Still freaking cold in Iowa

Dingman

Do you know where your towel is?
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This was yesterday and it's not much better today. That darn jetstream drops lower and lower every few years, and the actual air in the jetstream is getting colder as the ice melts in the Arctic.
I'm not crazy about this - my basement is so cold, I don't like to work on the stereo equipment that's piled up down there.
Cold Temps.jpg
 
Yup its the same here, its gotta be that global warming I hear them talking about all the time
 
Heh, I'm not getting into why the jet stream is moving (actually higher and lower from what I've heard the farmers say). And we should never, ever blame any specific event on a specific cause.

I'm just saying this is freaking cold and I'm annoyed that my basement is so cold. I did cut one small-ish hole in one duct down there and then added one of those electric-to-fluid heaters under my bench and most winters, that's been enough. Not this year.
I'm due for a new furnace, I think I'll have them upsize the burner BTU's and add a couple of ducts discharging into the basement. I'll just close those off in the summer, as the basement of course, doesn't really warm up.
As we know, the ground is a pretty darn consistent 55° or so (more than a few feet down).

At least I have a basement, when I lived in Texas, rarely did I see a basement. Can't remember why?
 
Actually, upping the BTU can make matters worse. Comfort is usually more consistent if the unit runs longer and moving the air rather than short cycling, of sorts.

Basements are a challenge though as usually thermostat isn't in the basement unless you have some sort of multizone system. Our basement is noticeably cooler too than the main floor or upstairs.

If it is forced air heat, have you tried turning the blower fan to manual and letting that run to keep the air moving? The furnace will still fire as necessary but the comfort level may be more uniform.
 
Reminds me of my college days. Back in 84 the windchill in south\central Minnesota hit 100 below. Hight temps were well below zero. I had electric heat and a north facing window; so I piled up snow until the window was completely covered. Needless to say I hated it. I lasted one year and got the hell out of there. That was one long cold winter. Adds a whole new dynamic to tube power ...
 
Reminds me of my college days. Back in 84 the windchill in south\central Minnesota hit 100 below. Hight temps were well below zero. I had electric heat and a north facing window; so I piled up snow until the window was completely covered. Needless to say I hated it. I lasted one year and got the hell out of there. That was one long cold winter. Adds a whole new dynamic to tube power ...

College days.....Mankato?
 
It's been mostly in the 20s and 30s here in New Braunfels. That's not what us yankees call cold, but the natives are are freezing. Makes me laugh. This probably the closest thing to winter that this area has seen in quite a few years.
 
Caliche. Calcium carbonate makes cutting basements a bad idea. Not to mention seepage and scorpions...

Jeesh, I don't even know what that means - I'll have to google it. Thanks! I didn't see scorpions when I lived in east Texas, but those fire ants were something, bad!
 
Actually, upping the BTU can make matters worse. Comfort is usually more consistent if the unit runs longer and moving the air rather than short cycling, of sorts.

Basements are a challenge though as usually thermostat isn't in the basement unless you have some sort of multizone system. Our basement is noticeably cooler too than the main floor or upstairs.

If it is forced air heat, have you tried turning the blower fan to manual and letting that run to keep the air moving? The furnace will still fire as necessary but the comfort level may be more uniform.

Ya, I've zoned a couple of ducts. I worked 25 years in building automation and a large part of that was HVAC. So, most of my house is - automated. Although I have to admit, the new Google\Hue devices make my old stuff look - old. And I sure understand runtime, you are right that we don't want excessive cycling.
 
Make sure and tap into the return line also so you'll get some real airflow through the area.

Absolutely. I've already created a new return in the basement for the really hot days, to help supply cooler air to the evaporator coil. I balanced it for a small-ish 200 CFM but total supply is only 1200 at full fan speed, so it did help. My supply temp can get down to about 48°, which helps with dehumidification as well, without a dehumidifier. But there is the whole runtime thing with DX, de-hum doesn't work nearly as well as the coils at work that use chilled water.
 
Jeesh, I don't even know what that means - I'll have to google it. Thanks! I didn't see scorpions when I lived in east Texas, but those fire ants were something, bad!
you need a proper fire extinguisher.
th
 
Not a whole lot better in SE Wisc. Good news on the horizon, it's supposed to warm up this weekend, 33 degrees on Sunday and SNOW!
 
Here's a clip from my house temp sensors (there are more) - it's so cold, the front porch sensor has FAILED.
upload_2018-1-2_17-42-41.png
 
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