Options for flat with no central heating

pollybee

Scot_39 said:

QrizB said:

How's your budget?

Does the flat have its own electricity supply, not just sub-metered from the building below?

Economy 7 and storage heaters would be the default suggestion, although you're probably looking at £1500-2000.

Another option would be a couple of through-wall aircon units, one front and one back. A similar installation price to storage heaters but potentially cheaper to run (depending on tariff). Something like this.

Installing gas cntral heating might cost £5000 or more.

Reverse air con units need through wall drilling - maybe unlikely to get freeholders permission 2 drill 2 largish holes.

The  manual for the fis one is saying need an 180/182mm / 7" core drill / hole cutter - and theres 2 fairly close to each other  - in a flat wall ?

Wonder if the fact that it's an attic might though help in some way ?

I would be a freeholder and it likely wouldn't impact anyone else, but it does very much depend how cooperative everyone is. I'm glad it's sounding like I have multiple tolerable options.

Thanks for your help  

pollybee

Eldi_Dos said:

pollybee said:

QrizB said:

How's your budget?

Does the flat have its own electricity supply, not just sub-metered from the building below?

Economy 7 and storage heaters would be the default suggestion, although you're probably looking at £1500-2000.

Another option would be a couple of through-wall aircon units, one front and one back. A similar installation price to storage heaters but potentially cheaper to run (depending on tariff). Something like this.

Installing gas cntral heating might cost £5000 or more.

Thank you. I've got real flexibility with upfront costs but monthly costs will be tighter. 

Have a look how you can improve the flats insulation and draftproofing, many of the energy company websites have good generic advice. They may even have pointers in how to get the work done.

Overnight storage heater for living area and timer controlled panel heater for bedroom, would get my vote.

There are some stylish "flat screen" electric convector heaters which can give a focus in the living area, running them with just the flame effect gives a warm feel yet only costs pennies to run and can give a bit of flexibility to your heating.

Whatever you decide make sure you are on a good tariff and keep checking periodically if there are any better ones that come along that would suit you.

Ooh, I'll definitely be looking into these, thank you. It has a wood burner, but I'm not sure I'm the best with fire! I know it's in my interests to learn how to be now. 

RedFraggle

Much as I'm a huge fan of dimplex quantums I think given the size, to begin with I'd live in it and see what it's like. 
We run an oil filled rad 24/7 in our large master bedroom and it's not that expensive. 
If your roof is well insulated and the floors between you and downstairs not, you may not need that much heat.
You can get oil filled rads cheaply. I think I'd stick one in the living area and see what it's like.
If you need more heating then absolutely a quantum in the living area. 

bob2302

People say that it's best not to use other heating in the same room as a Quantum, as it confuses the algorithm, leading it to store less heat. I'm wondering how well one would work in an open plan kitchen and living room.

Eldi_Dos

pollybee said:

Eldi_Dos said:

pollybee said:

QrizB said:

How's your budget?

Does the flat have its own electricity supply, not just sub-metered from the building below?

Economy 7 and storage heaters would be the default suggestion, although you're probably looking at £1500-2000.

Another option would be a couple of through-wall aircon units, one front and one back. A similar installation price to storage heaters but potentially cheaper to run (depending on tariff). Something like this.

Installing gas cntral heating might cost £5000 or more.

Thank you. I've got real flexibility with upfront costs but monthly costs will be tighter. 

Have a look how you can improve the flats insulation and draftproofing, many of the energy company websites have good generic advice. They may even have pointers in how to get the work done.

Overnight storage heater for living area and timer controlled panel heater for bedroom, would get my vote.

There are some stylish "flat screen" electric convector heaters which can give a focus in the living area, running them with just the flame effect gives a warm feel yet only costs pennies to run and can give a bit of flexibility to your heating.

Whatever you decide make sure you are on a good tariff and keep checking periodically if there are any better ones that come along that would suit you.

Ooh, I'll definitely be looking into these, thank you. It has a wood burner, but I'm not sure I'm the best with fire! I know it's in my interests to learn how to be now. 

I see you mention a woodburner, is it in the kitchen/ living room and do you intend to use it, have you got space to store logs and able to dispose of ashes safely?
If so that would put a different slant on things.

EssexHebridean

pollybee said:

Eldi_Dos said:

pollybee said:

QrizB said:

How's your budget?

Does the flat have its own electricity supply, not just sub-metered from the building below?

Economy 7 and storage heaters would be the default suggestion, although you're probably looking at £1500-2000.

Another option would be a couple of through-wall aircon units, one front and one back. A similar installation price to storage heaters but potentially cheaper to run (depending on tariff). Something like this.

Installing gas cntral heating might cost £5000 or more.

Thank you. I've got real flexibility with upfront costs but monthly costs will be tighter. 

Have a look how you can improve the flats insulation and draftproofing, many of the energy company websites have good generic advice. They may even have pointers in how to get the work done.

Overnight storage heater for living area and timer controlled panel heater for bedroom, would get my vote.

There are some stylish "flat screen" electric convector heaters which can give a focus in the living area, running them with just the flame effect gives a warm feel yet only costs pennies to run and can give a bit of flexibility to your heating.

Whatever you decide make sure you are on a good tariff and keep checking periodically if there are any better ones that come along that would suit you.

Ooh, I'll definitely be looking into these, thank you. It has a wood burner, but I'm not sure I'm the best with fire! I know it's in my interests to learn how to be now. 

I felt much the same about all things fire until we moved to our current house, which has an open fire. I'd have been FAR happier with a stove of some description, but needs must, and now I'm used to it, it doesn't phase/worry me at all. 
- Chimney gets swept annually
- We have a robust fireguard which is ALWAYS in place if we leave the room at ALL while the fire is lit.
- We have a fire-resistant rug in front of the fire - always in place when the fire is lit
- we're careful never to overload it
- we always let it burn down to well below the level where anything can fall out when we leave it for the night, even though the guard will then be put in place too. 

Once you get used to it, there is little better on a chilly winter night! 

Scot_39

bob2302 said:

People say that it's best not to use other heating in the same room as a Quantum, as it confuses the algorithm, leading it to store less heat. I'm wondering how well one would work in an open plan kitchen and living room.

It would also not be uncommon to have 2 quantums or older NSH in a larger space.  And as well as the warnings for adaptive start mode (pre heat to target temp at start of time window) at one stage the Quantums had a "slave" mode - they dont call it that.

Found it

Secondary Heater Mode - in the install section of the manual regarding the adaptive learning  - to stop one underheating it says - wonder if that would work with say a stove etc instead ?

Eldi_Dos

EssexHebridean said:

pollybee said:

Eldi_Dos said:

pollybee said:

QrizB said:

How's your budget?

Does the flat have its own electricity supply, not just sub-metered from the building below?

Economy 7 and storage heaters would be the default suggestion, although you're probably looking at £1500-2000.

Another option would be a couple of through-wall aircon units, one front and one back. A similar installation price to storage heaters but potentially cheaper to run (depending on tariff). Something like this.

Installing gas cntral heating might cost £5000 or more.

Thank you. I've got real flexibility with upfront costs but monthly costs will be tighter. 

Have a look how you can improve the flats insulation and draftproofing, many of the energy company websites have good generic advice. They may even have pointers in how to get the work done.

Overnight storage heater for living area and timer controlled panel heater for bedroom, would get my vote.

There are some stylish "flat screen" electric convector heaters which can give a focus in the living area, running them with just the flame effect gives a warm feel yet only costs pennies to run and can give a bit of flexibility to your heating.

Whatever you decide make sure you are on a good tariff and keep checking periodically if there are any better ones that come along that would suit you.

Ooh, I'll definitely be looking into these, thank you. It has a wood burner, but I'm not sure I'm the best with fire! I know it's in my interests to learn how to be now. 

Once you get used to it, there is little better on a chilly winter night! 

Especially if you are in the company of Mr Jameson or one of their friends 

greenbee

I love my woodburner - we had open fires and stoves growing up. At the moment I'm lighting it late afternoon and it's keeping the temperature from dropping and keeping the house from cooling too much overnight as the chimney is in the centre of the house. 

However, I'm not sure I'd want to lug all the fuel up several flights of stairs and the ash down... it was quite enough work refilling the log basket and porch storage this morning and then chopping up a box of kindling.