Q I know that the furnace shouldn't be turned off when you leave for an extended winter vacation. But how far can the thermostat be turned down to safely save energy?
A Most household thermostats can be set at 50 degrees or lower, but you should first check with the manufacturer or heating contractor.
Some furnaces require that thermostats be set between 55 and 80 degrees, to prevent harming the furnace and voiding the warranty. In a Carrier condensing furnace, for example, a thermostat setting below 55 degrees could result in rusting of the heat exchanger. But that might not be a problem in other furnace designs.
Check your appliance manual, or visit the manufacturer's website to get an e-mail address. You could also direct your question to a heating contractor.
Donate Christmas cards Q Can you tell me if there is a place that will accept a donation of Christmas cards?
A Not long ago there were several organizations, local and national, that accepted donations of Christmas and other greeting cards.
For example, children at St. Jude's Ranch for Children in Nevada, used donated cards to create new cards and sell them to raise money. Not anymore. They have all the cards they need. They sent me a photo of children on top of two giant piles of greeting cards, as high as the building's eaves.
People want to recycle, no doubt about it. But, for the time being, that means paper recycling at your curbside. A call to your recycling hauler, or your local recycling program, can get you the details on how to do that.
