NEED HEAT!!! (scumlord)

[e980238]

Hi all,

Ive been searching a few different search engines for the past 45 minutes trying to find good solid information to prove my landlord wrong, that running the furnace for 2 hours a day at 75 degrees F is not the most efficient way. He is psycho and does not belive anything he sees published by oil companies because he thinks its a conspiracy to get us all to use more oil. Anyone have any good links to show the proper use of an oil furnace? Im tired of waking up every day to a room thats below 55 degrees. Thanks for your help.

[Aaron_J]

Does your landlord control the only thermostat in the building.

that running the furnace for 2 hours a day at 75 degrees F is not the most efficient way

Well, it doesn't get much more efficient than that. Efficient does not equal comfort.

I imagine you may have exaggerated a bit though. How exactly does he use the furnace? Maybe we can find a source that will contradict it.

[Atomic Rooster]

Easy solution, go to the hardware store and buy an electric space heater.

[e980238]

ok heres the deal......

its a 2 floor appartment with 2 zones....2 furnaces....and 2 oil tanks. (1 of each for each floor).

He does not like our furnace to run after 11pm because he says to too loud and keeps him awake.

We control our thermostat but he wont shut up about all the oil we are wasting if its on longer then that. From my understanding, it would use less oil to keep it on 65 degrees for 5 hours then to have in on 75 for 2 hours. I just need to show proof. I realize the best bet is to just move somewhere else but this place is so cheap and I dont have a lot of money.

[e980238]

Originally posted by Atomic Rooster
Easy solution, go to the hardware store and buy an electric space heater.

The landlord supplies those, but they seem to use more electricity money wise then having the furnace on would use oil moneywise....if that makes any sense...

[MTAtech]

I think you are going about this the wrong way. What are the ramifications of him running it the way he wants? Is the temperature dropping below a certain temp? If so, there may be local laws that govern how cold an apt must be.

Personally, I'd tell him to mind his own business about when you run the furnace. If the lease doesn't mention it, it's not his place to dictate that.

[sao95]

if you pay your rent, tell him to f--- off, you should be able to keep it as hot or cold as you wish.

[Aaron_J]

Does the landlord pay for oil but you have to pay for electricity?

An easy, but time intensive, way of solving this would be time exactly how long the furnace runs in a 2 hour period while set to 75 degrees and then time how long it runs in your 5 hour period while set to 65.

This represents a total of 6 hours you will have to keep watch on the furnace but it works.

The furnace uses the same amout of fuel per unit of run-time at 75 degrees as it does at 65 degrees. The difference is how often and how long it cycles on.

You will probably find that the price is about the same doing it your way as it is doing it his way.

EDIT: BTW, I agree wholeheartedly with MTA and sao95.

[e980238]

i share the upstairs with 2 other people but we have our own oil tank that is separate from the landlord's downstairs so it in no way affects what the landlord is paying. I think running the furnace for only 2 hours a day is BS because the house has NO insulation and the temp is usually below 60 in the winter.

[Ed_S]

So far it seems that the noise of the running furnace is the issue, right?

Is it possible to agree with him regarding the TIME to run it? Programmable thermostats have gotten pretty cheap, as low as $30, and that would allow you to set it to your 65, but be OFF from, say, 10:30PM - 4:30 AM? It would have the place warm enough in the morning w/o interfering with his sleep - unless the thing's so loud it'll actually wake him!!

You'd be more efficient too, BTW, and would likely save money on oil!

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It might be tempting to tell him to mind his own business, but it's to your advantage in the long run NOT to. At some point you WILL need a favor of some kind!
I've had rental prop, and it's a sure thing that the landlord will move quicker to tend to things if he likes the tenant!!