Spooky Season (October Disco Thread)

[Typhoon Tip]

9 minutes ago, CoastalWx said:

October is typically the best energy month. No AC and heat. November starts using heat. 

I couldn't make it past the 9th.  I've had days since when I did not run the Mini splits at all, but these radiational cooling mornings were too annoying - that cool snap back during that time was one of them.  Then, with low sun angles not heating up the next day until 2pm ... forced me turn them on at least for a little while those mornings.  

In general I agree with you, tho. There's usually a period every late Aug to early Nov in there somewhere where the technology is dormant.   This year it seemed to be more Sep 15 to Oct 10-ish

[DavisStraight]

5 minutes ago, UnitedWx said:

We call it pellet stove season in our house. We've barely used the gas heat yet. The pellets aren't economical to try to supplement the gas heat midwinter, but they're great for the in between seasons

I just got one, gonna install tomorrow.

[dendrite]

8 minutes ago, CoastalWx said:

October is typically the best energy month. No AC and heat. November starts using heat. 

That’s Sep here. Mid Oct on we’ve been firing up the pellet stove here and there to take the edge off. November the stove is on 90%+ of the time.

[Ginx snewx]

11 minutes ago, CoastalWx said:

October is typically the best energy month. No AC and heat. November starts using heat. 

Succumbed to heat use last week. The 50s over 30s were too consistent to get any warmth in the house. 

[dendrite]

Not much wind here, but we get some occasional gusts…and when we do the oak leaves are pouring. It’s going to be full stick season tomorrow morning.

[Ginx snewx]

3 minutes ago, dendrite said:

That’s Sep here. Mid Oct on we’ve been firing up the pellet stove here and there to take the edge off. November the stove is on 90%+ of the time.

Same here

[Brewbeer]

my heat has been coming on as needed since the end of September

 

[Damage In Tolland]

Won’t be able to do leaves tomorrow with the wind continuing. What a mess out there 

[AstronomyEnjoyer]

1.44" in the stratus this morning. Kind of in the middle of my expectations.

And heat wise, was able to avoid it until the 10th of this month when it hit 25° in the morning. Fuel oil fired furnace, which kind of sucks.

[CoastalWx]

18 minutes ago, Ginx snewx said:

Succumbed to heat use last week. The 50s over 30s were too consistent to get any warmth in the house. 

I would have had it on briefly for a few mornings, but had to wait it out because I needed a new tank. 

[CoastalWx]

Not sure why NAM and HRRR like to have a micropenis inversion on CAA west winds, but it's like 2mb thick lol. Other than that, it's a violent top boundary layer. GFS mixes quite well and is violent. We shall see.

[dendrite]

13 minutes ago, Damage In Tolland said:

Won’t be able to do leaves tomorrow with the wind continuing. What a mess out there 

Just let the gusts blow them to the woods.

[Brewbeer]

3 minutes ago, dendrite said:

Just let the gusts blow them to the woods.

that's what I do, work with the wind to help move leaves toward the woods

[dryslot]

12 hours ago, kdxken said:

Let's see how your hunting eyes are working. The deer love the black locust . As soon as I drop one they come running. Where's Waldo or his sister?

 

That deer would be in my freezer, I have two doe permits.

[Chrisrotary12]

Heat is on for 1st level. Pellet stove keeps 2nd and 3rd level warm as needed. Hoping to make it beyond December 1 with current set up and last year’s left over pellets. 

[UnitedWx]

1 hour ago, DavisStraight said:

I just got one, gonna install tomorrow.

We LOVE ours. It's in the living room fireplace, and due to the design of our house the heat is able to circulate through the entire first floor. Second floor stays cool... but we prefer it like that. I had thought that running it mid winter would help lower the gas bill, but it did not. The cost of that many pellets and the gas easily exceeded the cost of just running the natural gas furnace. It is much more economical for us to just use it in between seasons and occasionally for a little extra warmth or ambiance in the living room.

[DavisStraight]

5 minutes ago, UnitedWx said:

We LOVE ours. It's in the living room fireplace, and due to the design of our house the heat is able to circulate through the entire first floor. Second floor stays cool... but we prefer it like that. I had thought that running it mid winter would help lower the gas bill, but it did not. The cost of that many pellets and the gas easily exceeded the cost of just running the natural gas furnace. It is much more economical for us to just use it in between seasons and occasionally for a little extra warmth or ambiance in the living room.

I have mine in a walkout unheated basement so it's the only heat there. I guess some heat will rise to the main floor but it's mainly to keep the basement warm where my office is located.  

[UnitedWx]

Just now, DavisStraight said:

I have mine in a walkout unheated basement so it's the only heat there. I guess some heat will rise to the main floor but it's mainly to keep the basement where my office is located.

It will be great for an area like that. I'm in the middle of a major basement remodel where I ripped out a '50s rec room so I can insulate everything properly, and then ultimately put back the rec room to look just like it did back then. I have been considering a small pellet stove for the area since it works so well upstairs

[WxWatcher007]

1 hour ago, Ginx snewx said:

Succumbed to heat use last week. The 50s over 30s were too consistent to get any warmth in the house. 

Same, though I started around mid-month. I’ve had 4 freezes this month and several other nights in the mid 30s.

6 minutes ago, UnitedWx said:

We LOVE ours. It's in the living room fireplace, and due to the design of our house the heat is able to circulate through the entire first floor. Second floor stays cool... but we prefer it like that. I had thought that running it mid winter would help lower the gas bill, but it did not. The cost of that many pellets and the gas easily exceeded the cost of just running the natural gas furnace. It is much more economical for us to just use it in between seasons and occasionally for a little extra warmth or ambiance in the living room.

I’m considering getting a wood stove for my living room to warm the house and reduce my gas usage this winter. 

[HIPPYVALLEY]

Euro has a pretty good coastal Tuesday, GFS and CMC not so much. 

[SJonesWX]

1 hour ago, Damage In Tolland said:

Won’t be able to do leaves tomorrow with the wind continuing. What a mess out there 

yup doing mine on Sunday. gonna be a disaster

59 minutes ago, dendrite said:

Just let the gusts blow them to the woods.

that's a great plan, until the gusts blow them back out of the woods.

[tamarack]

2 hours ago, jbenedet said:

We have entered now —The time of the year when heating bills can stay flat while climo gets a lot colder thanks to the leaves being all down and more direct sun on the house and yard.

Lasts through about turkey day….

Most of our leaves had fallen by mid-October when the average temp is 56/35.  By mid-November it's 42/24.  Unless the sun moves about 10 million miles closer, losing the shade won't come close to compensate for that magnitude of temp drop, especially when November vies with December as our cloudiest month.  (During my year in urban forestry, I learned that the sticks catch 25-40% of the sun - not the 90%+ of full foliage but still significant.)

1.18" thru 8 AM with light rain/DZ since.  Not a drought breaker but useful.  Had some strong gusts about 5 AM but light wind after that, but it has picked up again about 10:15.

[dryslot]

I will never understand why some folks try to hold out turning on the heat, Its not like you win a prize or a trip to a tropical climate............

[Great Snow 1717]

12 minutes ago, dryslot said:

I will never understand why some folks try to hold out turning on the heat, Its not like you win a prize or a trip to a tropical climate............

I like the home to be on the cool side. The cold/cool doesn't bother my wife and I at all. 

[dryslot]

Just now, Great Snow 1717 said:

I like the home to be on the cool side. The cold/cool doesn't bother my wife and I at all. 

I do as well, This time of year i set the thermostat at 66°F.

[dryslot]

1.23" in the stratus this morning.

[Brewbeer]

18 minutes ago, dryslot said:

I will never understand why some folks try to hold out turning on the heat, Its not like you win a prize or a trip to a tropical climate............

this.  I have a kick-ass heating system in my house and I'm not leaving it off when it's cold outside.  keep mine in the 68-70 range, bit cooler in the bedroom for sleeping

[DavisStraight]

26 minutes ago, SJonesWX said:

yup doing mine on Sunday. gonna be a disaster

that's a great plan, until the gusts blow them back out of the woods.

I had that problem at my last house, the windy days never blew towards the woods so I'd have to wait and have twice as much work when the wind calmed down.

[dryslot]

I'm hopeful that when the winds back from 180° to 330° today into tomorrow that all the leaves that blew up the driveway end up at the neighbors like most years...............

[backedgeapproaching]

1 hour ago, dendrite said:

Not much wind here, but we get some occasional gusts…and when we do the oak leaves are pouring. It’s going to be full stick season tomorrow morning.

It was gusting to 50mph yesterday here and it probably took 60% of Oak leaves only, stubborn suckers. At least those that did drop are now blown into NY with that wicked east wind...lol.