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The best "gadget" for saving energy is a sweater. Conserve your own body heat and turn down (or off) the furnace. If you're concerned about your energy bill

The best "gadget" for saving energy is a sweater. Conserve your own body heat and turn down (or off) the furnace. If you're concerned about your energy bill and you're also wearing tshirts indoors in winter, you're doing it wrong. Get long sleeve shirts, put on two or three layers, get some warm clothing like sweaters and thick wool socks. Then turn your furnace down to 10 C / 50 F. I promise you will survive. Your pipes won't freeze. With warm clothing, you will even be comfortable.

m463 4y ago
I wonder what the gradient can be from core temperature to extremities? I find that in cold rooms, my fingers slow down even if I'm warmly dressed. typing with cold fingers might be a recipe for arthritis.
- GoToRO 4y ago
  Also, cold walls mean condensation and then mold.
  - MichaelCollins 4y ago
    That happens when the cold walls are cooling down warm air, dropping the moisture out of that air. If you have a warm house and open all the windows in winter, you'll get condensation on the walls. If the house was cold in the first place, e.g. the walls and air are in a cold thermal equilibrium, you won't get condensation on the walls. Bathrooms and kitchens are a special case, which can be addressed with ventilation. One of the upsides of keeping your home cool in the winter is it's much cheaper to circulate in new air from outside. You get to have fresh air all winter without paying to heat all that air up. I believe fresh air throughout the year has many health benefits.
    - GoToRO 4y ago
      It really depends. The air that you exhale is hot and humid. As soon as it touches the exterior walls, it will condensate. I'm talking about a house that is not insulated, but also does not leak air out (new windows with good seals). If it leaks some air out, then the condensation is very limited as outside cold air is dry in winter. It might be like you said only if you don't use that room, or you have a big house so maybe you don't use most rooms and then you don't fill them with humidity from your own breath. Walls are cold but also dry. Opening the windows in the winter is how you let all that humidity out.
      - MichaelCollins 4y ago
        > Opening the windows in the winter is how you let all that humidity out. Absolutely, being able to open your windows is a big advantage of keeping your thermostat low.
  - colechristensen 4y ago
    When the inside of your home is warmer than the outside when there is cool weather outside, you don't have humidity, mold, and condensation problems.
    - kragen 4y ago
      You can, and also in the inverse situation; it depends on how the walls are built.
- fasthands9 4y ago
  In New England my dad always kept the house cold (not 50F) while my college dorm (also in New England) was kept toasty. Going back and forth over winter break I definitely noticed a productivity shift being some place I was warm and comfortable. Perhaps there are less noticeable psychology benefits for it being cold but I do not think being uncomfortable and dealing with it is a long term strategy for success. And probably completely impractical if you live with other people in the same house.
- MichaelCollins 4y ago
  When your core cools, your body will react by reducing bloodflow to your hands and feet (which are basically radiators) to preserve heat for your core. Generally, dressing warm to keep your core warm should help keep your hands and feet warm too, but of course there will always be a temperature gradient. If that isn't sufficient, there are still cheaper ways to deal with it than adjusting the furnace. A low power radiative space heater (the sort with a reflective dish) can be very efficient at heating up the person it's pointed at without heating up the whole room. Having a warm drink to pick up and sip on also helps; it'll warm your fingers directly and also give your core a little boost of heat. Heated electric blankets are also extremely effective.
- 8bitsrule 4y ago
  Fingerless gloves can help. A light beanie compensates for baldness, as does slippers on the feet.
- ParetoOptimal 4y ago
  Yeah, I can only do so much cold because of my hands.
jancsika 4y ago
Your target audience apparently entertains zero guests and has an emotional life that is magically disconnected from long-held human habits. Also, they either a) don't own a piano, or b) don't care about taking care of the piano they own.
- nsteel 4y ago
  Or have very young children.
  - colechristensen 4y ago
    Very young children are perfectly happy properly dressed and cold. Parents in nordic countries leave their babies outside bundled up in strollers in the winter to nap.
    - nsteel 4y ago
      Babies can't regulate their body temperatures well so no, they are not happy when cold. They are happy in the cold when properly dressed and warm, which I assume you meant. The key point here with this napping thing that did the rounds is that this is just for short naps. People in Norway/Finland do not leave their babies in a cold environment for long periods of time. Presumably the main reason they do this cold outside nap is that it's easier to get a baby to fall asleep in a pram (safely wrapped up) but very disruptive to then bring it inside, where it will be warm, have to undress it and then inevitably wake it. But I don't know, there are probably also other reasons. But parents in nordic countries are the same as everyone else when it comes to heating their homes appropriately, especially for night time sleeping. Personally I would imagine even things like eating would be harder if the room is too cold and the infant must always be maximally layered up. It doesn't need to be any harder.
- MichaelCollins 4y ago
  You're right, I don't have or care about pianos. As for guests, you can turn up the heat when guests come to stay and still see dramatic energy savings, vs running the heat full blast the whole winter.
anyoneworks 4y ago
This is so condescending.
- MichaelCollins 4y ago
  Gee, I'm sorry you feel that way. Anyway, enjoy your... [checks thread]... bathtub waste water heat reclaimer. I'm sure that will make a big difference to your energy bill when your thermostat is turned up to 30C in January.
Am4TIfIsER0ppos 4y ago
> freeze your nuts off for ukraine! alternatively > freeze your nuts off for the environment! Which lie do you do want to believe for making your poorer?
danielfoster 4y ago
Agreed, but keep in mind not everyone is an average BMI or overweight. My BMI is quite low and despite wearing multiple layers, I am always cold.
- jffhn 4y ago
  It's a bit extreme, but did you try Antarctica expedition suits? They're designed for minus 30c or below. Or just the top and one or two hiking overpants. Also mittens if you need your fingertips. Got myself some of that but it's not cold enough to try yet.
ParetoOptimal 4y ago
This reminds me of how people don't do the most effective actions to protect the environment like: - have one fewer child (60 tons of carbon dioxide equivalents) - live car free (2.5 tons) - avoid one round-trip trans-Atlantic flight (1.5 tons) - Buy green energy (1.3 tons) - Buy a more efficient car (1.2 tons) The source lists a chart with more actions: https://www.science.org/content/article/best-way-reduce-your-carbon-footprint-one-government-isn-t-telling-you-about https://www.science.org/content/article/best-way-reduce-your... But instead people focus on recycling and replacing lightbulbs while paying no attention to the 20 flights they took last year. Perhaps even making inaccurate value judgements on those that didn't recycle that year but also took 0 flights.

m463 4y ago

I wonder what the gradient can be from core temperature to extremities? I find that in cold rooms, my fingers slow down even if I'm warmly dressed. typing with cold fingers might be a recipe for arthritis.

GoToRO 4y ago
Also, cold walls mean condensation and then mold.
- MichaelCollins 4y ago
  That happens when the cold walls are cooling down warm air, dropping the moisture out of that air. If you have a warm house and open all the windows in winter, you'll get condensation on the walls. If the house was cold in the first place, e.g. the walls and air are in a cold thermal equilibrium, you won't get condensation on the walls. Bathrooms and kitchens are a special case, which can be addressed with ventilation. One of the upsides of keeping your home cool in the winter is it's much cheaper to circulate in new air from outside. You get to have fresh air all winter without paying to heat all that air up. I believe fresh air throughout the year has many health benefits.
  - GoToRO 4y ago
    It really depends. The air that you exhale is hot and humid. As soon as it touches the exterior walls, it will condensate. I'm talking about a house that is not insulated, but also does not leak air out (new windows with good seals). If it leaks some air out, then the condensation is very limited as outside cold air is dry in winter. It might be like you said only if you don't use that room, or you have a big house so maybe you don't use most rooms and then you don't fill them with humidity from your own breath. Walls are cold but also dry. Opening the windows in the winter is how you let all that humidity out.
    - MichaelCollins 4y ago
      > Opening the windows in the winter is how you let all that humidity out. Absolutely, being able to open your windows is a big advantage of keeping your thermostat low.
- colechristensen 4y ago
  When the inside of your home is warmer than the outside when there is cool weather outside, you don't have humidity, mold, and condensation problems.
  - kragen 4y ago
    You can, and also in the inverse situation; it depends on how the walls are built.
fasthands9 4y ago
In New England my dad always kept the house cold (not 50F) while my college dorm (also in New England) was kept toasty. Going back and forth over winter break I definitely noticed a productivity shift being some place I was warm and comfortable. Perhaps there are less noticeable psychology benefits for it being cold but I do not think being uncomfortable and dealing with it is a long term strategy for success. And probably completely impractical if you live with other people in the same house.
MichaelCollins 4y ago
When your core cools, your body will react by reducing bloodflow to your hands and feet (which are basically radiators) to preserve heat for your core. Generally, dressing warm to keep your core warm should help keep your hands and feet warm too, but of course there will always be a temperature gradient. If that isn't sufficient, there are still cheaper ways to deal with it than adjusting the furnace. A low power radiative space heater (the sort with a reflective dish) can be very efficient at heating up the person it's pointed at without heating up the whole room. Having a warm drink to pick up and sip on also helps; it'll warm your fingers directly and also give your core a little boost of heat. Heated electric blankets are also extremely effective.
8bitsrule 4y ago
Fingerless gloves can help. A light beanie compensates for baldness, as does slippers on the feet.
ParetoOptimal 4y ago
Yeah, I can only do so much cold because of my hands.

jancsika 4y ago

Your target audience apparently entertains zero guests and has an emotional life that is magically disconnected from long-held human habits. Also, they either a) don't own a piano, or b) don't care about taking care of the piano they own.

nsteel 4y ago
Or have very young children.
- colechristensen 4y ago
  Very young children are perfectly happy properly dressed and cold. Parents in nordic countries leave their babies outside bundled up in strollers in the winter to nap.
  - nsteel 4y ago
    Babies can't regulate their body temperatures well so no, they are not happy when cold. They are happy in the cold when properly dressed and warm, which I assume you meant. The key point here with this napping thing that did the rounds is that this is just for short naps. People in Norway/Finland do not leave their babies in a cold environment for long periods of time. Presumably the main reason they do this cold outside nap is that it's easier to get a baby to fall asleep in a pram (safely wrapped up) but very disruptive to then bring it inside, where it will be warm, have to undress it and then inevitably wake it. But I don't know, there are probably also other reasons. But parents in nordic countries are the same as everyone else when it comes to heating their homes appropriately, especially for night time sleeping. Personally I would imagine even things like eating would be harder if the room is too cold and the infant must always be maximally layered up. It doesn't need to be any harder.
MichaelCollins 4y ago
You're right, I don't have or care about pianos. As for guests, you can turn up the heat when guests come to stay and still see dramatic energy savings, vs running the heat full blast the whole winter.

anyoneworks 4y ago

This is so condescending.

MichaelCollins 4y ago
Gee, I'm sorry you feel that way. Anyway, enjoy your... [checks thread]... bathtub waste water heat reclaimer. I'm sure that will make a big difference to your energy bill when your thermostat is turned up to 30C in January.

Am4TIfIsER0ppos 4y ago

> freeze your nuts off for ukraine! alternatively > freeze your nuts off for the environment! Which lie do you do want to believe for making your poorer?

danielfoster 4y ago

Agreed, but keep in mind not everyone is an average BMI or overweight. My BMI is quite low and despite wearing multiple layers, I am always cold.

jffhn 4y ago
It's a bit extreme, but did you try Antarctica expedition suits? They're designed for minus 30c or below. Or just the top and one or two hiking overpants. Also mittens if you need your fingertips. Got myself some of that but it's not cold enough to try yet.

ParetoOptimal 4y ago

This reminds me of how people don't do the most effective actions to protect the environment like: - have one fewer child (60 tons of carbon dioxide equivalents) - live car free (2.5 tons) - avoid one round-trip trans-Atlantic flight (1.5 tons) - Buy green energy (1.3 tons) - Buy a more efficient car (1.2 tons) The source lists a chart with more actions: https://www.science.org/content/article/best-way-reduce-your-carbon-footprint-one-government-isn-t-telling-you-about https://www.science.org/content/article/best-way-reduce-your... But instead people focus on recycling and replacing lightbulbs while paying no attention to the 20 flights they took last year. Perhaps even making inaccurate value judgements on those that didn't recycle that year but also took 0 flights.