I got the house lights set better on the timer. They come on at dusk and go off at dawn, Took a few days of adjusting. It was so cold the past few nights I had to wear gloves. Picking out and removing tiny plastic timer push-ins wearing gloves isn't easy. But I finally got them right.
The Mews didn't like that I didn't let them outside much the past few days. Sure they have fur, but it was only 12F when I got up. I'm not going to let them out in that temperature. The last time I let Laz out like that, he went up a tree, I fell off the ladder, and I haven't recovered from that yet.
Seriously, some of the parts I injured then are getting worse lately. I'm getting to an age where things never quite heal. The compression knee brace helps on the left. I walk kind of stiff-leeged these days. But I think it is getting better. Some problems heal with time and careful waling. Stairs are annoying.
So, when I got up and Laz and Lori wanted to go out when it was just 12F, I just laughed at them.
It was too cold in the house late Christmas Eve, It actually got down to 8F at one point outside. We haven't gotten that cold here in over 20 years.
I have 2 digital thermometers that also tell me the outside temp and they agreed about 8 all night. The thermostat was set at 68F; it stayed at 62. Even the direct (emergency) electrical heating didn't help. OK, yeah 62 isn't exactly threatening, but I worried the heat pump was failing. "Perfect" time of year for that, right?
When it got up to 20F outside, it worked better and slowly got to 72. 8F outside isn't exactly the world's coldest temp by a long shot, but apparently it defeats my aging heat pump. I bet it fails soon. They always fail on the hottest or coldest days... Calling the installers for a maintenance check tomorrow. They have been good about maintenance before.
Complaining that the heat "only kept the house at 62F" sounds pretty "high-faluting" (I grew up with routinely colder morning house temps as that as a kid in New England) but what I want to avoid is it suddenly being 32F. The house is extremely insulated and holds warmth, but it loses heat eventually of course. It's hard to cook wearing a heavy Winter coat and hoping repair people can arrive in a few days...
Happily, the weather is warming. Should allow the heat pump guys some days to fix serious other problems elsewhere and check mine out soon enough before it fails entirely.
