# How Do You Heat Your Home?



## Sqwumpkin (Jan 28, 2009)

We have oil fired radiant heat. It's moist, so I think it's comfortable for the pups. We keep it @ 70° -- we're comfortable. One of our doggies likes warmth. The other seems to like cooler spots.


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## maggie1951 (Apr 20, 2007)

We have an open coal fire and gas central heating both dogs like laying by the open fire.


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## agoldenliferanch (Aug 1, 2008)

We have an outdoor wood boiler...no gas bill!


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## Rob's GRs (Feb 25, 2007)

Oil forced air furnace only .. 
I do not like it any warmer that 67 degrees in the house but the dogs prefer nothing higher than 64 degrees. Anything above 64 they then start to lay on cooler surfaces or pant a bit more.


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## Jackson'sMom (Oct 13, 2007)

Natural gas heat. Temp is set at 68 when we're home, 60 at night. Both dogs seem comfortable.


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## MyRealMcRoy (Dec 17, 2008)

We do about 90% of our heating with a wood burning stove. We've got a 100 year old house with 12' ceilings (tongue and groove bead board on the floors and ceilings so not very air tight). Even after replacing the windows/siding and insulating walls, attic and crawlspace there is no way I could afford to heat with propane. We've got central HVAC that runs on propane as a back-up but last week when we were away for the weekend and didn't want to chance the pipes freezing was the first time it'd been fired up in over 3 years. 

I keep a pot of water simmering on it most all the time since the humidity is so low this time of year (a few orange peels and some cinnamon makes a nice potpourri!). 

Upsides: Once the wood heater was paid for, it's basically free as long as we're willing to invest the time and effort in cutting it. We've still got heat and a way to cook if the power goes out. 

Downsides: Obviously the work involved. Plus it's messy - but then with Goldens I'm vacuuming everyday anyway right??

We keep it warm (75-76) in the living room so that it's tolerable (68-70) in the bedrooms and we usually close off any unused areas at night (after the dishes are done it gives a whole new meaning to phrase "the kitchen is CLOSED!"


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## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

We use gas, We keep it pretty high in the winter...75ish. Lucky doesn't seem uncomfortable.


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## FishinBuddy (Nov 20, 2008)

We use Oil and we have no more money so we keep it at 64 in the living spaces and 60 in the bedrooms. The pup still lays by the drafty front door.


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

Liquid propane. I keep it at 64 when I am home and 60 while at work. The dogs and I are pretty comfy-of course I wear sweatpants and sweatshirts at home


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

Electric, central air... but it's not really important. A/C, however, is 100% vital to survival, even in winter here a lot


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## S-Dog's Mom (Jan 9, 2009)

LP Here. We chose it b/c the price of oil was so high...:doh: Now LP is higher... 
Figures!


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## Sqwumpkin (Jan 28, 2009)

MyRealMcRoy said:


> We do about 90% of our heating with a wood burning stove. We've got a 100 year old house with 12' ceilings (tongue and groove bead board on the floors and ceilings so not very air tight). Even after replacing the windows/siding and insulating walls, attic and crawlspace there is no way I could afford to heat with propane. We've got central HVAC that runs on propane as a back-up but last week when we were away for the weekend and didn't want to chance the pipes freezing was the first time it'd been fired up in over 3 years.
> 
> I keep a pot of water simmering on it most all the time since the humidity is so low this time of year (a few orange peels and some cinnamon makes a nice potpourri!).
> 
> ...


12' ceilings? 100 years old? Sounds awesome!

We live in a 100+ year old house too. Even though they're alot of work, I think there's something charming about an old house.

You have many fireplaces throughout the house?


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## Sqwumpkin (Jan 28, 2009)

S-Dog's Mom said:


> LP Here. We chose it b/c the price of oil was so high...:doh: Now LP is higher...
> Figures!


I feel your pain. Sometimes it feels like no matter what we try, there's just no winning.


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## dannyra (Aug 5, 2008)

LP, desperately want to get a wood stove to put in downstairs. The person that owned the house before replaced the wood stove with a lp fireplace. Which I really don't like. I'm out cutting wood with my Dad in the fall for his place anyway. I'd like to get a little more benifit out of all the cutting a splitting.


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## MyRealMcRoy (Dec 17, 2008)

Sqwumpkin said:


> 12' ceilings? 100 years old? Sounds awesome!
> 
> We live in a 100+ year old house too. Even though they're alot of work, I think there's something charming about an old house.
> 
> You have many fireplaces throughout the house?


 
Yep... when we first bought it we used to joke that the ceilings were the only pretty thing in the house. They're heart pine and have never been painted/stained so they've aged into a gorgeous dark red. I'd post a pic if I wasn't ashamed of the cob-webs - do you know what a PITA it is to clean that high up?? :doh: Old houses in the deep south had high ceilings because they were cooler during our hot summers. 

We've got four fireplaces but the one in the living room with the wood stove is the only one we use. Heart pine and crumbling mortar don't mix well with fire! We ran an aluminum flue liner from the wood heater up through the chimney that serves the living room. We sealed up the fireplaces in the master BR, guest room and son's room. We figured we could always go back with gas logs if we wanted to use those fireplaces. 

Old houses are something alright! Not sure 'charming' is the word I'd have chosen!  Ours was a real "fixer uppper". I told DH if we ever moved again it was going to be to a new house, in TOWN and everything was going to be finished before the first stick of furniture went in!


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

Natural Gas, my bedroom is usually 58! Most of the winter the house is kept around 62-65.

The dogs love their beds, but enjoy ours too.

I think the lack of humidity affects me more than the dogs.


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## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

I burn oil in forced hot air furnace. I keep it at 64F. It is cooler upstairs in the bedrooms. I like sleeping in a cool room. My house is 100+ years old too with the original windows. Sometimes in the evening I will turn on a small electric of LP gas heater in the living room to make it a little more comfortable.


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## Sqwumpkin (Jan 28, 2009)

Oaklys Dad said:


> I burn oil in forced hot air furnace. I keep it at 64F. It is cooler upstairs in the bedrooms. I like sleeping in a cool room. My house is 100+ years old too with the original windows. Sometimes in the evening I will turn on a small electric of LP gas heater in the living room to make it a little more comfortable.


Original windows? Wow. 

Vinyl Replacement became my favorite phrase 'round here in my 100+ house.


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## Sqwumpkin (Jan 28, 2009)

We have three types of heat. Coal, electric, and Oil. One coal stove is connected to a chimney, another is connected to a power vent to the outside. We have a heat pump (electric). And an oil fired boiler that heats water which is pumped thru baseboard fin. In a nutshell, we run whichever one is the cheapest to operate.

Last winter with oil @ $3.50 to $4.00 per gallon, the coal saved us about $1000.00 per month. The coal stove (www.alaskastove.com) paid for itself the first year! We're still burning coal this winter even though oil is @ 2.50 per gal. But when we can't be around to fill the coal stove's hopper, we run either elec or oil heat.

With three sources of heat, do you get the feeling my wife doesn't like to be cold? Well, she doesn't. and you know the ol' saying. If momma ain't happy, nobody in the family is happy.


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

I don't like being cold either, but nobody here cares!


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## Gwen (Aug 9, 2007)

We heat with an oil furnace & there is a propane stove in the family room. 

We keep the house @ about 65 during the day & 60 at night - yes, we like our house cool or at least I do!!!! I'm going through that change of life stage & it could be 50 degrees & I'd be happy:uhoh::uhoh::uhoh: The dogs like it cool as well & they're always lying on the ceramic tile floors instead of any carpets or area rugs. Nyg still sleeps wrapped around the toilet in the master bedroom which has ceramic tile - so he likes it really cool. 

Now, BIGDAWG likes it warmer but he has to accept the cooler temperatures - if the woman of the house "aint" happy, noone is!!!!!


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## Pudden (Dec 28, 2008)

I have an old-fashioned dinosaurian oil drip stove. Since the fuel company doesn't deliver this far out in winter, Pudden and I haul heating oil to our cabin about once every 10 days: 5 jerry jugs on our sled, and Pudden pulls.

Heating oil (diesel) costs 5.50$ a gallon here, and it's been cold. I spent about 400 Bucks a month on heating in winter. The place is usually about 60 dergrees, but if I turned the stove off during the day it may be 30-40 degrees when we come home, but it warms up fast.

Puden likes it cooler; her fave seat is the ugly couch downstairs. When cold, I like to hang out in the loft, where it gets toasty warm


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## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

We have a heat pump (electric heat/air). In winter we set it at 68 during the day and 65 at night. In summer, I think we set it around 75 but I can't remember.


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## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

Oh, I forgot about Brooks. He likes it cool. In summer he lies next to the vent so the cool air blows over him.


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## GRguy (Dec 16, 2008)

Give the house a heat up with the Electric air conditioning system for that one weeken a year where it reaches the low 30s in Miami, FL


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## Sucker For Gold (Jan 13, 2009)

Natural Gas here. We usually keep it set at 73 or 74.


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## Popebendgoldens (May 16, 2008)

I have a heat pump too (central air/heat). But here in central Texas it seldom gets below 32 in the winter so a heat pump works fine. Inside temp in the winter 68 and in the summer it is 78.

Pat


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## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

Pudden said:


> I have an old-fashioned dinosaurian oil drip stove. Since the fuel company doesn't deliver this far out in winter, Pudden and I haul heating oil to our cabin about once every 10 days: 5 jerry jugs on our sled, and Pudden pulls.
> 
> Heating oil (diesel) costs 5.50$ a gallon here, and it's been cold. I spent about 400 Bucks a month on heating in winter. The place is usually about 60 dergrees, but if I turned the stove off during the day it may be 30-40 degrees when we come home, but it warms up fast.
> 
> Puden likes it cooler; her fave seat is the ugly couch downstairs. When cold, I like to hang out in the loft, where it gets toasty warm


You and the Pudden are a couple of tough girls.  Me and the boys only like it warm when we go vegetable in the evening. At night I am the jam in a golden sandwich so I'm always comfy cozy while sleeping.


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## JohnTIZ (Jan 9, 2009)

Common *** setup. I updated it in 2003. Our house used to have a gravity heater long before we moved in.

71F 24/7 during the coldest months.


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## Mandy's Dad (May 27, 2008)

We have underground natural gas. Keep the house at about 68 when we are home and 60-64 when we aren't, and 64 at night. Mandy likes it cooler. Sometimes at night she will start panting on the bed - kinda hard to sleep since it feels like we inserted a quarter for the vibration!


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## ilovemydogs (Jan 22, 2009)

We have oil forced hot air. We have lots of static in the winter. We have the temp at 68 during waking hours when someone is home and 64 when we sleep or are away. Bailey doesn't ever seem to warm, but Duke loves to lay on the new vinyl floors.


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