conservatory query-NW facing and heat loss

mrs_baggins

Hello all, I am hoping someone somewhere can help.

I am toying with the idea of having a small 3x3m conservatory to back of house. However the garden faces North West. I have only recently moved in so not sure exactly how the sun is in the summertime but presently the area does not seem to get direct sunshine except maybe what would be the very top of the proposed conservatory and only briefly.

so my question is 0 does anyone have a north west facing conserv that doesnt get direct sunshine and it it useable all year round. I would hopefully have a small electric heater to use as and when to warm it but dont want this on for huge amounts of time.

two companies have quoted for c rated glass and 1 (much more expensive by about 2.5K) for a rated glass. Everything else apart does having A rated glass make a noteable difference to the heat retention. I have read the blurb and technically they say yes but wondered in reality if it is noticeable or not?

Dan-Dan

In reality a conservatory is cold in the winter ,an electric heater might help you in Oct or maybe even November , to sit and have a read or something , but you will find you wont be using it in the deep dark months whatever glass you have installed (and especially north facing)

My view , for what it`s worth

cajef

We have a north facing conservatory and find that it does not get too hot in the summer as only the roof gets any direct sunlight, we use it in the mornings all year round with a thermostatically controlled electric heater.

mrs_baggins

thanks bith for the response. Cajef- obviously this may be a how long is a piece of string question but if you wanted to sit in it would you need to put heater on beforehand and all the time you were in it?

cajef

Our heater has a built in timer, we usually have it come on about 15 minutes in a morning before we want to use it and the conservatory is always warm enough for us to have breakfast in, we don't have it running all day just ticking over till after lunch when we are usually going out anyway.

We have had the conservatory for four years now and while it obviously uses more electric in winter we have never had bills that have horrified us so are quite happy with our usage.

pollypenny

We've just had one installed in the same position as you, OP.

It's fine with a heater.we've sat with visitors for a couple of afternoons. However, we've have used it much as I don't want to use extra heating when the house is so well insulated, anyway.



Edit: forgot to say we are in a bungalow, so it's hardly shadowed.

Furts

My suggestion is for you to wait until late June as you will have the opportunity to observe the sun during the coming months. Over shading and shadow is the key here.

My sunroom is on a north east facing wall and receives almost no direct sun. This because the house is a normal two storey construction - it over shadows it and puts it in the shade. I receive direct sun until, at best, 11.30. Your proposal will be similar (but at the other end of the day.)

MIL has a north facing conservatory - but she lives in a bungalow. Here the angle of the sun is almost always above the bungalow roof. Hence there is sunshine into the conservatory. But it is too cold from November until Easter. A 4kW heating source cannot cope.

There is no reason for not having A rated glass. It should cost peanuts more than C rated. Basically, C rated glass is obsolete - do not go there.

mrs_baggins

thank you all for your responses. I will have a long think on what I want todo