Preparing for Winter

Phoolgrrrl

We have duel heating, oil and open fire. When the fire is not lit is there anything we can do to stop the draft coming down the chimney?

Also - a bit ot- I didn't want to put the heating on with just me in house yesterday so OH came home to find me wearing fleecy pjs, top tucked into bottoms, bottoms tucked into bed socks, dressing gown with hood up under fleecy blanket on sofa...also with a clean pair of boxers on my head cuz couldn't find a hat!

nicki_2

Phoolgrrrl wrote: »

Also - a bit ot- I didn't want to put the heating on with just me in house yesterday so OH came home to find me wearing fleecy pjs, top tucked into bottoms, bottoms tucked into bed socks, dressing gown with hood up under fleecy blanket on sofa...also with a clean pair of boxers on my head cuz couldn't find a hat!

:rotfl::rotfl:Thank you for that image....thats another advantage of being single I'll be adding to my list :rotfl::rotfl: Mind you my DD gets sooooo embarrassed by me sometimes as it is, I think she'd try and move out if she found me like that one day and she's only 7 :rotfl::rotfl:

Jorgan_2

Phoolgrrrl wrote: »

We have duel heating, oil and open fire. When the fire is not lit is there anything we can do to stop the draft coming down the chimney?

You can get inflatable bladders that go up the chimney & you pump them up with a bike pump. My dad mad his own with an old inner tube with some wire wrapped tightly around it half way along so the tube widened to fill the chimney.

Make sure you remove any blockage before lighting the next fire though.

Caterina

We have stuffed a plastic carrier bag full of old woolen clothes up our bedroom chimney, and because it is not sealed a very small amount of air still circulates and no condensation is created, it seems to work.

Caterina

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

Caterina wrote: »

We have stuffed a plastic carrier bag full of old woolen clothes up our bedroom chimney, and because it is not sealed a very small amount of air still circulates and no condensation is created, it seems to work.

Caterina

What a brilliant idea!.

Jolaaled

Jorgan wrote: »

I stuck a couple of old pillows up my chimney breast..they seem to work very well indeed...they've been up there 3 years now and still effective

Karmacat

Anne McCaffrey ...

Menolly wrote: »

You HAVE? I LOVE her books (can't you guess?).

Glad you found the link helpful!

Hugs, Menolly

I can guess! I met her at the British National Science Fiction Convention in Glasgow. She was in a mobility scooter cos of her arthritis, I think, but she was still well up to taking part, and SF cons are very good at disability access. She made a general invite to the room at her talk, "if you come to Ireland, get in touch and come see the house that dragons built". It was lovely. So was she!

Charis

Phoolgrrrl wrote: »

We have duel heating, oil and open fire. When the fire is not lit is there anything we can do to stop the draft coming down the chimney?

It seems that the draughts are caused by the suction of air up the chimney, rather than by air flowing down it. The air in the room is being displaced by colder air sucked in from outside the room, through window frame gaps or from the colder hallway.

Here are some suggestions from other web sites:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055024410
http://www.hotline-chimneys.co.uk/cowls_main.htm

I remember my parents and grandparents just used to put a piece of board across the fireplace while the fire was out. You don't need to seal the hole completely, as a through-put of air helps ventilate the room and prevent condensation and mould.

Interestingly I have a Ukrainian friend who says that everyone she knows who is living in the UK but is of eastern European origin finds British winters cold. Despite places like Moscow having sub zero temperatures for months, it is a dry cold and they feel our damp.

Phoolgrrrl

I will try a board cuz puttin something up it will prob work out messy since we will be lighting fire quite often.
I will hopefully find a hat tonight to wear round the house!

MRSMCAWBER

Afternoon all

Well, as glorious and bright as it is outside -its bloomin nippy

I nipped out today and came across somethings Im hoping will help my mum fend off the cold :T

She is allready wrapped up in thermals but as she has both osteo and rheumatoid athritis she needs as much help as possible to stop the pain in her joints



I know they look a bit odd -but the band bit will help keep her back warm and the tube thingies -you pull up over your knees -they have 40% angora wool in too.... a bargain at €1 or 80p each :j her knees give her the most trouble so hopefully they will help a little -In fact I have picked up a couple for the "nonnymouse" -ing ...... I may have to see what folks think to them and go and get some more -im lucky -I takes a lot for me to feel proper cold.. I hate being bundled up -but mum loves being warm n toasty...