Monday, November 17, 2008

slippersock thermostat


slippersock thermostat, originally uploaded by skippy haha.

the thermostat in this house does not have an 'off' switch - i can set it at the lowest - 50 degrees Fahrenheit- but if the system is on and the temperature drops below 50, it automatically comes on to heat the house up to 50.

i have myself contained to one room with a space heater, and don't want to oil heat to kick on even if it's below 50.

i bought a bunch of handwarmers for 50 cents and put one on top of the thermostat under the slipper sock so the thermostat stays warm and does not trigger the oil heat.

click the sock to see the handwarmer.

the only real danger is if the slipper sock falls off and gets eaten by this terrible dog.

17 comments:

Brian Ross said...

How resourceful and creative. Sunday I was having thoughts of making a person encapsulator to put over me and the computer, or me and the drumset, or me and the TV. In my mind it was a wooden frame with blankets. Picture me huddled inside with a computer. I bet you could put the space heater on low in that situation. This morning was cold and I could see my breath when i went home for lunch. high tomorrow 34...yikes! My sleeping bag is getting lots of use.

skippy haha said...

thank you brian. i forgot to mention the handwarmers last for 10 hours. i think a person encapsulator is a great idea - like a mini-yurt. i think our houses may be tied for most uninsulated house in asheville. ive been known to do the sleeping bag mummy hop around the house too. oatmeal will keep you warm for about 2 hours.

Anonymous said...

Just because I can geek out on it, can you snap me a photo of your thermostat?

Anonymous said...

Nevermind... Clicked it!

Anonymous said...

I think you can also crack open the case. There should be mercury switches in them. Surely you can put something non-conductive in there to block the switch from turning on at any temperature. If you want to you can take a picture of the inside.

skippy haha said...

okay sh32 - here's the insides - http://flickr.com/photos/skippyhaha/3038544683/
show me where to put a non-conductor? insulator? which would be...cardboard? or what? this is exciting, it's like mr. wizards world.

skippy haha said...

here is the other photo when it's set to 90 to see where the two parts come together to put the insulator in between
http://www.flickr.com/photos/skippyhaha/3038632221/
and i like the color green that the walls used to be!

skippy haha said...

all set- a small bit of styrofoam in between the two contact points means the heater is never triggered. thank you sh32, i feel like we really accomplished something. and it's a good thing my circulation is bad so i'll use all these hothands i now have.

Anonymous said...

Feeling like he just bettered the world, one thermostat at a time!

Anne said...

you know you can get a programmable thermostat at Lowes, etc., for less than $30 and they are easy to install. you don't want to let your house get below about 40 degrees or your water pipes will be in danger of freezing!

skippy haha said...

great points, Anne - thank you! i thought the cutoff for freezing pipes was 20 degrees, but absolutely if the house is below 40 i will turn the heat on because yes burst pipes is something i never want to deal with.

Brian Ross said...

Yeah what Anne noted is correct. Alternatively, You can leave a faucet dripping. But I know every little drip would be a like an ocean of guilt for you. Being a water conservationist and all ;)

skippy haha said...

we are in exceptional drought! there will be no dripping faucets under my watch :)

Anonymous said...

sh32 I was going to geek out on this too, offering some macgyver-like solution... but I feel like my geek quotient is already too high with my comments on the moon post.

kudos for a clever solution. :)

skippy haha said...

i am so lucky to have such universally competent commenters like you all! thanks for all your answers & help along the way.

Anonymous said...

I feel like Skippy should be giving away diplomas. Ph.d in USB?

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