# Discussion thread for the "Polls only" thread (Part 2) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 16, 2024, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636 "2024-02-16T02:56:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 440
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8783 "2025-10-14T01:41:02Z")
San Antonio, TX here… there’s a heating mode? All jokes aside, heating mode usually goes from the first of December to the 2nd, maybe the 3rd week of February. And it’s turned off at times between those dates because, like I said, San Antonio, TX. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8784 "2025-10-14T10:21:15Z")
I did hit the heat for a while the other day. I had to warm the house up enough to then go back to AC to dry it out. I got home from work and the temp inside was 67 and 72% humidity. Chilly and clammy, ick. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8785 "2025-10-14T16:13:35Z")
Had the heat on for a little while last week. 66 is too low. This is still a new house to us so we still have to get a feel for how it retains the heat. Every time I see PTO my brain has to take a second to translate. I never worked in a job that used that term. ---
**Author:** ![SailorHG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@SailorHG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SailorHG)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8786 "2025-10-14T16:59:38Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > The flouride in the toothpaste needs time to work. I solve(?) that problem by holding the toothpaste in my mouth for twenty minutes before spitting – I brush teeth during my nightly episode of whatever series I’m watching (currently SuperNatural) and only get up to rinse when it’s over. As for heating my apartment, that’s under central control. I leave the radiators on Maximum all year round, and the building crew adjusts how hot and when they turn on/off the flow. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8787 "2025-10-14T18:03:02Z")
I didn’t even know there was a protest this weekend until reading the polls thread, & no, I won’t be going; I don’t do protests. I was just thinking it’s getting close to turning the heat on as it was 65° when I got home yesterday (after being away for a few days). When I got into my hotel room Thurs night, the fan was on & it was cold in the room so I flipped it to heat. Within seconds there was that burning-the-dust-off-from-the-first-time-the-heater-is-turned-on-for-the-season smell. I know what it’s from but it’s always a bit disconcerting; is it just dust or is there really something on fire? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8788 "2025-10-14T18:05:47Z")
The heat has been turned on in the house, because I have been outvoted (spouse + 2 cats for heat, me for leaving it off). My study, which is heated separately, is still off, but it’s 61° here and I’m considering turning it on. Maybe tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8789 "2025-10-14T18:17:47Z")
I have the heat on full time right now partially in an effort to speed the drying up process from the pipe leak I had in the basement. Plus I just want to feel warm and cozy especially when under stress. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8790 "2025-10-14T19:08:26Z")
Can’t you set a thermostat to a low temp in your study? I understand needing to change over systems that do either heat or cooling. But i don’t really understand the benefit of delaying “turning on the heat” if it’s controlled by a thermostat. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8791 "2025-10-14T19:15:26Z")
It’s currently set to 10 °C. What I meant was I could turn it up so that it would actually come on. It just saves some energy to leave it off until I need it, and then I move it up to a cozy 17 °C. (Our house is 22 °C, though sometimes I can complain it down to 20.) ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8792 "2025-10-14T19:35:01Z")
Why do you need it to be 17 rather than 12 more next week than last week? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8793 "2025-10-14T20:38:15Z")
I just turned the heat on last night. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8794 "2025-10-14T20:47:35Z")
I just changed my thermostat from “cool” to “off” about a week ago (although at that point the weather had been cool enough for a while that the AC wasn’t actually coming on). Typically I turn it to “heat” sometime in November. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8795 "2025-10-14T20:54:49Z")
Mostly because it’s expensive rlectric baseboard heat for a room in the garage, and not the most-of-tge-time living space. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8796 "2025-10-14T20:58:01Z")
For reasons everyone but TV writers understand, zombies can be defeated faster than an invasion of…well anything not so slow and stupid. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8797 "2025-10-14T21:29:12Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Why do you need it to be 17 rather than 12 more next week than last week? When I’ve got heat running, I usually adjust it at least a couple of times a day, depending on what I’m doing, whether I’m mostly inside or outside, and whether I’m home. If I were on a regular schedule, I could program a thermostat to do it for me; but my schedule’s really erratic, so I just adjust it by hand. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8798 "2025-10-14T21:33:54Z")
But isn’t it still expensive next week? Did it cost more last week? I just don’t understand “now i need it to not go below 17, even though i let it drop below 17 last week.” > [@thorny\_locust](#): > > If I were on a regular schedule, I could program a thermostat to do it for me; but my schedule’s really erratic, so I just adjust it by hand. I get that. It’s the “i don’t want to turn the heat on, yet”, among people who are relying on a thermostat once it’s on, that mystifies me. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8799 "2025-10-14T21:52:49Z")
I don’t know. It’s just kind of a silly game I play to make life more interesting: how long can I go before putting the heat on? There’s no better reason, really. Not putting the heat on saves a few pennies per day, probably, but I can’t actually be bothered to keep track. If I were really uncomfortable, I’d just put the heat on, but as it stands it’s fine. ---
**Author:** ![Reeses\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reeses_monkey/32/2885_2.png) [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2025, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8800 "2025-10-15T00:59:53Z")
I grew up not far from Evans City cemetery and now live only 90 minutes from Monroeville Mall. I have friends who were extras in a couple of the Living Dead movies and I even used to work with Bill Cardille, midnight horror host and the interviewer in **Night of the Living Dead.** I think I know how to handle zombies. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2025, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8801 "2025-10-15T11:09:48Z")
You only have to worry about werewolves once a month. You identify most of the suspects who are decent people who say their prayers at night and you chain them up on the full moon. You get some wolfbane and you are set. I think I saw somewhere that they are afraid of the vacuum cleaners so that can help too. ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2025, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/8802 "2025-10-15T11:23:40Z")
I figure I can outrun a zombie. _Night of the Living Dead_ taught us that: TV Reporter: Are they slow moving? Police Chief: Yeah, they’re dead. They’re all messed up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636.md?page=439) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636.md?page=441)