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Turn DOWN your thermostat! Really?!

Discussion pertaining to Detroit, Ann Arbor, Port Huron, and SW Ontario
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Lickalime
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Re: Turn DOWN your thermostat! Really?!

Post by Lickalime » Thu Jan 31, 2019 10:29 am

Someone on my FB suggested local businesses close for the day. I imagine Great Lakes Crossing is drawing quite a bit of power off the grid. If local malls and larger businesses closed, wouldn't that be beneficial to residents and we could turn our heat up a tad? Our heat is set to 62 for the day. It's cold in my house. Although, the layout a square footage doesn't help my situation much. I'd happily turn my heat way down if I could run my two gas fireplaces. That would heat my house nicely. Fireplaces won't even turn on.



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Ed Joseph
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Re: Turn DOWN your thermostat! Really?!

Post by Ed Joseph » Thu Jan 31, 2019 12:04 pm

lovinlife101 wrote:
Thu Jan 31, 2019 11:29 am
Do you believe everything people with more power than you tell you?
Absolutely not. Never have and never will. And you are right about furnaces running non-stop. Mine is on 71 and runs at least eight times an hour right now. Turning it down to 65 would probably result in frozen pipes, to be honest.


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Ed Joseph
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Re: Turn DOWN your thermostat! Really?!

Post by Ed Joseph » Thu Jan 31, 2019 12:07 pm

I think this might have got overlooked... still wondering.
Ed Joseph wrote:
Thu Jan 31, 2019 7:02 am
That said, is there a site on the tendernet where you can view EAS messages which have been sent via terrestrial media?


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TC Talks
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Re: Turn DOWN your thermostat! Really?!

Post by TC Talks » Thu Jan 31, 2019 12:11 pm

Matt wrote:
Thu Jan 31, 2019 8:16 am
MWmetalhead wrote:
Thu Jan 31, 2019 7:10 am
The State of Michigan sent the alert at Consumers' request.

I think Consumers doesn't want to have to pay DTE for natural gas. Their systems are interconnected. If Consumers had to pay DTE for emergency supply, Consumers would have to eat that cost.

Would love to know why Consumers' compression station had an incident. Recall a Consumers gas main ruptured and caused a massive explosion in Auburn Hills a couple years ago.
This makes sense. I was wondering why I received the Consumers message, considering that I have DTE. I also did not lower the temp, but I have it set at 68 anyway.
I disagree slightly. We are being urged to conserve gas as a DTE customer (near the pumping station in Kalkaska). It's not that they don't have the gas, its maintaining pressure in delivery at higher volumes. Think of a pump next to Lake Michigan going out... there is still plenty of water to be had, just a compromised delivery system.

I figured out this only impacts the Detroit area. If everyone ignores the request, and rolling outages are needed, it won't impact the North. Now, DTE and Consumers collaborate in the Metro area quite a bit.

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Deleted User 8570

Re: Turn DOWN your thermostat! Really?!

Post by Deleted User 8570 » Thu Jan 31, 2019 12:37 pm

lovinlife101 wrote:
Thu Jan 31, 2019 11:29 am
ZenithCKLW wrote:
Wed Jan 30, 2019 2:35 pm
If everyone turns their thermostat up because it's their right, I hope they enjoy themselves when the infrastructure can't handle it and breaks down in the worst cold snap of the year. I wish some people on this planet acted more like a team rather than only looking out for themselves and flexing their "power".
Here’s they funny thing, people’s furnaces are already running non-stop. Turn it to 60, 65, 70, or 100, when it’s this cold out, furnaces run non-stop.

Oh, and nothing will break down. It would have already if that was the case. Do you believe everything people with more power than you tell you?
So you know nothing about anything...

First off your furnace will use naturally use less energy trying to keep your house at a cooler temperature. This works because a cooler temperature is quicker and easier to achieve regardless of what’s happening outside. It’ll also take less energy to maintain it.

Secondly things can break down at any time for any reason. Just because it hasn’t broken down doesn’t mean it somehow never will. You lose and this time you have nothing.



Deleted User 14896

Re: Turn DOWN your thermostat! Really?!

Post by Deleted User 14896 » Thu Jan 31, 2019 1:10 pm

lovinlife101 wrote:
Thu Jan 31, 2019 11:29 am
Here’s they funny thing, people’s furnaces are already running non-stop. Turn it to 60, 65, 70, or 100, when it’s this cold out, furnaces run non-stop.
Well, I turned it down from 68 to 65 when Gretchen told me. I'm so submissive.
My furnace at 68 was running about 30% of the time.
My furnace at 65 is running about 20% of the time. I turned it down last night, and actually got up during the night to check because I hadn't heard it come on in awhile. And it's comfortable at 65 for me. I'm off today because of the weather (and getting paid). Flopping around the house in a hoodie and flannel pj's.
Last edited by Deleted User 14896 on Thu Jan 31, 2019 6:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.



Deleted User 14896

Re: Turn DOWN your thermostat! Really?!

Post by Deleted User 14896 » Thu Jan 31, 2019 1:29 pm

Same here.
Last edited by Deleted User 14896 on Thu Jan 31, 2019 6:36 pm, edited 2 times in total.



stopnswop2
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Re: Turn DOWN your thermostat! Really?!

Post by stopnswop2 » Thu Jan 31, 2019 2:14 pm

Mike Oxlong wrote:
Thu Jan 31, 2019 1:29 pm
stopnswop2 wrote:
Wed Jan 30, 2019 11:56 pm
I got the emergency alert on my phone about an hour ago, saying to lower it to 65 degrees
Well, bless your heart.
Excuse me??


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MWmetalhead
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Re: Turn DOWN your thermostat! Really?!

Post by MWmetalhead » Thu Jan 31, 2019 2:16 pm

LL101 probably thinks a car engine consumes the same amount of fuel when driving 100 mph as 30 mph. :lol:

Extreme analogy, I realize, but less natural gas is consumed based on a few degree reduction to the 'stat.

There's a reason people turn down the 'stat when they leave for work. Less energy consumption = lower gas bills.

That's a cool map, TC Talks. Thanks for posting that!



Deleted User 8570

Re: Turn DOWN your thermostat! Really?!

Post by Deleted User 8570 » Thu Jan 31, 2019 3:41 pm

lovinlife101 wrote:
Thu Jan 31, 2019 2:47 pm
MWmetalhead wrote:
Thu Jan 31, 2019 2:16 pm
LL101 probably thinks a car engine consumes the same amount of fuel when driving 100 mph as 30 mph. :lol:

Extreme analogy, I realize, but less natural gas is consumed based on a few degree reduction to the 'stat.

There's a reason people turn down the 'stat when they leave for work. Less energy consumption = lower gas bills.

That's a cool map, TC Talks. Thanks for posting that!
Most furnaces have only one speed, unless it’s multi-stage, which few people have. They’re on or they’re off, not variable speed. So none of them are going 100 mph or 30 mph. They’re all going the same speed. It’s the amount of time on that is the variable. And, like I said, if a furnace can’t maintain a temperature of 60 degrees, it doesn’t matter if it’s set to 60, 65, or 100. It will be on all the time regardless.

This is fun!
The point is that most if not nearly all furnaces can maintain 60 or 65 much more easily than 75 or 80... hence the cost reduction.... you lose again! This is fun! Now go tee yourself up again...



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MWmetalhead
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Re: Turn DOWN your thermostat! Really?!

Post by MWmetalhead » Thu Jan 31, 2019 4:10 pm

The whole point of reducing the thermostat today and yesterday was to prevent the type of supply shortage that would have induced the type of scenario you described, LL101.

Granted, I share your skepticism regarding the true severity of the situation.

If one compressor station fire can cause such an extreme supply bottleneck, Consumers and state regulators should scrutinize Consumers' gas storage and delivery practices.



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Mickey Lolich
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Re: Turn DOWN your thermostat! Really?!

Post by Mickey Lolich » Thu Jan 31, 2019 4:42 pm

I had been smelling a rat. MW, I think your theory about DTE/Consumers makes a lot of sense here.

And one strike against the new governor for sending out that alert without all of the facts. She set off a crapstorm without all of the facts. What the hell is wrong with her? Will I come to regret not voting for Bill Schuette?


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MWmetalhead
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Re: Turn DOWN your thermostat! Really?!

Post by MWmetalhead » Thu Jan 31, 2019 5:51 pm

Well, in her defense, I think she was taking a better-safe-than-sorry approach. If I was in her position and received the same urgent request from Consumers, subject to satisfactory answers to my questions, I likely would've made the same decision that Whitmer did.

Edit: Whitmer has ordered a post-mortem analysis of what went wrong and a review of the state's overall natural gas grid resiliency. I agree with her actions here.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/ ... 733791002/



tapeisrolling
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Re: Turn DOWN your thermostat! Really?!

Post by tapeisrolling » Thu Jan 31, 2019 8:32 pm

Doesn't any one remember back in the mid-70's when a cold snap caused similar problems? Only that time it was electricity. It was so cold the coal was frozen and there were problems feeding the boilers. Companies lowered the usage and everyone was asked to dial down and turn off lights not needed. It was all over in a couple days.



Mega Hertz
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Re: Turn DOWN your thermostat! Really?!

Post by Mega Hertz » Thu Jan 31, 2019 8:54 pm

That's not heat, that's my FREEDOM you're telling me to turn down.

Turned ours down. We're still alive, still breathing, nobody died. I didn't feel the need to be the local contrarian bad ass and crank it to 80.


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