Friday, July 5, 2013

Opening Windows

It’s the first time in over a week that I’ve been able to open up the windows in my house.  The temperature finally dropped into the low 70s (at 1:00 in the morning), and it’s relatively comfortable without running the air conditioning.  A day or two stuck inside with no fresh air is one thing, but more than that things become so confining, so claustrophobic.  When I arrived home tonight after the 4th’s festivities, I giddily ran around the house throwing open as many windows as I could, mumbling and laughing to myself about how nice it was outside.  Thankfully, we’re getting a bit of a reprieve…for tonight anyways.

8 comments:

  1. We had a great and cool week and a not very hot 4th. The fire works have been going on since Tuesday night and the puppies have been under things since then. I can't get them to go out at bedtime and we end up at 3am going outside. Gwennie the corgi has been spending her evenings hiding in the shower.

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    1. Ahhhh, poor babies. I was gone last night, but Rigby was left inside. On my walk this morning there were firework remnants all over the street, so I'm sure she was a nervous wreck when I was gone. Luckily the house was still standing when I arrived home, she didn't do any visible damage.

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  2. Yay for fresh cool air!
    Yesterday when I got up at 6 it was 70 degrees...today when I got up at 6 it was 54 degrees...and overcast and windy...dreadful. I am so thankful it was a very nice day for the 4th of July parades, runs and art faires here yesterday :)

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    1. We're super overcast today but it's about 90 so humid. I feel like I'm in the South. The open windows lasted until about 8:00 this morning. They're now closed and the air is running again. I went up to the Leona Valley for a BBQ and it was a beautiful day, higher elevation.

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  3. I've just put on a fleece over a short sleeve shirt as the temp is a bit coolish now it's evening.
    Sorry I forget about your 4th. Someone mentioned it on the TV but it went from my hear soon after. I hope you had a good time.

    Do you not have heat exchange units which save on venting the house with fresh air. They became a thing with passive houses a few years ago here, but more in the UK. Course it would be reversed for you. Where we save heat and the cooler air is warmed as it passes the unit, with you it would be the hot air from outside being cooled when you vent the stale.

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  4. Ya know, I don't mind the sweltering heat as much as long as the nights cool, but this week the nights have been hot too. A cool night makes me happy. :)
    About 4 years ago my entire hvac system died and had to be replaced. It's energy efficient so reduced my electric bill dramatically. But still, it's high in the summer and minimal in the winter. With our summers recently lasting until November, I get about 4 months off. Researching solar is on my to do list for next week. There are some really good programs being offered right now with no up front costs. A few friends have done it and their bill has been greatly reduced.
    I looked into the whole house fans a year or so ago but the consensus was they're only useful when it's on the cooler side otherwise the fresh air coming through is just hot.

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    1. Cool nights ?. I prefer them hot myself.

      Yes, of course, I forget how solar might actually make you money if you can sell surplus back to the grid. And for certain it would do for most things.
      It would depend on how the numbers stack though. Here they've pitched the price and the installation more that the cost of power and maintenance for the next ten years, meaning the only people who truly engage can afford it.

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    2. (Blushes) That's not what I meant! But granted, I walked right into that one. ;)
      Ya, it'll remain to be seen if it will work out for me. My average monthly bill is really very low in comparison to what a family is paying so I don't know if they can make the amount worth it to me and still be willing to put the panels up at no cost. Although, they would generate a substantial surplus I'd imagine due to my limited use. Since I'm off and have the time it's worth at least looking into.

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