Humidity and heating

AnnieO1234

Hi all,

Another post last night got me thinking about something but I didn't want to de-rail it.

In regards to heating, as I understand it, if you have dry air the property will heat up fast? But does that also mean that the property will lose heat fast too?

We live in a B energy rated new build (built in 2012) and there doesn't seem to be a happy medium. We end up cranking the heat up to 30 in a morning to raise the temperature enough to be comfortable. Then we're putting it down to even 22 in an attempt to "hold" it at a comfortable temperature. It doesn't. So we end up in a situation where we've got the heating on at least 25 on average with the windows being opened and closed throughout the day.

We've tried leaving the windows open, even just a little bit, and it gets too cold.

I'm just now wondering if we should either increase or decrease the humidity in the property. We have extractors in all bathrooms and kitchen, trickle vents in the windows and the dryer in situated in the utility room at the rear of the garage so is technically separate from the main building.

Thoughts would be appreciated. This is the first home either of us have lived in without a fire which somehow just seemed easier looking back!

xxx

DRP

You shouldn't ever need to crank it up to 30 (unless you want it at 30).

Why not set the timer to come on an hour earlier at the temperature you prefer?

From your description, it sounds like you enjoy a hot house. As do my retired in-laws. This is what they do (they have a fancy-dan wireless thermostat):

It is always on 18 (to keep the temperature decent overnight)
20 from an hour before they get up (~6am).
Returns to 18 during the day.
20 from 5pm (and they turn it up if it is a cold evening).

dominoman

Using humidity to control temperature in the house wouldn't make sense.

Humid air takes more energy to heat than dry air, and will also take longer to give up that energy. However, air with higher relative humidity also transmits it's energy to you faster so will "feel" hotter or colder than it actually is.

In a sauna the air can be very hot, but it's only when you add water to the heater that you really start to feel the heat (even though the addition of water has reduced the temperature rather than increased it).

In your case why are you playing with the thermometer? If 22 is comfortable set it to that. Setting it to 30 won't heat the house any quicker. Opening windows to reduce the temperature is not the way to go (as you know of course)

lstar337

AnnieO1234 wrote: »

We end up cranking the heat up to 30 in a morning to raise the temperature enough to be comfortable. Then we're putting it down to even 22 in an attempt to "hold" it at a comfortable temperature. It doesn't. So we end up in a situation where we've got the heating on at least 25 on average with the windows being opened and closed throughout the day.

Annie, sounds like your system needs balancing. You need to set your thermostat first, then turn your rads up and down to get the temps you want throughout the house. Then you just let the stat do the rest of the work. Sounds like you are fighting against the stat!

Where is your thermostat located?

sk240

You should surely have thermostatic radiator valves in such a new propery.

What are these set to?