Is your heating ON or OFF?

Primrose

I have to exile myself from this thread as we put the heating on last week. We both developed heavy colds and were quite shivvery. However, it's off again now as the sun and cooking Sunday lunch have warmed up downstairs rooms and I have a nice fleecy blanket to wrap myself up in. If the days stay sunny, we'll have it switched off during the day.

mardatha

I'm in the south of Scotland, but very high up. I have my coal stove on ALL YEAR. Years ago when we had only 1 open fire for the whole house, my son was in hospital with asthma every winter and I had constant bronchitis. If you took your arm out of bed and touched the duvet, it came away soaking wet. So no matter what happens --my fire stays on !!

recovering_spendaholic

Thanks to a Warm Front grant which gave me extra loft insulation and cavity wall insulation my house is still quite nice and haven't had the need to have any heating on yet. We do have GCH and gas fires but haven't needed them. The hot water goes on in the morning for two hours and in the evening for the same, but that is all. I haven't felt cold at all, nor have the children. I had the oven on today for a roast dinner and had to open the back door because the house got so warm! The only thing I miss about no radiatiors on is drying washing - I am spending about £6 a week at the launderette with drying, as I don't have a tumble dryer.

[Deleted User]

I am really impressed by all the people who are somehow managing to cope without heating. I think the dark weather during the day doesn`t help at all, even though the temperature is the same as perhaps the day before

Personally I am counting on our reserves stored away in the airing cupboard for when needed ie warmer duvet, hot water bottles and last but not least, lovely warm flannelette sheets

Getting washing dry is probably the worst thing. Two days so far and overnight and I should be able to get the washing folded and away in the morning.

My body is toasty and I am in a slip, thin woollen polo neck and long acrylic skirt with bare feet in crocs. Last night I wore a poncho thing that I bought in Malta, years ago. I was so warm that I fell asleep on the sofa. I feel that I still have quite a lot of reserve capacity for coping without heating but I won`t say never and as soon as I reach the point of not warming up then I will turn it on.

sb44

jet77 wrote: »

I have central heating - the boiler has been serviced and the radiators bled but it still won't work upstairs.

I had to get the engineer out to ours the other week as this happened to 3 of our radiators (2 bedroom ones and one in the hall).

We had the service due anyway so he did both at the same time.

He fixed all 3 radiators in a total of 5 minutes!

There is a pin or a valve underneath the thermostat knob which sometimes sticks if the radiator hasn't been used for a few months.

He just took off the dial cover and tapped the valve with a hammer.

It was easy enough to do if it happened with any of the others but if I am paying for breakdown cover I am not going to do it myself, simple or not, I don't care, they can come out and do the job for me.

pinkparrott

Hi all
I'd like to join in too.
I live in a 4 bed victorian mid terrace in Yorkshire, and as yet we haven't had the heating on. I'm surprised at how warm our house feels as its been a bit chillier outside today.

I always know what the temperature is in most rooms as I have a ds whos 2yrs 8 months and a dd who's nearly 4 months and have thermometers in their rooms and a cheaper card style therometer in the living room and my bedroom.

Its currently 17.8 in my dd room and 17.4 in myds room (hes on the top floor so its usually a bit cooler up there).
All the advice i've seen says 16 -20 is ideal for their bedrooms, and so far my little baby girl always seems warm.
At the beginning of the month i switched my ds duvet froma 4 tog one to a 9 tog one and he has a fleece "thomas the tank" blanket on top, but he has eczema and if he gets overheated it flares up, so its actually better for him to be slightly on the cooler side. ( and also important for my baby dd not to get overheated too)

I lived without central heating , with only 2 gas fires in a large house untill about 10 years ago and never had a problem.

Last winter we did have the ch on from about 6.30pm when we got home from work untill 8 pm or so, but so far this year we havent needed to. I am still quite overweight from having my baby girl and think this is helping:rotfl:

I'm going to try to hold out untill at least november, the only thing is that i'm on maternity leave and am at home all day, but luckily my living room is south facing and gets the sun all day so stays quite warm.

I will only give in if my little ones bedrooms drop below 15.5 ish and the ch will then go on, but only in their rooms.

The only other room that will be on is the bathroom as we have a ladder style radiator in their and it doesnt have a thermostat valve atached like all the others so i can turn it down or off:mad: but will speak to my plumber about this as its quite new, so hopefully we can get one soon.

Glad

pinkparrott wrote: »

The only other room that will be on is the bathroom as we have a ladder style radiator in their and it doesnt have a thermostat valve atached like all the others so i can turn it down or off:mad: but will speak to my plumber about this as its quite new, so hopefully we can get one soon.

there is always one radiator on a GCH system that doesn't have a thermostat

dND

Just a quick post for SB44 and Jet77.

To stop the valve jamming again make sure that you never leave the valves in the off position for too long, for example over summer. That's when they stick. If you leave them open you 'un-stick them when you turn the valve down. I hope that makes sense And someone else suggested to me that a squirt of WD40 on the pin helps but do make sure it doesnt mark the carpet or wall.

sb44

dND wrote: »

Just a quick post for SB44 and Jet77.

To stop the valve jamming again make sure that you never leave the valves in the off position for too long, for example over summer. That's when they stick. If you leave them open you 'un-stick them when you turn the valve down. I hope that makes sense And someone else suggested to me that a squirt of WD40 on the pin helps but do make sure it doesnt mark the carpet or wall.

Thanks DND, shall have to remember that.

kindlesgirl

Hi, can I join in please - heat on just 1 evening when I was out and aged parents babysat - dad has health problems - but gave him a blanket in case it wasn't enough!- Kids are great - they're learning to put on layers and so far it's not been too bad-currently 20 c in the lounge and we are in a new build end terrace with gas CH - just think some of the blinds in bathroom, landing and kitchen need to be replaced with curtains but in rented so a bit more difficult. Away for half term so won't put it on at least until 1st November - never thought I would be able to hold out that long but actually it's just the bathroom in the morning!! Now I make sure I shower at night and go to bed toasty warm! Just a brief visit in the morning then!
Good luck one and all, I'll keep on checking in until I succumb!