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Poor Man's Programmable Thermostat
Ronald Pesha, Lubec, Maine, discovered a nifty and inexpensive trick that keeps his house cool while he sleeps and warms it up before he gets out of bed in the morning. All without paying for an expensive programmable thermostat.
  All he used was a nightlight, timer and extension cord.
  Pesha plugged the nightlight into the extension cord and mounted it just below the thermostat. Then he plugged the cord into a wall timer that plugs into an outlet.
  Pesha turns on the nightlight and sets the timer for about a half hour before he rises. This tricks the thermometer into believing the house is warmer than it is and not turn on. The timer turns off the lamp just before Pesha gets up which lets the thermostat cool enough so that the heater turns on before he gets up in the morning. He enjoys waking up to a warm house as well as the energy savings.


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2005 - Volume #29, Issue #6