Heating a utility room

d0nkeyk0ng

Like a lot of the houses on our road, the utility room is an extension built at some point after the house was originally built in the '50s. Even the kitchen door that opens into it is a proper external wooden door.

The utility room has a flat roof and, as far as I can tell, single skin walls. The floor is a good six inches below the kitchen level, hard and very cold in winter.

There's no scope for an extra radiator as all the walls are lined with cupboards or appliances (american style fridge-freezer, washing machine, tumble dryer).

I was looking at oil filled radiators and running on a low temp eg 10-12*C just to keep the edge off the cold. But are there any other smart suggestions? Looking for what we can do for time being until we've got enough money to knock the kitchen and utility into one room.

LandyAndy

d0nkeyk0ng wrote: »

Like a lot of the houses on our road, the utility room is an extension built at some point after the house was originally built in the '50s. Even the kitchen door that opens into it is a proper external wooden door.

The utility room has a flat roof and, as far as I can tell, single skin walls. The floor is a good six inches below the kitchen level, hard and very cold in winter.

There's no scope for an extra radiator as all the walls are lined with cupboards or appliances (american style fridge-freezer, washing machine, tumble dryer).

I was looking at oil filled radiators and running on a low temp eg 10-12*C just to keep the edge off the cold. But are there any other smart suggestions? Looking for what we can do for time being until we've got enough money to knock the kitchen and utility into one room.

I had a very similar situation. If it was very cold I would run an oil filled radiator on a low setting because otherwise the taps froze. It was the simplest and easiest solution.


You may find, as we did, that it will be easier to demolish the existing utility room and rebuild on to the kitchen than try to incorporate what you already have.

getmore4less

One of the easiest ways to heat the room is open the door.

might be worth looking at some insulation as well

some fatigue matting on the floor will help especialy loading/unloading the washer and dryer.

LandyAndy

getmore4less wrote: »

One of the easiest ways to heat the room is open the door.

I think opening a house door into a room with single skinned walls will just suck heat out of the house.

getmore4less

LandyAndy wrote: »

I think opening a house door into a room with single skinned walls will just suck heat out of the house.

if gas central heating probably still cheaper than trying to heat with electric

trailingspouse

Matting on the floor. Curtains in the window.

I wouldn't want to keep the door open, as it will make the kitchen colder than it needs to be - and you spend more time in the kitchen than in the utility.

My utility is in the basement, with no heating. If I'm just sticking a load of washing in, I grin and bear it. But if I'm going to be in there for a while (eg ironing) I use a little fan heater. I've no idea how much that costs, but I can't imagine that a fan heater for an hour or so a week (and only when it's really cold) would cost more than an oil filled radiator that's on constantly. Plus they're much cheaper to buy in the first place.

If there's a danger that pipes will freeze, that's a different matter entirely.

LandyAndy

getmore4less wrote: »

if gas central heating probably still cheaper than trying to heat with electric

That is certainly not my direct experience.

d0nkeyk0ng

The utility room is slightly larger than the kitchen. The kitchen radiator is about 2m tall and about 50cm wide. It barely heats the kitchen let alone attempt the utility room. Additionally, the kitchen door is a folding one with gaps above and below, which means that heat would escape from the landing and hallway through the kitchen, making the rest of the house colder.

getmore4less

If you already have inadequate heating in the room you would be using then not going to be an option.

You would not leave the door open all the time just before you need some warmth in the room to use it.

You are not trying to heat the room just the air in it for short periods.

if very short periods to load/unload washing then a wall mounted radiant heater may be an option pointing at the standing position.

glasgowdan

Get rid of a cupboard and get a plumber to pipe in a radiator.