Installing Digital Thermostats

Peter Rukavina on Installing Digital Thermostats In His House (ruk.ca)

I also need to install a set-back thermostat to reduce the heating oil we use. Heating oil prices are painful this winter, and I’m doing whatever I can to cut down on the oil we use. I’ve lowered the thermostat, which the kids have already complained about. When they complained, I told them this is what I went through when I was a kid during the energy crisis in the 70’s, but it seemed to fall on deaf ears. I’m also winterizing the house, and I’m considering electric blankets for the beds so I can set the thermostat a little lower at night.

In one of the apartments I rented when I lived in Richmond, the landlord paid the heating bill, and he had the furnace on a timer. At 1:30 am, the timer would shut the furnace off, and it would not turn back on until 6:00 am. It would get cold in that apartment at night. I finally managed to get into the basement where the furnace and timer were, and I “modified” the timer. After the modification, the timer still worked, but the furnace did not shut down for 4 1/2 hours. The timer would send its shutoff signal, but the furnace would just ignore it and operate normally.