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warm December

SlamDunk
SlamDunk Member Posts: 1,570
edited December 2015 in Gas Heating
havnt turned on boiler yet. been relying on my forced air system. December's gas bill:$79.00!

I dont know how to feel about that.

Happy New Year everyone
«1

Comments

  • Gordy
    Gordy Member Posts: 9,546
    I have been theorizing that seasons seem to be shifted a month. We are just starting to see what I perceive as December weather, and it's going to be the first of Jan.
  • BobC
    BobC Member Posts: 5,476
    The degree days in Boston this month have been 30% fewer than normal. I think 2011/12 was a warm one also. It's nice to save the fuel but you just know our turn in the barrel is coming.

    Bob
    Smith G8-3 with EZ Gas @ 90,000 BTU, Single pipe steam
    Vaporstat with a 12oz cut-out and 4oz cut-in
    3PSI gauge
    4Johnpipe
  • unclejohn
    unclejohn Member Posts: 1,833
    Gordy I myself have that same theory. The summer seems to last longer and winter takes it time to arrive. The calendar, like a watch may need to be reset from time to time. Adding a extra day once every four years may not quite get it.
    Gordy
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,588
    edited January 2016
    The seasons shifted a month would make sense if this wasn't all already predicted and explained in July. :D

    We had almost identical conditions in 1997 due to the same reason. Nothing needs to be reset. You guys are killing me. :)
    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
    Rich_49
  • Gordy
    Gordy Member Posts: 9,546
    In my life time seasons have shifted slightly as a 50 year synopsis.
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,588
    edited January 2016
    July is still and has always been the hottest month, at least in this area and the shortest day is and has always been near the end of December.
    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
  • hvacfreak2
    hvacfreak2 Member Posts: 500
    I believe that we are a month off as well. Winter seems to start in January here in the DC-BAL region ( 2013 and 2014 are an exception however ). This year seems to be back on track for my 1 month off thinking. There is a site with daily temperatures for each year in Hagerstown , MD that may or may not support this. But we tend to get our biggest snow storms in March anymore.
    hvacfreak

    Mechanical Enthusiast

    Burnham MST 396 , 60 oz gauge , Tigerloop , Firomatic Check Valve , Mcdonnell Miller 67 lwco , Danfoss RA2k TRV's

    Easyio FG20 Controller

    Brewbeer
  • JStar
    JStar Member Posts: 2,752
    Calendars are a human construct. Seasons are defined by the axial tilt of a planet and it's relative proximity to the sun.
  • Paul48
    Paul48 Member Posts: 4,469
    I was going to say that it goes back to that huge tsunami. At the time, they said it shifted the poles 1 degree. One of the guys I work with is from Laos. It snowed last year in Laos, for the first time.
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,588
    It's from El Niño.

    Nothing else.

    Not to mention the first day of winter was December 22nd which btw, was also the shortest day of the year. Imagine that, it didn't move a month? :p
    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
  • Gordy
    Gordy Member Posts: 9,546
    edited January 2016
    @ChrisJ We are not talking about the calendar start dates of seasons, or length of days. It's about the type of weather a month usually has had.

    Example in my life time you could expect ground freeze in mid Nov. trace of snow at Thanksgiving. By the end of December temps guaranteed the river frozen thick enough to snowmobile on. A week of 100 degrees mid July. Rainy in April. Etc. these events were pretty regular.

    The ground just now froze this past week here in northern Illinois.
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,588
    edited January 2016
    Gordy said:

    @ChrisJ We are not talking about the calendar start dates of seasons, or length of days. It's about the type of weather a month usually has had.

    Example in my life time you could expect ground freeze in mid Nov. trace of snow at Thanksgiving. By the end of December temps guaranteed the river frozen thick enough to snowmobile on. A week of 100 degrees mid July. Rainy in April. Etc. these events were pretty regular.

    The ground just now froze this past week here in northern Illinois.

    Yes,
    And this was predicted many many months ago. They knew there was going to be a strong El Niño. 1982 and 1997 had almost identical conditions. 2011-2014 were plenty cold. Everytime we have a strong El Niño this happens including 1957, 1965 and 1972 also had fairly strong El Niño and similar results, just not quite as much and 82, 97 and 2015.

    There is also an effect from climate change.

    Perhaps, I'm taking what you're saying literally and that's wrong. I thought you were saying we should shift all the months by 1 month.

    Don't worry, you'll likely be burning plenty of fuel fall of 2016. :)
    Personally, I hate this. I love cold, I love running my steam system and I love snow. While everyone else is celebrating, I feel ripped off.
    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
    njtommy
  • Paul48
    Paul48 Member Posts: 4,469
    I'm asking, because I don't know.....Does El Nino cause bizarre weather around the globe? I was around for most of those El Nino events you mentioned. I have never sat outside in a t-shirt on Christmas Day though. It was also not normal for us to have 6 weeks of single digit temperatures last year, either. Or to not warm up until well into June last year. I don't have an answer, but it's not "business as usual".
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,588
    Paul48 said:

    I'm asking, because I don't know.....Does El Nino cause bizarre weather around the globe? I was around for most of those El Nino events you mentioned. I have never sat outside in a t-shirt on Christmas Day though. It was also not normal for us to have 6 weeks of single digit temperatures last year, either. Or to not warm up until well into June last year. I don't have an answer, but it's not "business as usual".

    Where you are depends on the effect it has on you.


    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
  • Gordy
    Gordy Member Posts: 9,546
    The job I need is a weather forecaster. Get paid whether your right, or wrong....
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,588
    Gordy said:

    The job I need is a weather forecaster. Get paid whether your right, or wrong....

    They are very often right, but any long term stuff is usually off. Anything more than 48 hours away is near impossible to predict, but this winter was predicted months in advance, no surprises.

    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
  • unclejohn
    unclejohn Member Posts: 1,833
    I would not blame this immoderate weather on one little Latino kid. It should be called “el Ninos “ Because so many young people have slipped across the border the earth has now tilted down toward the north pole which has cause all the warm air to leak up from the south.
    HatterasguyRich_49
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,588
    Wow....
    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
  • Paul48
    Paul48 Member Posts: 4,469
    It's OK....they're going back now. All the jobs are down there. I believe last year was the first, ever, that more people went into Mexico than came from Mexico....Kinda sad isn't it?
  • BobC
    BobC Member Posts: 5,476
    Ross Perot warned us about the giant sucking sound stopping as soon as labor rates were the same on both sides of the border.

    Bob
    Smith G8-3 with EZ Gas @ 90,000 BTU, Single pipe steam
    Vaporstat with a 12oz cut-out and 4oz cut-in
    3PSI gauge
  • SlamDunk
    SlamDunk Member Posts: 1,570
    Last year was brutally cold. I remember watching those crazy people trying to stay warm on times square. I live in NC and we have had the ac on and I was in NYC in mid December in a tee shirt!

    In my life, these are firsts.
  • Paul48
    Paul48 Member Posts: 4,469
    @BobC

    And they laughed, and made fun of him.
  • BobC
    BobC Member Posts: 5,476
    @Paul48

    He wasn't pretty but he knew what he was talking about, sometimes it costs you up front to get to a better place. Now we're just screwed,

    Bob
    Smith G8-3 with EZ Gas @ 90,000 BTU, Single pipe steam
    Vaporstat with a 12oz cut-out and 4oz cut-in
    3PSI gauge
  • Sal Santamaura
    Sal Santamaura Member Posts: 529
    Paul48 said:

    ...Does El Nino cause bizarre weather around the globe?...

    No, but anthropogenic climate change does. Bizarre as well as much more intense (in every sense) than "average."

    OK, to those whose flames I've just lit, carry on. ;)

    To everyone, happy New Year!

    Rich_49
  • Paul48
    Paul48 Member Posts: 4,469
    Go to YouTube and search global warming. Listen to the founders of Greenpeace. Listen to the many brilliant scientists. Look at unaltered data, for 100's and 1000's of years. As one scientist says....it has become the new religion. You can't talk about it. Judge for yourself.
  • Gordy
    Gordy Member Posts: 9,546
    I'm quite sure these are cyclical events. Plenty of harsh, and mild winters temp wise by decades, same with high/low precipitation winters.

    My thing is seasons seem to be a little shifted from what I remember as being normal. Then again what I remember as normal may never have been normal.

    Seen a few decades of a couple years with winter temps 4-5 times design day. Seen a few with way above normal precipitation. Heck our first snow was 14" this year. It all melted then rained enough we could have had 3-4' if it would have been snow.
    Rich_49
  • Abracadabra
    Abracadabra Member Posts: 1,948
    Paul48 said:

    Go to YouTube and search global warming. Listen to the founders of Greenpeace. Listen to the many brilliant scientists. Look at unaltered data, for 100's and 1000's of years. As one scientist says....it has become the new religion. You can't talk about it. Judge for yourself.

    100's and 1000's of years in the life of this planet is nothing. 1000's of years in the life of the earth is like seconds in a human being's life. Need to look at eons, eras, periods, epochs and ages. The earth has been thru many cycles of global cooling and warming.
  • SlamDunk
    SlamDunk Member Posts: 1,570
    edited January 2016
    Niether man nor fossil fuels were a big presence eons ago.

    an interesting comment inmy paper this morning. The writer said, if july was an extra 20 Degrees just like december, we woulf have a serious problem! 115 degree weather would melt the grid and kill the crops. Let's hope this is cyclical, but I dont think it is.
  • Paul48
    Paul48 Member Posts: 4,469
    I worked in Arkansas years ago in 115* heat, on top of an asphalt storage tank.
  • BobC
    BobC Member Posts: 5,476
    There is no doubt that the earth is warming, when the ocean temperatures begin to rise you have a real problem, the cold water fish have been moving further north for years now.

    There is talk about how much our increased CO2 has caused temperature rise but there are other emissions that are even more troublesome. Methane is one of the worst and we dumped billions of cubic feet of methane into the air while extracting oil.

    If a fire starts in some hay in your barn, would you worry about the gasoline stored nearby even if the gas was not yet involved with the fire?

    Bob
    Smith G8-3 with EZ Gas @ 90,000 BTU, Single pipe steam
    Vaporstat with a 12oz cut-out and 4oz cut-in
    3PSI gauge
  • Gordy
    Gordy Member Posts: 9,546
    edited January 2016
    Come on guys it's January now, and now I'm starting to see December temps.
  • SlamDunk
    SlamDunk Member Posts: 1,570
    Paul48 said:

    I worked in Arkansas years ago in 115* heat, on top of an asphalt storage tank.

    can you grow wheat, corn, or rye on top of an asphalt storage tank at 115 degrees?

    a lot pf liquor is made from those grains!
  • SlamDunk
    SlamDunk Member Posts: 1,570
    Gordy said:

    Come on guys it's January now, and now I'm starting to see December temps.

    Yeah but, in December, you saw september temps.
  • Paul48
    Paul48 Member Posts: 4,469
    @SlamDunk

    No, the 115 was the ambient. The tank was heated much higher. We worked 10 minutes, then got off the tank to the 115*, and the emergency shower.
  • Paul48
    Paul48 Member Posts: 4,469
    Isn't most of the methane burnt off in the crackers? I wonder how much things like Mt. St. Helens, released into the atmosphere? Here's a hypothetical scenario, that should be more of a concern...........There's just been a collision of 2 asteroids in the asteroid belt. One is going to impact the earth. We now have 20 minutes to live. Of course, we wouldn't get any warning, because the politicians would be in the bunkers.
    FredRich_49
  • BobC
    BobC Member Posts: 5,476
    There is a huge methane leak going on in California and they don't think they can stop it for weeks. I suspect a lot of methane escapes from wells unburned but I don't know how much. Volcanoes emit a lot of stuff but CO2 emissions are very low, they do emit a lot of sulfur dioxide but that actually causes cooling because it reflects sunlight when it's high in the atmosphere.

    If a really big asteroid comes our way there not **** we can do about it (same goes for a super volcano) so why worry?

    Bob
    Smith G8-3 with EZ Gas @ 90,000 BTU, Single pipe steam
    Vaporstat with a 12oz cut-out and 4oz cut-in
    3PSI gauge
  • Fred
    Fred Member Posts: 8,542
    BobC said:

    There is a huge methane leak going on in California and they don't think they can stop it for weeks. I suspect a lot of methane escapes from wells unburned but I don't know how much. Volcanoes emit a lot of stuff but CO2 emissions are very low, they do emit a lot of sulfur dioxide but that actually causes cooling because it reflects sunlight when it's high in the atmosphere.

    If a really big asteroid comes our way there not **** we can do about it (same goes for a super volcano) so why worry?

    Bob

    I think that methane leak in California has been leaking for several months now. They don't seem to know how to cap it off.
  • Robert O'Connor_12
    Robert O'Connor_12 Member Posts: 728
    HeatingHelp,Com......making the planet warmer with every post!

    Robert O'Connor/NJ
  • Fred
    Fred Member Posts: 8,542

    HeatingHelp,Com......making the planet warmer with every post!

    Robert O'Connor/NJ

    What are you a marketing guy or something? :)
  • SlamDunk
    SlamDunk Member Posts: 1,570
    Paul48 said:

    @SlamDunk

    No, the 115 was the ambient. The tank was heated much higher. We worked 10 minutes, then got off the tank to the 115*, and the emergency shower.

    you get my point though. If it can be 70 in dec in ny, then it can be 115 in ny in july.