High-efficiency gas furnace installed where previously there was mid-efficiency. So it vents straight out the wall while the old furnace used the chimney. The vent is right next to the sandbox. How bad is this? [more inside]
posted on Apr 26, 2008 - 5 answers

Is fiberglass heating/cooling duct board safe? [more inside]
posted on Apr 9, 2008 - 2 answers

Which approach really burns more heating oil - keeping the house at a constant medium temperature (say, 64 degrees) or keeping it very low most of the time (58-60) but bringing it up to a higher temperature (say, 66 degrees) once or twice a day? [more inside]
posted on Apr 4, 2008 - 11 answers

Is my central heating system killing me slowly? [more inside]
posted on Mar 17, 2008 - 3 answers

Let's assume, for the sake of argument, that home heating-oil prices treble over the next five years. Would it be possible to retrofit a domestic hot-water baseboard system for an alternative fuel? [more inside]
posted on Mar 4, 2008 - 14 answers

How does the Apple Store keep all its heat from rushing out its open doors? [more inside]
posted on Dec 6, 2007 - 28 answers

Physics Geeks Please Help: Is it better to turn our radiant floor heating system on and off or to let it run? My partner and I have been debating this, for days and days now. Please help us stop the hate. [more inside]
posted on Nov 30, 2007 - 30 answers

NoobHomeOwnerFilter: Where do I start troubleshooting water temperature issues? [more inside]
posted on Nov 19, 2007 - 21 answers

I have a full-sized iguana enclosure that needs to be heated more effectively. I've been researching my options and I think that using an infrared heat panel is the best way to go, but I'm not sure what size to get for my enclosure. Reptile enthusiasts needed! [more inside]
posted on Nov 13, 2007 - 10 answers

Why is my natural gas bill insane this month? [more inside]
posted on Oct 18, 2007 - 13 answers

My forced hot air system has no return ducts. Instead, cool air falls directly into the basement, where there's a filtered intake on the side of the furnace. Are my life, health, and or selling prospects at severe risk? [more inside]
posted on Sep 20, 2007 - 9 answers

What is the best way to heat a 600 square foot concrete slab? [more inside]
posted on Aug 17, 2007 - 10 answers

Does my home really need a new boiler? How do I choose one? Where should I buy it? How much should I pay? [more inside]
posted on Jul 30, 2007 - 3 answers

Does bamboo burn in fireplaces and wood stoves? I'm wondering if I can use it to heat a house, since it's far more renewable than trees.
posted on Jun 5, 2007 - 15 answers

Househeatingfilter: Saladpants is a city boy from major east coast city, who recently moved to smaller west coast city, Portland, OR. He and Mrs. Saladpants are looking at a house which, while only 15 minutes from downtown, is essentially out in the country. This means that the house has no gas line running to it and no sewer either. In this particular house, the Saladpantses have two potential heating options: Propane or Electric. They have no experience with either, and are uncertain as to which is better. They seek opinions, wisdom and experiences of fellow mefites. [more inside]
posted on Apr 20, 2007 - 15 answers

What form of energy is used to heat a Wal-Mart, Home Depot or Costo store, and how much does it cost per month in the winter? [more inside]
posted on Apr 8, 2007 - 12 answers

Do I need to have separate thermostats for my central air conditioning & my radiator heat? [more inside]
posted on Mar 23, 2007 - 5 answers

Please help me figure out what is going on with my hot water heater. I want to have a less foggy understanding of what may be wrong before I start asking either my landlord or the oil company questions. [more inside]
posted on Feb 14, 2007 - 8 answers

Why is my ConEd bill so high? [more inside]
posted on Feb 9, 2007 - 19 answers

I've tried Google-ing and I've done what I can manage with the archives, but I'm not finding the answer to my how-warm-is-the-landlord-obligated-to-keep-my-apartment question... [more inside]
posted on Jan 30, 2007 - 9 answers

Not-My-Walls-To-Cut-Through-Filter: Anyone have experience running Cat5 through HVAC ducts? [more inside]
posted on Jan 14, 2007 - 15 answers

Will it cost less to run a gas furnace to heat the entire house or to use a space heater to heat one room? [more inside]
posted on Jan 3, 2007 - 16 answers

Is there any where I can buy a furnace in the DC area and pick it up today? It needs to be all electric, and not a heat pump. [more inside]
posted on Dec 21, 2006 - 9 answers

I have a double sliding glass door in my bedroom that leads on to an enclosed porch. These doors are slightly bowed outward away from each other, which leaves a gap about the thickness of my finger in the middle. In Beijing, in December, with prepaid utilities and heating that's barely adequate to begin with, that's not a good thing for my wallet, conscience, or bodily comfort. So how can I McGuyver this gap shut? [more inside]
posted on Dec 11, 2006 - 17 answers

My husband and I are in the market for a new oil furnace. Help us make sure we get the right one. [more inside]
posted on Nov 8, 2006 - 4 answers

My landlords turned on the heat in my building, and now my room smells funny. They say that it's nothing, but I'm kinda worried. [more inside]
posted on Nov 5, 2006 - 19 answers

BrrrrrFilter: It's gotten cold here in Chicago and my heater appears to be broken. Google didn't help me much probably because my knowledge of HVAC is weak. Help me find out quickly if I'm being ripped off? [more inside]
posted on Oct 13, 2006 - 15 answers

What's the minimum oil will it take to keep our new apartment warm through the winter? We're in a relatively moderate climate (Pacific Northwest). [more inside]
posted on Oct 10, 2006 - 3 answers

Brrr. Our rented Victorian flat is getting a bit nippy. Help us insulate it. [more inside]
posted on Oct 5, 2006 - 12 answers

I'm looking for a take-no-prisoners strategy to reduce home heating bills. [more inside]
posted on Aug 14, 2006 - 9 answers

Home Heating Oil question. I've never lived in a house heated by oil, so I have no idea how the whole thing works. [more inside]
posted on Aug 4, 2006 - 16 answers

What can we do to get more air from the air conditioning (and the heat in the winter) to the back of the house? [more inside]
posted on Jul 29, 2006 - 17 answers

8 unit condo in Jersey City needs an energy (HVAC, heating) consultant to look at our boiler and heating system and advise us on how to lower our heating bills. We are keen to consider green options but economy is the main criterion. Thank you for your recommendations and advice. [more inside]
posted on Jul 20, 2006 - 1 answers

When you place a T-bone steak on the BBQ it starts to cook from the outside. But what about my dog? [more inside]
posted on Jul 12, 2006 - 26 answers

Any idea how much a new combination electric A/C and gas heater costs? Our house is approximately 1450 square feet.
posted on Jun 28, 2006 - 1 answers

Tomorrow I sign a lease for a huge old house built in the 1800's, and I am worried about how much oil will be required to heat the place. How can this be predicted without appropriate historical data? [more inside]
posted on May 14, 2006 - 10 answers

How can I keep my apartment humid with the window open? [more inside]
posted on Feb 11, 2006 - 20 answers

Has anyone had experience with geothermal heat pumps? My gas bills are crazy high. [more inside]
posted on Jan 2, 2006 - 4 answers

WaterHeaterFilter: How much shower-time should I expect from my new electric water heater? [more inside]
posted on Dec 22, 2005 - 16 answers

Homeheatingfilter: How do I heat the first floor of my house without sweltering upstairs? [more inside]
posted on Dec 13, 2005 - 10 answers

My old apartment had extremely leaky single-pane windows, so in the winter my roommate and I would always cover them with tightly sealed heat-shrink plastic film. Why would the plastic nearly always be bulging inward? [more inside]
posted on Dec 10, 2005 - 18 answers

Our (rented) house seems to have been built without insulation. Tips on keeping the house as warm as possible this winter? [more inside]
posted on Dec 9, 2005 - 31 answers

watersalvagefilter: Ideas to save water from an inevitable shower.. [more inside]
posted on Nov 2, 2005 - 10 answers

We're looking for ways to beat the high cost of natural gas this year. Anybody have any experience with the Sun Twin space heater? Additional advertising page here . I've heard about this electric heater from a couple of sources, but can't find any independent verification that it lives up to the claims made in the advertising. Anybody know of this thing?
posted on Oct 21, 2005 - 10 answers

Should I sign a natural gas contract? [more inside]
posted on Oct 18, 2005 - 5 answers

How do radiators heat my apartment? [more inside]
posted on Oct 5, 2005 - 7 answers

Hot-air heating systems...anyone in the UK know a stockist of spare parts for 'central-air' systems in the UK? [more inside]
posted on Sep 26, 2005 - 1 answers

Installing a new thermostat for electric baseboard heat - can you help? [more inside]
posted on Sep 25, 2005 - 5 answers

What might cause a hot water boiler's pilot light to repeatedly go out? We've replaced the thermocouple, inspected the pilot assembly, and had the boiler cleaned. Twice. [more inside]
posted on Aug 17, 2005 - 6 answers

Our air conditioner is going out and has to be replaced. We are likely going to replace it with two standard units as the single unit has never heated or cooled the entire house evenly. The heating/air guy said that would be ideal but would cost 8-10 thousand vs 4 thousand or less if we just bought a new 5 ton unit. However the electric company is offering to loan people the money if they want to buy heat pumps. Not having a lot of extra money right now, that is tempting IF heat pumps are likely to do the job, which I am not sure about. [more inside]
posted on Jul 26, 2005 - 10 answers