Central Heating - On or Off Yet?

jane130

we haven't felt cold enough to have it on yet .

I have to say we have has cavity wall insulation this year to try and stop the damp probem in our rented house and it seens to have made a difference, It can be queit chilly ourside and unless a window or door is wide open we are still warm .

Andy_WSM

Wickedkitten wrote: »

Not only is it still off, but I have all of the windows open during the day, and we even left the conservatory door open the other night when we were watching a movie.

In all fairness, the weather last week was totally different to now. It was 16C at 10PM a couple of evenings last week.

Fire_Fox

Andy_WSM wrote: »

Totally agree. My heating is on a thermostat year round, if the house gets cold, the heating comes on.

My Nan is one of those people that won't heat the house until she feels cold. She gets ill all the time and the house stinks of damp. What's the point in trying to save a few quid if you have to put up with that?

Heating doesn't get rid of damp air, ventilation does. Heat just holds the water in the air rather than allowing it to condense on surfaces. I open my windows daily year round, the alternative is a dehumidifier which is still cheaper to run than central heating.

Fire_Fox

Swipe wrote: »

Or equates to 2 less cups of coffee a day in the work's canteen or equivalent. Some things such as heating should have a higher priority than others.

Those of us on a low income can't afford coffee in the works canteen! If I heated my flat to what many of you would consider a normal level, my electricity bills would be a quarter or more of my income. One should certainly prioritise: I prioritise not getting into debt, not being taken to court, being able to eat healthily, a bottle of wine here and there. If the ambient temperature falls below 15C and I am staying home I will put the heating on. I cannot remember the last time I had a cold so it's obviously not doing me any harm.

Andy_WSM

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Heating doesn't get rid of damp air, ventilation does. Heat just holds the water in the air rather than allowing it to condense on surfaces.

I don't disagree with that, but a damp smell in a house is precisely because you have let the water condense on the surfaces. If your walls are wringing wet, they're going to smell!

tripled

I'm on economy 7 and have had a couple of heaters in the flat since October - the bedroom one on the minimum setting and the bathroom one (which doesn't have a variable control). I leave the bathroom door open to let the heat into the hall and living room and just shut it before I have a bath. Living room, hallway and kitchen rads are all off and will stay that way until it goes below freezing, when I may put the living room heater on the minimum setting.

Wickedkitten

Andy_WSM wrote: »

In all fairness, the weather last week was totally different to now. It was 16C at 10PM a couple of evenings last week.

It wasn't even 16c during the day here on Friday.

Mankysteve

Heating off in a 5 bedroomed Victorian Terrece. With no double glazing it so expensive to heat otherwise.

Fire_Fox

Andy_WSM wrote: »

I don't disagree with that, but a damp smell in a house is precisely because you have let the water condense on the surfaces. If your walls are wringing wet, they're going to smell!

Keeping the water in the air isn't going to be any healthier, and since you only feel the air it's going to feel damp regardless of whether it's warm or cold. A scent is you breathing in the air, not breathing in the wall! Your nan's house is either damp because it has a structural issue with rising or penetrating damp, or because she is not ventilating properly.

I have shocking condensation, half a kitchen roll per day in winter. My neighbours - who heat more - must have it worse as the two flats I have been in have far more mould around the windows than I do. The problem here is metal window frames which act as cold bridges.

There are many complaints of 'damp' on the DIY board which turn out to be lifestyle-related condensation, and most of these people are heating their homes. According to expert advice on condensation you would need to heat the entire property at a low level all the time to hold the water in the air - who does that? Air can also only support a certain amount of water, if you keep creating water vapour and not letting it out eventually you are going to have water settling on surfaces.

oldskoo1

Mine has been on since mid october. On 24hrs a day and i'm using 70p a day of gas in a 4 bed detached. I just worked it out.