Thermal honeycomb blind conundrum!

Coastalwatch

vic_sf49 wrote: »

I noticed they helped reduce the temperature right next to the glass, but I don't know if there was a noticeable temperature change over the whole room.
I was going to use them over winter to retain heat at night, but they trap too much warm air against the cold windows. The condensation levels on the windows went from a couple of millimetres, to the whole window streaming with moisture.

Hi Vic and thanks for the contribution.
Interesting that you find the whole window streaming with moisture on winter nights due to the warm air trapped behind. I find exactly the same on one window where I insert a 50mm thick piece of Celotex which fills the entire recess. As you say if you leave alone there's only a small amount of condensation along the lower edge. However, I've noticed that to to the touch the temperature of the glass is relatively warm whereas with the Celotex in place the glass is decidedly cold.
Presumably then the Celotex or blind is doing as intended by preventing warm air reaching the window in the first place. From there on it's then through the rest of the window and on to the outside world.

Kernel_Sanders

joefizz wrote: »

Obviously psychologically its already doing a great job ;-)

Hmm... I'm wondering just how much of the perceived increase in warmth is down to that. It's well-known that humans perceive an unheated red-painted bathroom as slightly warmer than the same room painted in a cold colour.
However, if there is a noticeable increase in condensation, then clearly there is a decrease in the amount of heat escaping through the glass.

Coastalwatch

Having got the north side windows of the property blinded I've since ordered another five sets for the west and and some of the south sides. Admittedly two sets in the lounge only covered one window as the manufacturer I used has a dimensional limit which meant it couldn't be covered in one.

Anyway, I'd already fitted a couple before realising that there was something different to these later ones than those fitted originally. The original being black out where as the new ones let a diffused light in! Otherwise they were identical. It seems that on the second order I'd mistakenly ordered Thermal Lights as opposed to Thermal Shades. The Shades having a foil lining keeping the light out while retaining more warmth. Ooops!

Have to confess the later blinds when closed, fitted into living areas, and allowing light in give a far less claustrophobic effect so am pleased with the prevailing effect.

Am fitting trunking to either side as a matter of course for a neater fit.

Sadly I can't advise of any cost saving but another layer between the warmth of the inside and cold of the exterior in winter surely doesn't go amiss!

I could bore you further with monthly consumption figures from year to year but other than being of passing interest I doubt they are of much value.