Preparing for Winter

annie123

Hope you feel better soon Frugal.
Dont forget to wear your primark pj's.

warm hugs

lil_me

Well the central heating is on for 4 hours a day, 2 morning, 2 early evening but not when they kids are at school or during the day when I am in, DP keeps putting it on during the day and sitting about in shorts, lost my temper with him for that last week, like I said put some clothes on you plank! I'm sat here with extra layers and a laptop on my knee to keep me warm, no wasted heat

Given up even thinking about warming up the conservatory, it's great for warming the rest of the house when it's sunny and no wind but rest of the time, brrr, would rather keep the doors closed. Door is draughty, DP says door curtains on it is not possible as nowhere to put a rail, wish my gran was still alive as she made fab draught excluders, wonder if there is instructions anywhere to make one. Kitchen doors kept closed most of the time as the kitchen radiator doesn't work, utility and kitchen are cold with having marble floors, garage door out there which makes it colder so I have just been keeping the kitchen one closed for now.

Frugal, hope you feel better soon, that window stuff is on ebay which if you need more might save you on petrol costs. I have seen it in Homebase too, I think B&Q might also sell it.

Have noticed that unlike the last house where there was heating in the hall and landing this has none, which I am quite pleased about as I am not heating where it's draughty, getting the kids to remember to close bedroom and bathroom doors to keep warm in is another matter!

Duvets, I must get the boys an additional one, they have blankets and duvet at the mo, we have the winter one on now which is more than warm enough for us, too warm as I don't want to get out we do have a summer spare which can go on the bottom if we need extra warmth.

Heating here is on a combi so that should work out cheaper, what I find weird is there is not a thermostat in the house, it's on the boiler (which is in the garage) and just controls what temperature the radiators are instead of the house. Never come across this before and still trying to get used to it. It's a Basi (I think thats how it's spelt) boiler and supposedly very energy efficient.

Anyone know the answer to this ????

I was told this week that keeping house warm rather than small bursts of heating is more economical, fact or fiction?

annie123

lil_me wrote: »

lost my temper with him for that last week,

Hard as I try, I cant imagein that little avaiator losing it's temper.
Its too cute:rotfl:

Strapped

Hapless, I wonder whether we are neighbours (also in deepest darkest Devon beyond the reach of sat nav).

Anyway, we are having the chimney lined in a couple of days - bit drastic, but the chimney has given up the ghost after nearly 200 years. Took ages to find someone to come and line it! Have stockpiled plenty of wood and had the oil tank filled up. Have made jam, and made sweets for the school Christmas Fayre. Now I need to:

- buy a "spare wheel in a can" for the car
- put milk in the freezer and some extra tins in the cupboard
- line the curtains in my son's bedroom with the ones that were up when we moved in
- put a blind up in the bathroom
- make draught excluders for the front door and door to the conservatory (and give up on heating in there)
- a rug for the front room would be nice too, but might have to wait for the Jan sales. In the meantime, will have to make do with slippers

lil_me

annie123 wrote: »

Hard as I try, I cant imagein that little avaiator loseing it's temper.
Its too cute:rotfl:

:eek: That is one loosing it's temper, it's called 'I Said NOOOOO!!' my kids say it's me :rolleyes:

Wind must be bad here tonight, this house has recently fitted very good double glazing and I can hear it trying to get through, brrrr, bed time I think.

sammy_kaye18

Hi all

Well its @rsing freezing here in South Wales to the point i went ot work on Friday night with a long sleeved thick tshirt top under my long sleeved work uniform and then had tabbard (fetchign i know) and a fleece and was STILL cold!!!!

Ive had to have the ehating on a fair bit as it is jsut too cold. Little one has a cold and think it wont be long before me and bf are struck with it so its been ona fair bit.

Ive got two big draught excluders (really heavy) that are caterpillars who were £1 in shaws but they are really good on the living room doors, radiator in hallway is on for the dog though (need to figure a way to heat proof front door as the hallway is deemed HIS room) as dog stays in hallway and it has the front door in it. PLus cant put draught excluder as he feels the need to piddle on new things!

Our room is still like an ice box, am thinking of startign to do the hot water bottles in the bed before actually getting in it thing, because it is rediculously cold in their yesterday and you can feel the difference.

Any ideas on how to make a new dogs bed too - his is looking a bit worn out and flat, would like a cosy one he can snuggle up in (hes a jack russell) so he stays nice and warm too, he has his jumpers which i think ill wash this week and get cleaned for him ready to use!

Shortie

Sammy_Kaye18, I made one years back for my OH's dog when he started getting too old and boney to be comfortable on just carpet. I just took an old duvet (double I think), an old single duvet cover, folded the duvet in half and put in the duvet cover. Then sewed it all up and it did the job just dandy

My Dad fitting their old carpet (I saw old, there was nothing wrong with it, they just changed their minds on the colour a few months after buying it...) and where as we had thin carpet on the stairs and laminae flooring on the landing, we now have lovely thick carpet. He also put some of that foam stuck in the joint of one of our windows as it's bowed and was letting a terrible draft into my baby's room. Well last night I woke up a few times absolutely sweltering (I have the heating pop on for 30 min blasts during the night...) It's amazing the difference it made!!

Anyone know how much energy per radiation you save by turning each one down?

sammy_kaye18

Thanks Shortie - ill be having a raid in the airing cupboard later to see if i can find an old duvet cover worthy of poochys new bed, ive just found out two old pillows which i think will fit nicely in his bed and if there is extra material of the duvet cover left there will be enough to fold over him (im sure hes homosexual my pooch, boy dog, loves dressing up, being bathed and pampered in general, plus hates girls and loves boys ) plus i can aways hide a rice bag in the extra length of material to keep his bed snuggly warm

I found out his jumper yesterday too for him to start wearing again to heep him warm, hes short haired so needs the extra insulation - now if i can find his coat ill be landed.

Putting extra duvet under bens bed today - he decided to wake me up at 2.15Am this mornign thelling me he was cold - still not having heating on at night but have Pjs and fleeces on bed so will try the extra duvet under bottom to see if he sleeps better.

Cant put up wardrobe like planned today as bf is off ill with some stomach bug - he was so pale this morning i sent him back to bed so thats where he will probably stay most the day now.

Anywho - fingers crossed for getting rice bags made today too - i think ill give this bleeding sewing machine one last ry nad if it doesnt work then it will have to be socks with knots in!!! does the job anyway doesnt it.

Any idea how to make a home made letter box draught excluder without blocking the letterbox entirely???

sammy_kaye18

moanymoany wrote: »

Mmm samy_kaye - pyjamas within grabbing distance - what are we to think!!!!

ooooooohhhhhhhhhh eeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fruball

Sammy-Kaye - You could sew a rectangle of fabric (lined would be best) and attach it over the letterbox as a flap so the post can still come through.

If you needed to weight it, a few 1ps sewn in the bottom would keep it down