Cold North Bedroom

MoreApples

markin said:

So its the floors that are the big losses.

There is insulation under the floor with Kingspan stuff. Some of it will be losses via the floor but some of it is likely lack of gaining heat too.

Alnat1

Could the bedroom floor be insulated from underneath, the ceiling of the outbuilding?

QrizB

MoreApples said:

My daughter's room is a north facing room with 3 external walls and 2 windows (one west and a small north one). We have the heating (GCH) on for 30 minutes in the morning and 1 hour before bedtime but, her room is only getting to 14-16ºC. I've ordered thermal blinds to go int he window recesses, behind the lined curtains.

For a bedroom where you're either going to bed, in bed or getting up from bed, 14-16C should be adequate if the occupant is in reasonable health. If they're wanting to live in it during the day, it might be a bit cool but in that case you're going to need to run the heating during the day.

Any other thoughts or making it warmer without cranking up costs too much.

30-60 minutes isn't very long to run the GCH, it could take 10 minutes or more just to get the circulating water up to temperature before the radiators.

Do you know what flow temperature you're using?

If you've turned down the flow temperature (which is a commonly recommended efficiency measure) you'll have reduced the output from the radiator. your options then are:

• Turn the flow temperature up;
• Run the heating for longer;
  
• Fit a bigger radiator; or
• Put up with being colder than you were.
  

MoreApples

Yes, I think it is going to come down to putting in more heat. 

The main challenge is getting up in the morning. She takes ages to get dressed because she keeps leaping backing into bed and hiding under the bedclothes, complaining it is cold.

Jyana

MoreApples said:

The radiator has 2 panels to it and the layout of the room would making changing it not straightforward but not impossible.

The windows are double glazed and not draughty-feeling.

The house is an odd L-shape and this room, along with 2 others, sit over unheated outbuildings but it is this room that suffers the most. I think the main part of the house would have to be ablaze before this part gained heat from it!

Thinking it through on here is useful - makes sure I've not missed a trick. I guess I'm onto working out how to add heat without too much cost. It might be a case of programmable radiator valves.

My bedroom as a child was above a garage and north facing, with no CH at all. One of the worst things about it was the humidity though, though I imagine it's not as big an issue with you due to the double glazing/radiator.

But it may be worth checking to see if there is any damp building up?  Drier air should help to make the room feel a bit warmer, not a huge difference but any little helps I guess.

Jyana

MoreApples said:

Yes, I think it is going to come down to putting in more heat. 

The main challenge is getting up in the morning. She takes ages to get dressed because she keeps leaping backing into bed and hiding under the bedclothes, complaining it is cold.

Have you tried putting clothes on the radiator so they are warmed in the morning?

markin

Is the rad Hot/ Bled?

The simplest and cheapest way if the room is so well insulated is then a 10 min blast on the oil heater as you already own it, That should make it very warm, If its as well insulated as you think then a PC or PlayStation should keep it warm the rest of the time.

xeny

MoreApples said:

Yes, I think it is going to come down to putting in more heat. 

The main challenge is getting up in the morning. She takes ages to get dressed because she keeps leaping backing into bed and hiding under the bedclothes, complaining it is cold.

Thinking laterally, can you rearrange room use so she gets a warmer room? Otherwise Jyana's suggestion of pre-heated clothes has a lot going for it.

MoreApples

We'll put clothes on the radiator and do a quick blast with the oil heater.

There's no playstation or PC in the room. She's 7 so too young for that and I'd avoid that even when she is older.

We changed her room from a different one a couple of years ago so she is nearer me and has more space for things so I don't think we'll change again. 

macman

An oil filled rad will probably do the job, but at a cost: it'll be about 350% more expensive to run than the heat from the gas CH, if that is what you have.