomorrow. Today's high was 39 degrees F and low about 26 degrees F. That's the bad news. There is good news.
We kept the living room and entry hall at 64 degrees F until noon and 66 degrees in the afternoon, using a space heater and the electric fireplace (with heat output). That's really good. The fireplace and space heaters were turned on at 3 AM. It was 27 degrees F when I got up this morning and the temp in the living room hadn't changed for the worse. I'm keeping the kitchen warm enough with the large cast iron griddle across 2 gas burners on low (with a pot of hot cereal keeping warm on the griddle) plus 1 burner with the tea kettle on low. It doesn't take much to keep the kitchen warm-enough. The bedrooms are chilly, but we're doing okay. The other good news is the furnace lasted through the coldest of this cold snap, and the temps will only rise incrementally from here. The other good news is we absolutely know that we eked every last bit out of our furnace. I'd say we got "good value" out of that furnace, purchased 29 years ago.
We also have a couple of microwaveable heat pads for personal heating and for heating beds at bedtime. We only have to get through one last day and night before our new furnace will be installed. That's all good news.
The other positive to today is I cooked a hot lunch for all of us and we enjoyed not only a hot meal, but eating together. And I was motivated to begin cooking for tomorrow, as being in a warm kitchen cooking is better than any colder place today.
I'm choosing to look for the good news in all of this. Soon, this period will be behind us, and we'll have reliable heat once again.
I hope your week is going well.
Oh no! I'm glad you have alternative heat sources and are able to make the best of things. I'm sure that you will be extra thankful for central heating when everything is fixed. I always feel am reminded to be grateful for electricity after a power outage. Will this affect your Valentine's celebration?
ReplyDeleteHi Kris,
DeleteWe were able to do everything planned for Valentine's Day, thankfully. We had brunch in the living room while the installation was going on in the garage. And they didn't need to cut off the gas (gas stove) to do the furnace. It all worked out. But I was very tired after last week. I spent a lot of energy doing things to keep the house warm.
29 years is quite respectable for a furnace. I hope the new one works as well. In the meantime, it sounds like you are doing what you have to to stay warm, but I'm sure that you will be very happy when the new furnace is working. Good luck with it all.
ReplyDeleteHi Live and Learn,
DeleteThank you. I hope this one lasts for this house a very long time, too, even if we're no longer in the house. The inspection was today, and the installation passed. So we're good to go! Yay!
This reminds me of a few years ago when our hot water heater went out AND they found an unsafe connection to our gas furnace in December! We were without heat and hot water for almost a week. Thankfully, at the time it wasn't quite as cold as your temps. But we made it through, heating water (SO glad I don't have a gas stove!) and using 2 oil-filled electric heaters (the ones that look like radiators) and 1 small electric heater with a fan. It really makes you appreciate all that you have!
ReplyDeleteJo
Hi Jo,
DeleteOh that sounds like it was so difficult. I'm glad that is well behind you now. these experiences really do make you appreciate all of our modern conveniences.
Thinking about you today as you likely are having no heat for the day but perhaps by tonight you will be toasty warm again!
ReplyDeleteAlice
Thank you, Alice. We are so grateful to have reliable heat once again.
DeleteHi Cat,
ReplyDeleteThank you. I'm glad this episode in keeping the house repaired is done and behind us.
I think it's a good idea to game plan various emergency scenarios. We had figured a couple of ways to stay warm when we had a power outage last fall, using the gas stove as heat for the kitchen. So at least we had that info in our back pocket so to speak. And we have a couple of space heaters, as I mentioned.