GCH, but I need to add electric heat to loft

muddyflumplepants

Good morning fellow MSE-ians. Today I'm broaching the step from avid reader to first time poster and hopiung I can draw on a wealth of info!

We have a lovely snug 2 bed house with GCH, cavity walls filled etc.. but have a freezing converted loft! For whatever reason, the previous tenants capped the GCH before it went through to the 3rd room (small desk space and stairway) and then up into the loft.

Convection heating doesn't cut the mustard, so we're looking at an oil radiator or modern storage heater of which I don't know where to start.
Something easily programmable that will gently warm the room (with an ability to boost for the occasional overnight guest maybe) would be ideal.

Any recommendation of where to start, or if anyone has had similar issue, I'd welcome your advice!

Many thanks

dogshome

Hmmm - Just how well insulated is this Loft Conversion?
It would be worthwhile useing a Tank Cutter to cut small circular holes in the plasterboard lining of the loft, to see just what insulation is behind it - The disks that have been cut out can be put back in the holes and the scar repaired with polyfiller.

The reason the CH stopped below the Loft could be due to it being an 'Open Vented' system with a small storage tank in the loft, in which case it would not be possible to fit a Radiator in the loft as it would be higher than the tank - Unless that is the tank can be raised onto a platform, so that it is higher than the radiator

macman

You can't have a storage heater unless you switch to E7, which doesn't make sense for one unit.
The efficiency of a convector, oil filled rad or fan heater is exactly the same: 100%.

jalexa

muddyflumplepants wrote: »

Any recommendation of where to start,

Presumably you have an electric heater for use when your GCH breaks down? If so use it and get a feel for the effectiveness of electric heating. Alternatively oil-filled radiators complete with timers are commonly available from Lidl/Aldi for less than £40.

Dogshome made good suggestion about why the GCH might not been extended, however most modern boilers are "system" and operate without a header tank so extending or updating your system may be possible even if it requires a new boiler.

Really boils down to how much you want to pay. If you are the property owner I would expect the property value to increase by at least the cost of extending your GCH.

muddyflumplepants

thanks chaps - we're going for thermostat controlled 2 oil radiators, 1 larger one for the office space and stairwell (allow the heat to rise), and a smaller one for the loft space itself.

sheffield_lad

muddyflumplepants wrote: »

thanks chaps - we're going for thermostat controlled 2 oil radiators, 1 larger one for the office space and stairwell (allow the heat to rise), and a smaller one for the loft space itself.

Just record your meter readings when you install them and monitor this, then you know the costs before you get a bill.

I think the oil rads make sence, good luck.

chris1973

If the conversion is in regular use and for long periods i'd extend your GCH system.

Electricity costs around double the price of gas, and an average 2kw radiator will consume upto 2 units per hour depending on the thermostat setting and level of 'local' insulation.

So on a 'good' Electricity Tariff of say 12p per KW/H each 2kw heater would cost anything upto 24p per hour to run, or £1.92 per heater for an 8 hour day.

Of course these are worst case figures with the heaters running continuously, but most of the heat in loft conversions tends to leak out of the roof and so do often require fairly reasonable level of heat input, so i'd budget for worst case and then consider anything less to be a bonus.

Its also worth noting that thanks to these Green incentives, the only way the cost of leccy is going to go is through the roof (pardon the pun)