[Greenbuilding] ok - why do houses have to have stay the same tempinside?

Kat molasses at q.com
Sun Aug 19 11:34:04 CDT 2012


I like feeling the seasonal changes - we keep our house at about 62 during the day in winter (we turn off the heat at 
night) and it gets up to 90 on super-hot summer days (no AC).  I prefer it to stay below 86, but beggars can't be 
choosers.  It's taken some time to get used to this - I used to prefer a much smaller range of temperatures and I'm sure 
if I had a well-insulated house I'd still prefer a smaller range - but now that I'm used to it I realize I like it and 
it keeps me more in touch with the seasons and the outdoors.

This is the problem - give people super-tight, super well-insulated homes with climate-control that keeps temps to a 
small range and you end up with people who decide it's nicer to keep everything between 68 & 78 all the time and they 
can't handle heat or cold.  But the solution certainly is NOT to force everyone to live in drafty, uninsulated homes 
like mine.  I do, however, highly recommend giving the 25 degree temp swing a shot.  Ease into it gradually, over a 
period of a few years.

Kat

On 8/19/2012 6:19 AM, Peter Kidd wrote:
> I think that was the assertion within the question. The context was the discussion of overheating and to what ends we 
> go to achieve what notion of comfort. How much overheating do we have to prevent.
>
> Here as well many people keep their houses cooler in summer and warmer in winter, but plus or minus a few degrees not 
> 10, not even for short periods of time. Is that comfort or culture.
>
>> /I'm not certain that we actually do.  I know folks who readily crank the A/C to 70F in the summer, but who would 
>> never allow the house to cool to that point in the winter.  I do recall a heating contractor who advised me to 
>> install a/c and set the house at one temp year round.  It was not only incredibly wasteful, but not at all 
>> comfortable. It also ignores such things as air movement and humidity--both factors in comfort.
>>
>> Relying on shading, breeze and insulation for comfort in summer, a masonry heater and sunlight for comfort in the 
>> winter, the temps here can vary by 6-8 degrees with the weather. Wouldn't have it any other way.
>>
>> Lynelle
>>
>
>
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