Fairbanks on 33k

[nmv11]

It sounds like heating is one of the biggest costs in Fairbanks. Would it be possible to mitigate those costs by running the heater at like 40 degrees, just enough to keep the pipes from freezing? Even here in Phoenix it has got down to the low 50's inside the house on occasion, as we don't run the heater at all, but for many people that's too cold, but it doesn't bother me, just throw on a jacket. So could you save a lot by setting the heater at basically the minimum level, or would it still be very expensive?

[Frostnip]

nmv11, if it's forty below zero and you're heating the house to 40 above you're still warming the place 80 degrees. That's still a ton of energy.

There is also a huge difference between "just throwing on a jacket" for a few days of cold at a time versus experiencing months upon months of unrelieved cold. It's hard on the body to sustain that.

Plus, there is the fact that unless your house is spectacularly well-insulated you're still risking pipes freezing when you keep the temperature that borderline, as pipes tend to be located in parts of the building where the temperature is lower than in the living space. And even if your house is well-insulated, if your primary heat source depends on electricity (e.g. to trigger an oil heater or because you have electric heat) even a brief power outage can cause huge problems, as you have no leeway. This can make keeping the temperature low a false savings.

That said, a common reason for astronomical heating bills is that the home is simply not well-designed for the climate - too large, divided up in a way that does not allow heat circulation, no arctic entry, insufficient insulation, etc. Of course, if one is renting on a limited budget, one may not be able to be too choosy about the building, but it is discouraging to see people deliberately purchasing or building homes that belong on a cul-de-sac in a Virginia suburb rather than the subarctic.

[Dakster]

For freezing pipe prevention isn't there 'heat tape' to wrap around them? I thought regardless of internal house temperatures that the heat tape was required/recommended anyways. I can only assume there is a thermostat so that the tape isn't always on? (Note, these are my humble questions, not statements)

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Dakster

For freezing pipe prevention isn't there 'heat tape' to wrap around them? I thought regardless of internal house temperatures that the heat tape was required/recommended anyways. I can only assume there is a thermostat so that the tape isn't always on? (Note, these are my humble questions, not statements)

Heat traces (heating tapes) are used outside the house on the domestic water pipe coming from the well and such. The trace keeps the pipe from freezing outside, all the way through the house's foundation. It's plugged into an electrical outlet inside the house.

As Frosnit mentioned above, keeping the thermostat so low can cause problems with the water and heating pipes that run close to the wall, specifically in cases where there may be a small air leak on the wall, or just an area on the wall that is not insulated. Sometimes, if there is no enough insulation the areas by the wall near the ends of the floor joists can trap cold air. Baseboard heating pipes can freeze in those areas, too.

[Frostnip]

Originally Posted by Dakster

For freezing pipe prevention isn't there 'heat tape' to wrap around them? I thought regardless of internal house temperatures that the heat tape was required/recommended anyways. I can only assume there is a thermostat so that the tape isn't always on? (Note, these are my humble questions, not statements)

Like Ray said, you plug the tape in when it's needed and unplug it when it's not. That's the thermostat

It's helpful, but it's not always sufficient when dealing these kinds of temperatures, as there's an upper limit on how powerful the heat tape can be without causing damage or being a fire risk.

[Dakster]

Ahh the human thermostat - love it...

I ony have to deal with the well pipes getting so hot it evaporates all the water and I have to reprime it... Unless I use it every other day (argh!)

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Dakster

Ahh the human thermostat - love it...

I ony have to deal with the well pipes getting so hot it evaporates all the water and I have to reprime it... Unless I use it every other day (argh!)

Some of the new heat tapes (heat trace) are self regulating temperature-wise. The self-regulating cable allows for a wattage increase the colder the temperature is (the conductors inside the cable are temperature sensitive). But this type of cable does not turn itself off completely. It just turns the temperature down as it gets warmer outside. The other type of cable allows for a constant wattage to flow through it. It means that when plugged-in, it comes up to a predetermined temperature and stays like that. I have the later at my house, and unplug it by mid May or so. They have special thermostats one can use with either cable. The cable is plugged into the thermostat, and the thermostat is plugged into the outlet.

But, and this is a big BUT, it seems that we aren't getting a summer in Fairbanks any time soon
It has been snowing, and more is expected through the week, probably into next week.

[Dakster]

You're snowing and we are broiling here. Thanks for the explanation Ray.