My family shares a hunting cabin in the northern United States nestled along a creek in a large pine forest. My grandfather and one of his close friends built the cabin back in the 1950s and it has been shared among descendants of both patriarchs in the decades since. Because it was always intended as a hunting cabin foremost, and since hunting season in that region lasts through the coldest time of the year, heating was the only HVAC consideration from day one. First there was a classic fireplace and chimney, but soon that was replaced by a more efficient wood stove that also doubled as a hot surface for cooking food. We have the same wood stove in that cabin that my grandfather installed over 40 years ago and I swear it must work as well as it did when it was brand new. It’s incredibly efficient and has little trouble warming up the cabin with minimal wood. This last year though, I instead decided to plan a fishing trip. This time I would be in the cabin in late July, easily the hottest time of the year for that region. This would be my first time in an environment like this without air conditioning and I was not prepared. The first night was absolutely miserable—I had four separate fans running and every single window in the cabin open. This persisted for the five days I spent there, and I probably only got relief when I was swimming in the creek. I’m going to look into installing a ductless mini split air conditioner just to use for cooling purposes in the summer. It would make a huge difference in everyone’s comfort.
The different types of thermostats