an interesting call from the power company tonight

nynor · 12-08-2009, 07:40 PM

i get a recorded message from the power company tonight. it says, in part, that due to the unusually cold weather we are having (it is damn cold for SLC, 9F right now and it is only 9.37PM, i am curious to see how low we get tonight), there is a huge power load. it then goes on to ask me to turn stuff off (i have only a couple of lights on and the computer and TV, but i check to make sure) and turn the heat down 5 or 10 degrees. yeah, right. my thermostat is already set at 68F.

then i look outside and remember that it is the christmas season. i BET there is a large power demand right now!

this is the first time i have ever had a call like this. a few years back, at about the same time of year, unseasonably cold, a substation blew. a bunch of folks were without power for days, some for a week.

Laneco · 12-08-2009, 07:47 PM

Wow! Alot of places are getting some ugly cold tonight. They must be very concerned about over-taxing the power grid to be making phone calls.

(or they think you have a "grow" operation)....

angela

nynor · 12-08-2009, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laneco

Wow! Alot of places are getting some ugly cold tonight. They must be very concerned about over-taxing the power grid to be making phone calls.

(or they think you have a "grow" operation)....

angela

heh! i am too paranoid for that!

jyl · jyl's Garage

I set my thermostat to heat for 1 hour right before wife and kids get up in the morning, then heat for 2 hours when kids get home from school. The rest of the time it is off. This hasn't been working to well lately. The other night I was thinking "gee it's kinda cold", go over to the thermostat, and interior temp was 62F. Gonna have to readjust the thermostat.

nynor · 12-08-2009, 09:02 PM

i used to do the same, with a lower limit of 58F during the night, but we have an 8 month old, so i try to keep the temp a bit more reasonable.

Scuba Steve · 12-09-2009, 06:20 AM

It's cold here too. The car said 17 this morning in Bellevue on my way to work. And the wife (currently in TX) said the downstairs furnace stopped running yesterday.

I won't be back there to fix it for another 10 days, but at least it's nowhere near as cold in San Antonio and the upstairs still works fine.

crustychief · crustychief's Garage

My wife envisions dollars flying out of the vents when the heat is on. Even though we are in So Cal, it has been a little cool here. normally we run 62 minimum but I have to constantly remind her we have a three month old ( she is a great baby that doesn't remind the wife herself ) that needs a little warm air now and again.

masraum · 12-09-2009, 07:03 AM

Wow, holy crap, 62°?! Yeah, I guess we had that same situation the other day when it got down to a hair under 27°, but that's because I've been troubleshooting a furnace problem (part should arrive tomorrow) and we got a VERY unseasonably cold day/night. (I don't think it's gotten down to 27° at my house in several years).

Normally, I keep the low temp at 68° when we're home and let it drop to 66° or 65° during the day.

Keeping the house warm isn't that expensive.

I remember when weird cold snaps used to hit southern Florida that the power lines used to sag a bunch between the power poles. I assume the extra load caused the lines to heat up and sag.

Tobra · Tobra's Garage

Silly Angela, everybody knows they grow the best dope in Medford, not Utah

25 degrees here yesterday and today, got snow, actual snow, on Monday.

looneybin · 12-09-2009, 08:01 AM

the power co here (PG&E) is trying to get people to install "smart thermostats" that would reduce the heat or a/c by remote control from the utility office when the demand got too high.
They are voluntary now, but just wait, soon enough it will be required.

stevepaa · 12-09-2009, 08:10 AM

I was up at Promontory area on Friday and it was -1 F at 7:30 am. Stayed pretty cold the rest of the day.

nynor, ever tried sushi at Takashi

sammyg2 · 12-09-2009, 08:22 AM

This morning it was 45 degrees outside! BRRRR.

It was 68 inside though, kinda cold but still bearable

Last night in Conan Obrian's monologue, he siad that the temperature night before last got down into the high 30's here, no word yet on the death count

BTW, my gas-fired furnace only has to run about 5 minutes per hour to keep the house at 68 even when it's really cold outside, so it's not like I'm waisting everyone else's energy. The tree-huggers can go play that game elsewhere.

nynor · 12-09-2009, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevepaa

I was up at Promontory area on Friday and it was -1 F at 7:30 am. Stayed pretty cold the rest of the day.

nynor, ever tried sushi at Takashi

nope, but i've heard it's good. i try to avoid sushi, even though i like it. you can catch some nasty stuff. with my culinary omniverism, cutting one specialty out of my diet is pretty reasonable.

it is still wicked cold today. snow this weekend in the forecast with warmer temps. i can't wait.