Cheapest way of heating a bedroom

sweety

needing to turn a slightly damp and musty bedroom into a lovely warm place for 2 small boys to use and need to know the cheapest way of providing the warmth!!! Have got a small bore radiator in the room but as its the last rad to get the water pumped to it is never warm enough to get snug and due to this BGas say no real options without completely new system!!! Any ideas peeps for a cheap and short term fix or maybe need to look at loft foam spraying etc ie the problem as a bigger picture?

Any replies would be appreciated

cheers

sweety

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absfabs

If it's damp, a dehumidifier may make a lot of difference. Maybe 2nd hand, try local paper, trade-it, e-bay?

Barneysmom

Have you got good insulation in the loft? You need to stop the heat going into the roof before thinking of spraying it I should think.
I've got a waffle weave blanket on top of me, then duvet, then a thick throw. Plus water bottle.
I'm really snug in bed but my nose gets so cold it really hurts to breathe.

If you have to upgrade your central heating don't forget to see if you can get a grant towards the cost.

sweety

have got the loft insulated - had the roof checked for leaks - but still the room is damp and smells musty. Theres a chimney breast running down one wall which is enclosed but feels cold to the touch......the windows are double glazed and the room isnt used, so maybe im trapping moisture from the kitchen etc ? Have thought about dehumidifier but not sure where to start with choosing one. Plus , didnt know grants were available..... have you any websites or details? We have 4 1.6kw heaters at work as heating not yet on, and thought these would be an idea , but would they give off moisture into an already damp room?

Thanks for the advice so far.......

sweety


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Barneysmom

Have a look on this page
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/protect/grant-grabbing

Or you could phone your local council, they'll know who can help.
It's not expensive to buy, but a nuisance to transport.

andrew-b

I'd look at solving why the radiator isn't heating up enough. BGas sound like they are talking out of their butts (as usual?!) and likely want to extort money out of you for a whole new system when you probably don't really need it!

Firstly have you bled the radiator - if it's full of air it's never going to heat up well.

Secondly have you tried taking the plastic cap off the lockshield valve (valve opposite end to the valve you turn it on with) and opening up the lockshield valve fully (you'll need a spanner or set of pliers to twist the protruding part of the valve) so that we know the flow to this radiator isn't being restricted in any way.

Thirdly the radiators may just need balancing throughout the house...the aim of balancing radiators is to heat up all radiators in the house at the same rate no matter how far from the boiler they are. The way to do this is by adjusting the lockshield valves so that the rads furthest away from the boiler have the lockshield fully open whereas those near the boiler the flow is restricted to prevent them warming up so quick.

If all that doesn't help you could replace the radiator with a bigger radiator - when i say bigger i mean bigger output rather than bigger size - so one with convector fins on the back or a double radiator with convector fins in between. Radiators aren't that expensive really (paying for someone to fit it might be - so DIY it if you know how to!).

Or it could be that the central heating pump is undersized for the system so a new bigger capacity pump may help to get the hot water to that radiator.

It could also just be all sludged up and maybe could do with a powerflush.

So in summary there are lots of things you can try that won't cost you anything ...a new radiator, pump or powerflush will cost you - but nowhere near the cost of a whole system!

Hope that helps

Andy

latecomer

Definitely trybleeding and balancing the radiators before doing anything else.

fat-tony_4

Avoid the companies that spray foam on the underside of your roof. Plenty of advice all over the web about avoiding them and why.

Make sure that your loft is properly insullated. Energysavings trust can put you in contact with local good insullators.

On the outside walls in the room what is the guttering like? Is there a down pipe?

What's the ventillation like in the room? Is it over a kitchen or near a bath room?

Then follow the advice above on the central heating/radiator. I have a dehumidifer and it helps. But you need to sort out the other problems too.

fat-tony

totalsolutions

>slightly damp and musty bedroom
Cure this first, open the windows ? !! ? Locate the damp. Agree with what has already been said.

olly300

Do you open the windows in the room regularly?

Is the vent in the chimney breast left open at all times?

How old is your double glazing? If it's old does it have vents in the window frame? Do you keep them open all the time?

Strange as it may seem allowing natural ventilation into a room helps get rid of dampness and is cheaper than running a dehumidifier.

Also what's on the outside of the external walls. Are there any external pipes? Have you checked them for leaks?

sweety

Great advice one and all !!! Thank god for you all.....
B gas guy bled radiator in question - no air found - said powerflush not an option due to size of piping ie small bore? couldnt take the flush. Its an old system and the valves are kind of crusty and give the impression one touch will bring on a leak!! Is there any websites which show how to do this balancing? B gas said hed keep system rather than update as system is old but still working fine - powerful flow etc - but had no advice re radiator.

Old fireplace/chimney plastered over so no air vent. D glazing 10 years old but seems in good nick. Am i missing the point about heating the room with heaters? and not seeing the big picture which you all allude to here....We do have overflow cast iron pipes down the front of the house.....and some cladding ...Could this be a problem in retaining water if theres a gap in it and would i need a roofer or builder or damp expert or all 3 to take a look ? Ive opened a box of tricks here so may as well bite the bullet.....

Thanks everyone

sweety

xxxx