The Missus went to bed Sunday night and when I came in a bit later she commented that the room felt chilly. Since it warmed up quite a bit and the wind was calm, that didn't sound to promising. I went down to check the furnace and sure enough the thermocouple had given it up. I always keep a spare on hand and it only takes about 10 minutes to change it out, so not that big a deal even if it was 11:00 PM.
It seems the thermocouple on the furnace goes bad every couple of years but the water heater which is right next to the furnace has only needed a replacement a couple of times since we've lived here and that's over twenty years. I don't know if the furnace has a hotter pilot light or what but I find it odd.
I don't know how much gas is wasted by having the two pilot lights burning continuously, all year long. I also don't know what a new energy efficient furnace would cost and what the payback would be. As I mentioned the other day, I'm going to have to start thinking about moving into town one of these days or make this place a bit more energy efficient and easier to care for. It's not a problem now but if something happens to me The Missus is going to have her hands full.
I made it out to the shop yesterday while we were enjoying a bit of a warm up. The temp got up to fifty but it was a damp, dreary day. I got the side plates for the slip roll machined so I can take them to the college and cut out the holes for the adjusters. Rather than trying to mill a slot, I drilled holes at the corners and I'll connect the holes with the torch and then grind the sides as needed to get a decent fit. This is the spirit in which the plan was drawn up. Tool making for someone without a machine shop at their disposal. I'll still need to drill and tap some holes after I finish the burnout but that shouldn't be too tricky.
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