Is your heating ON or OFF?

Absinthe_2

PudseyDB wrote: »

I understand - I just wondered as by having the CH on, I'm currently heating the whole house to warm up downstairs - which seems silly when there's no-one upstairs during the day (apart from me when I go to the loo)

Maybe I'd be better off not using the CH at all and buying an electric heater for the lounge instead?

I think it depends on what sort you use. Some can be very costly and can burn in a day, what it costs to heat my whole house in a few. I found that out recently, when I had to borrow a radiator. My parents have got a convector heater though, which they swear by.

I will definitely be looking into fuel consumption when purchasing one. They are handy.

PudseyDB

Candy53 wrote: »

This is a burning question I've always had, but also which is cheapest, having the thermostat lower and having rads on high or the other way around? I can't seem to find the answer.

Candy

No idea but our rads are all on high (except for my daughters bedroom as hers is always warmer for some reason) and I control it all with the thermostat which turns off when it reaches a certain temp.

I'll be interested to know if I'm wasting energy that way.....

PudseyDB

Absinthe wrote: »

I think it depends on what sort you use. Some can be very costly and can burn in a day, what it costs to heat my whole house in a few. I found that out recently, when I had to borrow a radiator. My parents have got a convector heater though, which they swear by.

I will definitely be looking into fuel consumption when purchasing one. They are handy.

Thats what I always thought....I know when I shared a house at uni electric heaters seemed to cost a lot to run But that was 15 years ago, so things may have changed a lot since then!

Justamum

Candy53 wrote: »

This is a burning question I've always had, but also which is cheapest, having the thermostat lower and having rads on high or the other way around? I can't seem to find the answer.

Well, our heating is on 90 minutes in the morning, and the same in afternoon and night. We have a vent in the wall, so very drafty. Having a job keeping warm.

Candy

People have different views, but I've checked it out and it's just as cheap for me to have the heating on low all the time rather than at a higher heat just for a couple of hours a day. It's also more comfortable.

BitterAndTwisted

The major cost of running central-heating is the boiler heating the water in the system and some for the pump sending it round the house. It is cheaper to turn radiators off and only keep those on in the room/s you're using because you're losing less heat from the water you're pumping round. Ditto to turn rads down. My heating-bill was substantially lower the last two winters when I only ran one radiator plus the one in the bathroom when needed for bathing but I can't make an exact comparison because I only ran the heating for the bare minimum, like one hour a day compared to previously when I was working and could afford heat.

I suspect a trial-run, mucking about with different settings on thermostats and radiator valves for exact periods of time and taking meter-readings could only tell if it's really worth it. Something to think about if you have an idle hour or two on your hands. Sounds like a job a bloke with a spreadsheet might like to tackle.

FairyPrincessk

My heating has been on for about 3 hours a day for the past month (evenly split between morning and evening), although this past week I've had to top up in the middle of the day as well. This is significantly less than I used last year, although I do worry about the cost every time. I work from home and live in a very poorly insulated flat with serious damp problems so I have felt torn.

However! A couple of weeks ago my LL showed up asking if he could measure for new windows (I currently have single glazing with wooden frames, pretty but in-effective). Today they started installing on another flat and I'm later in the week!:T

I'm really hoping this will help, although I've never living with DG (I've only lived in the UK for 5-6 years)so I have no idea! I'm also a little worried that the better insulation is going to further compound the damp problems...any thoughts from those of you with more experience?:o

BitterAndTwisted

The way to fix damp is to know absolutely what is causing it. If you describe this damp or rather where it is and what it looks like I might be able to throw a few suggestions your way. However I am not a qualified expert in these things so I'd be doing a best-guess.

FairyPrincessk

I think I've actually got two different sorts of damp. I've got fairly large patches under my two large bay windows. These patches also stretch around the base of all of my outside walls. I have serious condensation problems on the windows, and although I do my best to wipe them multiple times a day and leave the cloths outside to dry, its never enough. I do try to keep a window open any time it is above 12 degrees outside--but that isn't often these days.

I've also got patches of damp higher up. One patch covers the decorative crown moulding in the bathroom. My ceilings are very high and the bathroom is too small for me to get anything in there to stand on, so I haven't been able to clean it. I suspect this might be a result of a leaky bath in the flat above. I've also got damp patches high up on a corner--I think these might be because the overhang over the door has a leaky roof and water is getting inside the brickwork.

I used to have a dehumidifier because i have allergies to moulds and mildews, but the compressor went out in it and I can't afford a new one. When I hat that, I didn't have nearly as much of a problem with damp. Now I just do my best with bleach water every couple of weeks and keeping the extractor fan on in the bathroom all day. I also never dry anything except the odd pair of tights in the flat. The building is a Victorian conversion, and the landlord is generally very good about anything I ask for but I think this is a bigger problem than he can really deal with, so I haven't pushed it.

Any ideas you have would be great.

lostinrates

Well, after. Busy morning my friend dropped in with her toddler..I had not lit the woodburner for the baby and felt terrible but he seemed happy keeping his coat on and playing with the cats. He also spoke to me for the first time, while I lit the woodburner, saying 'fire, hot' so I know what I say to him is sticking. Dh have gone now, and the woodburner is very lacklustre and my breath is visible in front of me.

BitterAndTwisted

FairyPrincessk wrote: »

I think I've actually got two different sorts of damp. I've got fairly large patches under my two large bay windows. These patches also stretch around the base of all of my outside walls.
Almost certainly structural.

I have serious condensation problems on the windows, and although I do my best to wipe them multiple times a day and leave the cloths outside to dry, its never enough. I do try to keep a window open any time it is above 12 degrees outside--but that isn't often these days.

This is you and the structural issues combined. I read somewhere that we put at least a pint of water into the air simply by breathing. If the property is not adequately ventilated you could make it worse. A combination of adequate ventilation and heating could solve this if you didn't also have the structural issues making the place moist as well.. The purpose of ventilation is not necessarily to have cold air coming in 24/7 but adequate air exchange. This could entail opening a window for an hour a day, maybe less.

I've also got patches of damp higher up. One patch covers the decorative crown moulding in the bathroom. My ceilings are very high and the bathroom is too small for me to get anything in there to stand on, so I haven't been able to clean it. I suspect this might be a result of a leaky bath in the flat above. I've also got damp patches high up on a corner--I think these might be because the overhang over the door has a leaky roof and water is getting inside the brickwork.

You are probably right about the causes. The only thing you could do under the circs is ask the people upstairs, possibly to get the bath-panel off and see if it's completely dry under there.

I used to have a dehumidifier because i have allergies to moulds and mildews, but the compressor went out in it and I can't afford a new one. When I hat that, I didn't have nearly as much of a problem with damp.

No, I'm not surprised. A dehumidifier can take litres of water out of the air as you probably know from using one.


Now I just do my best with bleach water every couple of weeks and keeping the extractor fan on in the bathroom all day. I also never dry anything except the odd pair of tights in the flat. The building is a Victorian conversion, and the landlord is generally very good about anything I ask for but I think this is a bigger problem than he can really deal with, so I haven't pushed it.

Any ideas you have would be great.

Under the cirsc, because cool moist air feels so much colder than cool dry air, and taking into account the structural issues there are I think you would be fully entitled to ask your landlord to either pay for the compressor on your machine to be fixed or to supply you with a new one.

An argument I would use is that you are concerned about consequential damage to the landlord's property as well as your own well-being and I'd put it in writing too. This could protect you from accusations of not behaving in a "tenant-like manner" in the future and prevent possible deductions from your deposit because of it. Some landlords are all reasonable, cooperative and friendly until you leave and then you've been the tenant from hell wantonly neglecting and destroying their property. Watch you own back. And protect your own health and bank-balance!

I'm living in a pretty cold flat with barely any heating on this and the last two winters. Huge great single-glazed windows and only the very finest misting of the panes. None so far this winter.