Central heating. Bursts or constant? My results

ToTo_Man

flashnazia wrote: »

If your house in never getting warm despite your boiler blasting for hours on end it may be because you have the incorrect radiators for the size of your rooms.

I had the same problem and have fitted bigger radiators after working out the btu that my rooms need (worked out using factors like height, width, length of room etc).

Obviously, if you do get bigger rads you have to make sure your boiler can cope.

And fitting a room thermostat will help alot. They only cost a tenner or so. Not sure how much to fit though...

Yes it is probably a combination of undersized/inefficient rads and an undersized boiler. Many of the radiators are at least 40yrs old. We had the old-style 'hospital' shape radiator in the living room which we replaced with two new double-panel rads with fins in between the panels. These new rads seem to heat the air much better than the old radiators with no fins. Replacing all the rads in the house would however cost a small fortune. Also a combi boiler is really not suitable for our house, - I think we'd be better with a boiler dedicated to CH as everytime the washing machine goes on the boiler needs to divert CH heat to it. But again replacing the boiler would be a significant expense, possibly in the region of £4k+, so unfortunately it's a case of making do with what we have.

ToTo_Man

space_rider wrote: »

Are you doing this because you can`t afford your heating bills. Does your gran get the winter fuel allowance? I could never live like that. I would rather live off soup and bread than have a room so cold.

I'd love to say I suffer the cold for my own pleasure, but yes it's a question of cost. Our existing direct debit for both gas and electricity with E-on increased in September from £198 to £227 per month, but according to my calculations our monthly winter use of gas alone is in excess of £300. We struggle with the existing direct debit as it is. Would my gran qualify for that allowance? She isn't the house owner (my parents are).

PS - Soup and bread isn't to be scoffed at, - I have it every day for my lunch, - helps keep my internal temperature topped up!

BallandChain

Wouldn't it be better to down size if heating is proving costly?

1carminestocky

Was going to suggest exactly the same solution. Must type faster...

Cardew

ToTo_Man wrote: »

Would my gran qualify for that allowance? She isn't the house owner (my parents are).

Anyone in a house over age 60 will get £250 Winter fuel allowance. (If 2 over 60 £125 each)

At age 80(I believe) it is £400.

You have to apply.

Also Scotland is treated far more generously than England for heating help if an old person is a full time resident - worth contacting CAB for advice I would think.

ToTo_Man

Cardew wrote: »

Anyone in a house over age 60 will get £250 Winter fuel allowance. (If 2 over 60 £125 each)

At age 80(I believe) it is £400.

You have to apply.

Also Scotland is treated far more generously than England for heating help if an old person is a full time resident - worth contacting CAB for advice I would think.

Grandmother has just revealed to me that she does in fact receive WFA. And there I was about to call the DWP to complain! :rolleyes: Oh well, I guess that covers the cost of Decembers CH!

ToTo_Man

BallandChain wrote: »

Wouldn't it be better to down size if heating is proving costly?

Indeed we do have plans to move, but the plans are long-term, as if we move I want the move to entail emigrating to a warmer climate. The meditteranean climate works wonders for my shot kneecaps :cool:.....

flashnazia

Is your house really large? Surely it should cost so much...

By the way, the recommendation is not to keep you heating on for more than 9 hours a day.

espresso

flashnazia wrote: »

By the way, the recommendation is not to keep you heating on for more than 9 hours a day.

Who's recommendation? Ebenezer Scrooge? Absolute tosh!

:rolleyes:

ToTo_Man

flashnazia wrote: »

Is your house really large? Surely it should cost so much...

By the way, the recommendation is not to keep you heating on for more than 9 hours a day.

Well, "large" is a subjective term , but yes, it is probably a fair bit larger than a typical "new build" detached house. It's certainly not a castle (well at least I don't think it is!). It has 4 rooms upstairs, and downstairs it has a lounge, dining room, TV room and kitchen. 2 rooms are particularly larger than the others (downstairs lounge and my living room upstairs are approx 22ft x 16ft x 11ft. The other rooms are smaller, approx 15ft x 15ft x 11ft. It's the high ceilings that are the killer. When we moved in we had the kitchen ceiling lowered to 8ft to put halogen lighting in and it changed from the coldest to the warmest room in the house! The hallway is massive, over-proportioned compared to the sizes of the rooms, and is unsurprisingly the coldest part of the house (besides I do set the rads lower in the hallway as diverting more heat to the rooms is more important).