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The heat is on!

Posted In: Everyday life — November 27, 2005 @ 12:16 am — Peter

Since moving into our home, we’ve suspected that something isn’t quite right with the heating system. I’ve managed to convince myself that the lousy ‘50s windows, lack of insulation, illogically oriented heat registers, and other issues stemming from an overall dated structure were to blame for the chilliness in the wintertime. Stephanie insisted on having the system checked out, and I’m glad she did. After spending a few minutes in our attic where the furnace lives, the repair man informed me that our recently updated furnace was improperly configured and only operating in a single-stage mode instead of two-stage. He seemed confused as to why it was configured this way and I was, too.

During the home buying process, the prior owner showcased all the updates she had done over the years of owning the home, one of which was the new furnace. Of course, I assumed that this shiny new furnace was installed properly and would keep us warm. The prior owner mentioned that the furnace installers were bent out of shape over the idea of hoisting and installing the new furnace in the attic. Perhaps their frustration with the situation caused them to wire the unit incorrectly?

So, what is the two-stage furnace feature that will be keeping us warm and toasty? Lennox has a great overview of what it is all about.

Tonight has been a good test of the new configuration with temperatures dipping into the 20s. Perhaps I’m imagining it, but our house feels significantly warmer using the same program on the thermostat. I’m optimistic, and believe this tweak will solve the bulk of our heating issues. I’m still going to install the plastic window sheeting in the nursery and consider buying new heat registers since our current ones are coated in paint that is likely effecting air flow. It was also suggested that a flow enhancement device be installed over the heat register in the nursery.

Anyway, for the first time since the start of cold nights, I’m sporting a t-shirt around the house

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