Is it worth getting an extra radiator?

Smiley_Dan

chockydavid1983 wrote: »

Looks like I need to do some more testing before changing anything .

A good maxim for life in general.

chockydavid1983

Thanks for your reply.
The house is a 3 bedroom mid terrace house built in the early 1970s.
Yes, I hadn't realised how long new windows would take to pay back so thank you to you and others for advice on this.
I will check the windows later.
I will check the other stuff when I get home tonight and post but the bolier and heating system was serviced just before I moved in so just over a month ago.
The room is wood floored and the front wall is an exterior wall, the back wall has uPVC doors leading to the conservatory, the RHS wall where the small rad is is the adjoining wall of the next property and the LHS of the property has the hall and stairs.
I would consider cavity wall insulation or indeed anything else I could do at a reasonable cost. I basically want to get everything sorted before I start to redecorate and am grateful to all input so far. This is my first home and this is all very new to me :-).

Thanks,
Chris.

CashStrapped

A 1970s build means that it should have cavity walls. Mid terrace is good for energy consumption as you have two houses either side insulating your property.

The things I would check first are:
How insulated is your loft? Is it up to modern standard? Also check if you have cavity wall insulation. You can still both these done for very little (if not free) via energy companies (does not have to be the one you are with) and even companies like Tesco etc. Look around for offers.

Retro fitting under-floor heating into an existing property with suspended timber floor can be very expensive. There are many advantages and disadvantages to this type of heating system so make sure you a clear on what they are.

A good underlay and carpet in a downstairs room could make all the difference. However it depends on what your tastes are etc. If you want wood floors, you need to look at guides on how to minimise draughts coming up from beneath.

This could well be the cause for your heat loss. British houses [especially those of yesteryear] tend not to be designed for bare wood floors; hence they can have lots of gaps and are therefore draughty. The expectation was that carpets would be down and this would minimise the draughts.

To further complicate everything!

If you do embark upon serious draught proofing, ensure you put in controlled ventilation in the areas that most need it, specifically the bathroom and kitchen. They should have good extractor fans. If you block up all the draughts in a house and do not have any ventilation in those areas, you could end up with condensation and damp problems.

Good luck!

ooh I forgot to mention.....the placement of the thermostat is also important. If it is in a room that is much smaller and gets warm quickly, it may be shutting off the boiler before the room you are in is warm. It should be placed in an area which can maintain a good average temperature for the whole house.

oldskoo1

I'm surprised you have the heating on already?

Just curious, do all radiators warm up evenly? When i moved in the previous owners had opened all the valves fully and the radiators in the dining room and living room couldn't get the room warm at all.

I balanced them myself and the difference was incredible. When on they get burning hot as expected.

I initially thought i needed to swap to a double panel. I calculated the radiator size and type needed for the size of the room. It had been sized correctly and the balancing sorted it out.

chockydavid1983

Thanks for your replies guys, this is all incredibly helpful!

My loft insulation is pretty good I think but I can't find what the modern standard is. Parts of it are covered up by boarding but it was around 100mm in the place where I measured it but I guess it can never hurt to get more.
It does look like I have cavity wall insulation from looking at the pictures on Google so that's good :-).
I am a bit of a sucker for wood flooring I'm afraid and am willing to accept the consequences :-) but thanks for the tip on draught proofing and then ventilation.
I think a good place for the thermostat would be near the middle of the lounge-diner in that case so I'll check there next time.
My boiler is a Worcester Greenstar 24i. It's currently set to 53C, which is keeping the pressure at the recommended level.

oldskoo1, I don't have the heating on now. I was just a little chilly a couple of mornings when I first moved in and was sleeping downstairs in my recliner temporarily as I waited for my bed to arrive! :-).
I will check the radiators next time and look into balancing them if necessary- thanks for the tip!

Thanks,
Chris.