Living without central heating this winter?

[two sheds]

All the HG products I have used are pretty good.

Oooh ta I've just ordered this: I've not looked in the rayburn oven for a long time although I know it needs doing, which I've so far solved by not looking in it.

 

[Storm Fox]

Their 2 part drain unblocker is fantastic. Although the instructions on the bottle warn it will not remove rubble.

 

[teuchter]

Definition 1: Any of various heating systems in which a central source of heat is used to distribute heat (and sometimes hot water) throughout a building in a controlled manner.

but whatever

There's no central source of heat. The heat comes from the electrical wires which heat up under the floor, individually in each room.

 

[two sheds]

I got some stuff that was advertised as using natural catalysts for the soakaway pipe that my kitchen waste pipe was connected to for a good 20 years , I poured several bottles down and with pushing rods up and down did eventually clear it.

 

[two sheds]

There's no central source of heat. The heat comes from the electrical wires which heat up under the floor, individually in each room.

Electricity is produced centrally rather than in each room

 

[salem]

I've always worked from home, generally rather than heat the whole flat, I'll keep the central heating off and just occasionally blast the electric heater in the office (it's essentially a single bedroom so just takes a minute to bring up to heat). Good hoodie and warm trousers and perhaps thermals under make life easier although I'm lucky enough not to need fingerless gloves or anything.

The last place I lived was pretty drafty in places when we moved in.


These types of draft excluders cost ~£7 and were great as the front door/hallway was very drafty.

Bought a big piece of 10cm insulation board for a few quid and used it to fill in the letterbox and catflap (both not really used) which made a huge difference. Also put tape and then some insulation over chubb lock (from inside the house so you could still double lock if you were going out).

But really there isn't one size fits all, you have to just walk around and feel which bits of your house are cold and work backwards from there.

One thing I'm keen to do this year is get some smart TRVs so that I can automatically maintain temperature in different rooms according to a schedule, or occupancy sensors.


Has anyone used them or similar? We got a nest thermostat with out house but of course Google being Google killed off the 'works with nest' system that would have made these integrate well. But I think I can hack something together or swap to a system that does work. It's probably going to be £300+ but as work from home and about to come off a fixed energy deal thinking it might be worth it?

 

[teuchter]

Electricity is produced centrally rather than in each room

In that case a coal fire in each room is also central heating especially if the coal all comes from the same mine.

 

[Pickman's model]

In that case a coal fire in each room is also central heating especially if the coal all comes from the same mine.

non sequitur

 

[teuchter]

One thing I'm keen to do this year is get some smart TRVs so that I can automatically maintain temperature in different rooms according to a schedule, or occupancy sensors.

View attachment 335642
Has anyone used them or similar? We got a nest thermostat with out house but of course Google being Google killed off the 'works with nest' system that would have made these integrate well. But I think I can hack something together or swap to a system that does work. It's probably going to be £300+ but as work from home and about to come off a fixed energy deal thinking it might be worth it?

I use this which is the same principle

evohome: The smart multi zone thermostat from Honeywell : Get Connected

The leading WiFi multi-zone thermostat, helps you make the smart decisions for your heating system. All controlled through your Android or iPhone smartpho…

getconnected.honeywellhome.com

It was a bit of a pain to set up but it's worth it when it works.

The big advantage over non-connected TRVs is that the boiler only fires up when one of the rooms is actually calling for heat. So make sure it's one of those systems.

(I think Nest can't even do that)

 

[Leafster]

One thing I'm keen to do this year is get some smart TRVs so that I can automatically maintain temperature in different rooms according to a schedule, or occupancy sensors.

View attachment 335642
Has anyone used them or similar? We got a nest thermostat with out house but of course Google being Google killed off the 'works with nest' system that would have made these integrate well. But I think I can hack something together or swap to a system that does work. It's probably going to be £300+ but as work from home and about to come off a fixed energy deal thinking it might be worth it?

I've got smart TRVs as part of my Loxone Smart Home system.

I've posted about them on here before. Here's one of my posts. Does anyone use an Infrared heater

I think they are a good idea and they do work well. It's early days for me as I haven't had them long enough to compare several winters but I think they have reduced my energy usage - supposedly, they can save you around 25%. However, it'll take a while to recoup the cost. Having said that, with the energy price rises, it's going to take less time for them to pay for themselves.

 

[WouldBe]

I envisage a sort of foil/plastic curtain with a small air gap between the curtain and the wall and/or ceiling. The air gap would be insulation. So it's a kind of double glazing for walls and ceilings, with the reflective action of the foil as an added feature

Would only work if you seal everything so air can't get into the air gap from either side.

 

[teuchter]

Foil reflects IR heat. An air gap or insulation behind it will improve matters (because it won't reflect all of the IR, it will absorb some of it & heat up as a result) but it won't stop it working to some extent.

 

[danny la rouge]

I grew up in a big draughty 17th century farmhouse with no heating except a coal fire in the living room. We wore a lot of clothes, had a lot of heavy blankets/took a hot water bottle to bed/wore bed socks, fleecy pyjamas and a hat when it was really cold, and tbh, we were just cold a lot. Of course it's possible but it doesn't mean it's enjoyable.

Indeed. I grew up in the Scottish Highlands in the 1960s and 70s. We didn't have central heating. There was a coal fire in the living room. If it was too cold to sit in your bedroom, you went into the living room. In the winter, as kids, we'd get dressed in front of the fire, to keep warm, and to heat each article of clothing as it went on. We lived. We didn't know any different. I do now, though and I wouldn't want to return to that. I don't recommend it as an ideal.

I'm not looking forward to this winter.

 

[WouldBe]

Electric underfloor heating in each room (for example) wouldn't satisfy those definitions but the end effect would be the same.

So would electric heaters in each room or gas fires or open fires. Nothing central about those either.

 

[frogwoman]

I heard its more efficient to keep the heating on low than keep turning it on and off. I wouldn't recommend it tbh. I'm going to get a heated blanket this winter in case we do have to turn it off

 

[teuchter]

So would electric heaters in each room or gas fires or open fires. Nothing central about those either.

Yes. Which is why I think "central heating" is a bit of a redundant term these days.

 

[teuchter]

I heard its more efficient to keep the heating on low than keep turning it on and off. I wouldn't recommend it tbh. I'm going to get a heated blanket this winter in case we do have to turn it off

This is very controversial and it basically "depends". There is a million-page thread on moneysavingexpert with loads of people arguing about it.

 

[frogwoman]

This is very controversial and it basically "depends". There is a million-page thread on moneysavingexpert with loads of people arguing about it.

Something that would never happen here obviously

 

[cupid_stunt]

I heard its more efficient to keep the heating on low than keep turning it on and off.

There's a piece on that here -

This is a hotly debated one. According to experts at the Energy Saving Trust, the idea it's cheaper to leave the heating on low all day is a myth. They're clear that having the heating on only when you need it is, in the long run, the best way to save energy, and therefore money. (A timer's best as your thermostat turns your heating on and off to keep your home at the temperature you set.)

The key thing to understand here is that it's all about the total amount of energy required to heat your home.

It's a given that a certain amount of energy is constantly leaking out of your home (how much will depend on how good your insulation is). The Energy Saving Trust says if you're keeping the heating on all day you're losing energy all day, so it's better to heat your home only when you need it.

However, it's not quite that clear-cut. Some specialists disagree – and argue you should keep the heating on constantly for an entirely different reason.

They advocate keeping the heating on low all day, turning all radiator valves up to the max and the boiler down to the minimum, and say the problem with turning the heating on and off is that every time it's turned off, condensation collects within the walls. This condensation can help conduct heat outside the home, they say – meaning you leak heat more quickly and so will use more energy as a result.

moneysavingexpert

 

[Mrs Miggins]

I heard its more efficient to keep the heating on low than keep turning it on and off. I wouldn't recommend it tbh. I'm going to get a heated blanket this winter in case we do have to turn it off

I believe that works well if your home is very well insulated so it can hang on to the heat. I tried it one year and can't remember much difference in the size of my gas bill but my home is not well insulated at the front. Thin walls and single glazed sash windows.

It was warm all the time though. Just had the thermostat on at I think 16C all the time and turned it up a bit if I was at home all day and it was cold.

I won't be doing experiments like that this year though as the bills are going to be eye watering as it is.

 

[teuchter]

I believe that works well if your home is very well insulated so it can hang on to the heat.

Unfortunately it's not as simple as that

 

[frogwoman]

Yeah I don't think the house is that well insulated although the downstairs was nice and cool when it was 40 outside. My room is usually pretty warm tbh because of where it's positioned in the house

 

[two sheds]

There's a piece on that here -

They advocate keeping the heating on low all day, turning all radiator valves up to the max and the boiler down to the minimum, and say the problem with turning the heating on and off is that every time it's turned off, condensation collects within the walls. This condensation can help conduct heat outside the home, they say – meaning you leak heat more quickly and so will use more energy as a result.

moneysavingexpert

Yes I'd always thought would be best to heat intermittently but then read that - also that it takes more heat to drive off the condensation.

 

[WouldBe]

Yes. Which is why I think "central heating" is a bit of a redundant term these days.

The other important feature of central heating is that it can be controlled from a single point. You want the heating on you press a button you don't have to go round lighting fires in each room or turning on underfloor heating in each room.

 

[marty21]

I grew up in a house with no central heating. It’s not that uncommon. I’m not from the Victorian era.

Me too , it was ace when we finally got radiators though , no more frost on the inside of the windows.

 

[teuchter]

The other important feature of central heating is that it can be controlled from a single point. You want the heating on you press a button you don't have to go round lighting fires in each room or turning on underfloor heating in each room.

These days a more useful distinction is between

• systems that can be controlled centrally and using timed programming and thermostats and in a properly zoned way
• systems that can't do all of those things

Because that's what can have significant impact on energy efficiency.

"Central heating" can fall into either of those categories, as can non "central heating". Which is why I think it's a redundant term.

When central heating first became a thing it was targetted more at convenience and comfort than energy efficiency.

 

[two sheds]

Central Heating Grants are available from the Government's ECO4 Scheme​

Central Heating Grants are available to pay for the installation of gas central heating in homes which have never had central heating before.

Central Heating Grants from the Government's ECO4 Scheme

Central Heating Grants to install a full central heating system if your home has never had central heating before. Central Heating Grants available now.

centralheatinggrants.co.uk

You may want to contact them and inform them of their terminological inexactitude. The whole industry could fall apart otherwise

 

[Sasaferrato]

Indeed. I grew up in the Scottish Highlands in the 1960s and 70s. We didn't have central heating. There was a coal fire in the living room. If it was too cold to sit in your bedroom, you went into the living room. In the winter, as kids, we'd get dressed in front of the fire, to keep warm, and to heat each article of clothing as it went on. We lived. We didn't know any different. I do now, though and I wouldn't want to return to that. I don't recommend it as an ideal.

I'm not looking forward to this winter.

Whereabouts in the Highlands Danny? We lived in Fort William, which despite the Gulf Stream led to iced windows in the Winter.

 

[two sheds]

I've always worked from home, generally rather than heat the whole flat, I'll keep the central heating off and just occasionally blast the electric heater in the office (it's essentially a single bedroom so just takes a minute to bring up to heat). Good hoodie and warm trousers and perhaps thermals under make life easier although I'm lucky enough not to need fingerless gloves or anything.

The last place I lived was pretty drafty in places when we moved in.

View attachment 335641
These types of draft excluders cost ~£7 and were great as the front door/hallway was very drafty.

Bought a big piece of 10cm insulation board for a few quid and used it to fill in the letterbox and catflap (both not really used) which made a huge difference. Also put tape and then some insulation over chubb lock (from inside the house so you could still double lock if you were going out).

But really there isn't one size fits all, you have to just walk around and feel which bits of your house are cold and work backwards from there.

One thing I'm keen to do this year is get some smart TRVs so that I can automatically maintain temperature in different rooms according to a schedule, or occupancy sensors.

View attachment 335642
Has anyone used them or similar? We got a nest thermostat with out house but of course Google being Google killed off the 'works with nest' system that would have made these integrate well. But I think I can hack something together or swap to a system that does work. It's probably going to be £300+ but as work from home and about to come off a fixed energy deal thinking it might be worth it?

that's a really valuable post, ta, I shall make a checklist from it

 

[Sasaferrato]

We have the thermostat at 21C in the Winter, switched off at about 20:00, because there is enough residual warmth to get to bedtime.

Fleeces are also worn.