Best value heating solutions?
- Thread starter Reiabuzz
- Start date
cupid_stunt
Chief seagull hater & farmerbarleymow's nemesis.
Wood burners are great, plenty of free wood around, but may be not practical in your situation.
Crispy
The following psytrance is baṉned: All
1. Fight draughts. This is the cheapest way to improve insulation. Around window frames, under doors, through floorboards.
2. Loft insulation makes a huge difference. Cavity helps too. You might be able to get these installed for free. I got my cavities filled for free a few years ago. (fnar) Find energy grants and ways to improve your energy efficiency - GOV.UK
Every electric heater is as efficient as every other; Physics says so. But you might *feel* warmer under radiant heaters, because they heat *you* rather than the air around you. Of course as soon as you move away from it, you'll feel the cold. eg. 1.8kW Wall Mounted Quartz Bulb Electric Infrared Heater with 3 Power Settings by Firefly™ £34.99
(mains) gas is about 3-4x cheaper than electric, on a £/kWh basis. Not sure about bottled gas...
2. Loft insulation makes a huge difference. Cavity helps too. You might be able to get these installed for free. I got my cavities filled for free a few years ago. (fnar) Find energy grants and ways to improve your energy efficiency - GOV.UK
Every electric heater is as efficient as every other; Physics says so. But you might *feel* warmer under radiant heaters, because they heat *you* rather than the air around you. Of course as soon as you move away from it, you'll feel the cold. eg. 1.8kW Wall Mounted Quartz Bulb Electric Infrared Heater with 3 Power Settings by Firefly™ £34.99
(mains) gas is about 3-4x cheaper than electric, on a £/kWh basis. Not sure about bottled gas...
Thanks guys, I’ll look into the energy grant thing. Got a fairly newborn kid and I can feel a bit of a chill on him at times when I pick him up. We do have a loft. And a ranch slider downstairs. I suspect it’s the ranch slider. How do I go about sorting that out.. double glazing?
teuchter
je suis teuchter
Wood burners are bad for air quality if you're in a town, so is an unsociable choice.
Crispy has pretty much fully answered your question.
If you own your house the most effectively spent pounds and pennies are on insulation and draughtproofing first. If you're renting, it's obviously different.
Crispy has pretty much fully answered your question.
If you own your house the most effectively spent pounds and pennies are on insulation and draughtproofing first. If you're renting, it's obviously different.
teuchter
je suis teuchter
Is that an american term for sliding window or something?
Show us a picture.
purenarcotic
Conveniently Pocket Sized
Halogen heaters. Cheap and very effective.
cupid_stunt
Chief seagull hater & farmerbarleymow's nemesis.
According to google image search, a ranch slider is basically patio doors, I thought they were all normally doubled-glazed, mine is & those of everyone I know.
cybershot
Well-Known Member
But also give up the ghost quite quickly when lamps die, so need replacing more often.
TruXta
tired
What do you think about gas powered heat pumps?
JimW
支那暗杀团
Not offered as a practical suggestion really but we got underfloor heating done as the local government here is subsidising it and the leccy to wean people off solid fuels. Works well over sustained sub-zero months in winter but interested if anyone knows how it shapes up against others on cost unsubsidised.
teuchter
je suis teuchter
I didn't know such a thing existed. What are you looking at?
gentlegreen
I hummus, therefore I am ...
Yes - annoying that. Last winter I had two screwfix ones on the go and took them back for a replacement whenever two elements failed. I can't figure out why you can't still buy solid old traditional electric fires.
But they're useful for a quick boost and I have one in my unheated bathroom.
gentlegreen
I hummus, therefore I am ...
Depends where they take the heat from - can mean massive amounts of excavation outdoors.
I always fancied a Stirling engine CHP unit.
TruXta
tired
TruXta
tired
I'm thinking of the ones that exchange heat with outdoor air.
TruXta
tired
Depends entirely on how it's powered I'd guess.
JimW
支那暗杀团
Realise that 'leccy' might not mean much to everyone - it's electric, running a boiler that feeds hot water through pipes under the floor. Same as any other electric heating system then i wonder? You do get a bit of residual warmth while it's off from the pipes.
Crispy
The following psytrance is baṉned: All
Underfloor heating is what's called a "low intensity" heat source. It only makes sense if the rest of the building is well insulated, because it can only add heat slowly. If the building leaks heat faster than it can be added then all UFH can do is keep your feet warm.
JimW
支那暗杀团
We've got double glazing but the rest won't be up to much, they don't do cavity walls on these old houses and no loft to lag, though we have got a false ceiling creating a bit of a gap. Does feel noticeably warmer than outside though almost certainly not getting the full benefit then.
This thread is a kick to try to do something about our myriad draughts, if nothing else. But how to solve them? We have French doors in our lounge and there is a hell of a draft that comes in where they meet. At least that room is insulated, though. The dining room is the original 17th(?) century core, with uninsulated stone walls and single glazed windows that the kabbess absolutely refuses to even countenance replacing. In the winter, it's almost a no-go zone.
Crispy
The following psytrance is baṉned: All
For the edges, adhesive frame seal. Goes behind the stop, so you can't see it in the room. Not the flat foam kind (impossible to get a good seal). The sort with a profile:
For the middle, one of these
Bog-standard brush strip along the bottom
Your C17th stone room will be cold when there's not a fire constantly burning in the fireplace. This is your own fault for buying a charming house.
For the middle, one of these
Bog-standard brush strip along the bottom
Your C17th stone room will be cold when there's not a fire constantly burning in the fireplace. This is your own fault for buying a charming house.
teuchter
je suis teuchter
Interesting, looks like a relatively new product. I didn't know you could get gas powered heat pumps at such a small scale.
I'd want to know the real whole-system efficiency. Which would involve asking someone more technically qualified than me. These things often seem to end up providing much lower efficiency than the advertising figures once you take everything into account, especially for small dwellings. And of course it all depends on whether it's new-build, retrofit, how well insulated you are, size of existing radiators etc etc.
TruXta
tired
That's true. Also these things cost a fair bit. I saw an Irish retailer was selling the complete system for just shy of 10000 euros
which is OK for a new build, but probably not worth it for retrofitting an older less well insulated building.
Bahnhof Strasse
Met up with Hannah Courtoy a week next Tuesday
He can set up a derrick in the garden and burn some of the gazillion gallons of oil that are under his house.
