Snow in Florida Thread

[Red Squirrel]

Not a space heater to found around here (Daytona), or a winter jacket or long johns either. Some cars have been broken into if jackets are visible inside..

Haha wow. Must be chaos lol. Next thing people will be burning palm trees. :awe:

Bet there is a lot of money to be made selling space heaters there right now. 😀 Need to load up transport truck and go. Anyone know where I can buy bulk 1500w space heaters? Needs to be alternator size so I can fit more in the truck.

 

[x-alki]

I'm looking at icicles growing on a neighbor's tree right now, I'm pretty sure it snowed here too but I was asleep. Went to buy some gloves but its sold out everywhere.

Damnit...it shouldn't be this cold in Florida >.>

Icicles grow? Seasonal crop I take it...

 

[alkemyst]

Go to Target and get a space heater.

I come with one built in, where is the missus?

 

[alkemyst]

Global warming is real, however much of the reporting is so flawed a 8 year old failure of a kid can see the errors... Make no mistake about it. The ice caps are dying, I don't know if we will recover from that. We are taking more out of our planet then putting back.

I think we have a few hundred years though left and by that time they may find a solution.

Our biggest problem is the populations are increasing and their conservation dwindling. I use a reusable water bottle during the day. I used to throw out about 20-30 containers a day.

 

[alkemyst]

Ah did not figure it was standard on a typical AC, maybe it's more common in the south then here. I heard of heat pumps and some people have them here but think they are a separate installation where they actually dig a huge hole to grab heat from the ground. Would make sense to just have one unit that does both though as they are basically the same concept.

I thought they were actually less expensive to run though.

my a/c bill may be 250-300 on the hottest days....

The scary thing is during winter mine is usually 350-400...we usually have 1-2 cold days max back to back...this has been about 10 days now of uber cold. I can't even walk my dog until mid day. I have bowls of water for the outside cats and animals that roam here and the first 1/2" or so was frozen solid this morning.

I was at the dog park at 12:30 through 3pm and I was freezing my ass off in 3 layers and I usually am the guy in shorts when it gets cold.

 

[bobdole369]

I think its hilarious. I live in broward, kids running around in snow boots, gloves and scarfs with those funny russian hats.

I'm also the guy in shorts most of last week I simply refused to admit it was cold - today I did wear a thermal under my shirt and long pants.

 

[iGas]

While it's not recommended to use a gas appliance indoors for heat you won't die if you follow a few simple rules.

First and foremost ensure all burners that are running are producing blue flames. If you see ANY yellow flames or yellow tipping, STOP! A yellow flame/tip means incomplete combustion is present and carbon monoxide (CO) is being produced. Usually the cause for a carburizing burning is an improperly adjusted venturi/aspirator, etc. The burner may need to be cleaned. Even when you're using the range for cooking you should not see yellow flames as (it's bad as I just said!) it will soot up your pans! In a VERY rare condition yellow may be present with a properly adjusted aspirator - this represents a very dangerous situation because the ambient oxygen level is too low!

In any case if you have good burners (blue flames/tips) and want to light them to heat just be sure there is sufficient fresh air by opening two windows slightly. As long as there is enough make up air excessive CO generation is not going to be a problem.

What can become a problem is CO2 generation if this allowed for a long time. Owners of marine aquaria know this phenomenon all too well in the autumn when the house is closed up and the oven is used all day long to prepare holiday meals. If an aggressive foam fractionator (protein skimmer) is in use (downdraft, foam wheel, multiple eductor, etc.) the pH will fall dramatically from its typical 8.3 to as low as 7.4 - even with above normal dKH! This is an indicator of higher than normal levels of indoor CO2 produced by the burners. It reacts within the chamber of the skimmer producing carbonic acid which temporarily shifts the pH lower (as evidenced on a pH monitor) which can stress some livestock. Outside of this most have no idea of elevated CO2 levels which can become unhealthy.

Finally, burning natural gas and /or propane releases water. This natural humidification can elevate indoor humidity levels to the point where colder surfaces will sweat excessively. This needs to be watched to make sure a hazardous condition - namely with electrical devices - does not set presence. Condensation on its own is very much a non conductor but as soon as it runs across a surface and picks up a few contaminants it will conduct sufficiently at household delivery voltages to produce a hazard.

Proper ventilation is key. It may sound silly to open a few windows when it's cold but it's not as dramatic as rescue workers coming into a home with corpses! 😱

Be warm and safe! Use common sense!

Please stop spewing techical stuffs that you don't fully understand, and please Keep It Simple.

It is been know that cooking stove generally doesn't burn as clean as it can be because it is not a perfectly control flame, therefore it is common to get around 2% un burn fuel creating CO and there are also CO2 that have to be dealt with. In normal condition exhaust fan evacuate the majority of the CO & CO2 (some CO & CO2 will spill down to the floor because it is heavier than air), and gas code still allow for residential cooking with out a hood (it is a good idea to have range hood) becasue the burn duration is so little that CO & CO2 isn't a concern. However, gas code indicated that range hood (exact or greater CFM removal is a requirement) must be use in a commercial kitchen because chances of poisoning is greater.

As for, sweating due to burning natural gas is some what a concern, but not a big enough concern that gas code requires residential kitchen range exhaust to be evacuate to outside air. However, open window while using a gas range in older home that doesn't have range hood is a common practice.

<--- licensed gasfitter.

PS. NOx & SO2 Isn't a concern in this situation because it is not a regular practice.

CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING
Gas-fired kitchen ranges

How can the adverse health effects from using a gas range be reduced?

1. Have the furnace tuned for combustion safety by a qualified specialist.
2. Follow operating instructions carefully:

* Do not block air vent holes.
* Do not cover the vent holes on the bottom of the oven with foil.
* Keep the unit clean.
* Do not operate with the oven door open.
* NEVER USE A KITCHEN RANGE TO HEAT THE HOME!

3. Always use the kitchen range hood fan, vented to the outside, when operating the kitchen range.
4. Have the range serviced when:

* Burner flames are not blue.
* The burners do not light properly.
* The burners or pilot produce soot.
* Carbon monoxide concentrations in the house increase during operation of the range.

5. Evacuate the house, and call for assistance from outside the house if there is a smell of natural gas or LPG.
6. Install a fire extinguisher, smoke detector, and carbon monoxide detector in the home.

 

[feralkid]

Go to Target and get a space heater.

That's a great idea!

And they should have tons in stock because no on else thought of it.

 

[BUTCH1]

Ah did not figure it was standard on a typical AC, maybe it's more common in the south then here. I heard of heat pumps and some people have them here but think they are a separate installation where they actually dig a huge hole to grab heat from the ground. Would make sense to just have one unit that does both though as they are basically the same concept.

I thought they were actually less expensive to run though.

I think your referring to an "earth coil", they bury coils in the ground because the ground stays at a relatively constant temp down far enough, this is done in new buildings, kinda pricey to retrofit an existing system..

 

[iGas]

I think your referring to an "earth coil", they bury coils in the ground because the ground stays at a relatively constant temp down far enough, this is done in new buildings, kinda pricey to retrofit an existing system..

Geothermal.

<--- geothermal heat pump specialist

 

[BUTCH1]

Geothermal.

<--- geothermal heat pump specialist

Oh, OK, I had seen a show that referred to it as the "earth coil" but that was a long time ago,I guess that since it's now more mainstream it's referred to as Geothermal, really a neat idea to save on energy costs, how much does one cost to install one of those baby's?.

 

[thescreensavers]

That's a great idea!

And they should have tons in stock because no on else thought of it.

Lol, everyone is sold out, like totally SOLD OUT, I had to order one off amazon for a rip off price, damn them and changing the price..its going to be here tuesday. Right now its 40outside, and 60 in my house, we don't have windows made for this weather!

There goes the price of orange juice.

your avatar fits

 

[iGas]

Oh, OK, I had seen a show that referred to it as the "earth coil" but that was a long time ago,I guess that since it's now more mainstream it's referred to as Geothermal, really a neat idea to save on energy costs, how much does one cost to install one of those baby's?.

I'm not sure how much it cost to install in the US, but here in Canada it start at around $22K CAD (primary & secondary heat source all included) and up the sky the limit. I have worked on residential projects geothermal heating/cooling cost well over $4 millions (fricking bragging rights for rich people), and over $20 millions on 1 commercial project.

You will never recover the initial cost in a residential dueling that locate in mild climate zones (typically recoup cost range from 25-37 years). It is worth it to have geothermal for residential in extreme climate because the recoup is in 12-17 years.

Commercial/industrial in extreme climates typically recoup cost range from 10-12 years. Some take as long as 15-17 years to recover the initial install cost, and there are a few that shown as little as 2.5 years to recover the cost.

That said, there are newer methods of heat recovery combining with geothermal suggesting that cost of operation can be lower an additional 30&#37; (I'm currently working on the new system, adding newer system to an existing 20 year old system for a local private college at the tune of $5.1 million CAD.

 

[BUTCH1]

I'm not sure how much it cost to install in the US, but here in Canada it start at around $22K CAD (primary & secondary heat source all included) and up the sky the limit. I have worked on residential projects geothermal heating/cooling cost well over $4 millions (fricking bragging rights for rich people), and over $20 millions on 1 commercial project.

You will never recover the initial cost in a residential dueling that locate in mild climate zones (typically recoup cost range from 25-37 years). It is worth it to have geothermal for residential in extreme climate because the recoup is in 12-17 years.

Commercial/industrial in extreme climates typically recoup cost range from 10-12 years. Some take as long as 15-17 years to recover the initial install cost, and there are a few that shown as little as 2.5 years to recover the cost.

That said, there are newer methods of heat recovery combining with geothermal suggesting that cost of operation can be lower an additional 30% (I'm currently working on the new system, adding newer system to an existing 20 year old system for a local private college at the tune of $5.1 million CAD.

Interesting, I guess another advantage is total independence for your heating/cooling needs. Of course you will always need electric to operate pumps, control system, and blower fans but those cold be supplied via a small generator in an emergency. Here in FL AC is the big draw but you need a hefty sized generator to power the house + the AC system, typically in the 5-9K price range depending on the size of the home..

 

[alkemyst]

I think its hilarious. I live in broward, kids running around in snow boots, gloves and scarfs with those funny russian hats.

I'm also the guy in shorts most of last week I simply refused to admit it was cold - today I did wear a thermal under my shirt and long pants.

when it is 30 outside it's dangerous esp for kids. Hardly hilarious.

 

[LittleNemoNES]

Now you will die from carbon monoxide poisoning. Either way, you're dead.

hehe I was just kidding. Besides -- running my car in the garage is a better way to survive this cold.^_^

 

[nerp]

Funny to hear people call 30 degrees "excruciating."

 

[RyanPaulShaffer]

Most modern AC systems also serve as the heat by reversing the cycle, also known as a "heat pump". Some heaters work on pure electrical resistance alone, the same as a space heater but it's located in the evaporator box and uses the same fan as the AC to circulate the air. Problem with this arrangement is it's extraordinarily expensive to run. Some homes have oil or gas fired heaters as well..

This. Too bad my outside condenser unit broke, AND my emergency heat in the inside unit was broken as well.

53 degrees in my house when I woke up Sunday morning...it went down to 20 degrees outside overnight...in Florida! I had to keep some water running to prevent the pipes from freezing (they did earlier in the week), however one outside did burst, though I could turn it off because it doesn't appear to be an essential pipe. Not a pleasant last week or so...I thought I moved away from this crap.

Global warming indeed. If it would have snowed/rained, I would have built an Algore ice man.