Hi, my house has no Central Heating. It's a small 2 bedroom house. What's the most efficient but cost effective heating? Came to conclusion central heating would take too much room with radiations and too expensive to install.
Hi, my house has no Central Heating. It's a small 2 bedroom house. What's the most efficient but cost effective heating? Came to conclusion central heating would take too much room with radiations and too expensive to install.
I would suggest Oil filled radiators they are quite cheap to buy fairly cheap to run, and can be fittes with a timer to make them heat each space at the time you want it warm. they also stow away in the summer, they are very safe because (as long as you don't cover them with a towel or something) they don't produce direct heat like halogen or an electric fire. I have one that heats about half of my garage that I converted to a sewing room for my Mother-in-law, this room is 2.3M X 2.5M the oil filled rad is the smallest one I could find it cost me £15.
Another vote for oil filled heaters, I had no central heating for a long time and these heaters were great they arent too expensive to run and heat up a room very well. I have a few the best one is 2.5kw I,ve had that for about 10 years and its still going strong
Wood burner with a few radiators attached, even better if you can source some wood for free. I use building site waste and pallets which I take away for free. They have the added advantage that they require no electricity to operate bar the central heating pump if one is needed for downstairs radiators
Also remember if you use electric heating it is all 100% efficient (unless it has a fan and the only unwanted product here will be the noise of the fan). What you put in is what you get out, so when it comes to oil radiators, convector heaters etc - you always get out the same amount of heat for the amount of power you put in. An oil radiator will store the heat for a while but takes a while to heat up, a convector gives you instant heat but when it goes off that's it.
Also remember if you use electric heating it is all 100% efficient (unless it has a fan and the only unwanted product here will be the noise of the fan). What you put in is what you get out, so when it comes to oil radiators, convector heaters etc - you always get out the same amount of heat for the amount of power you put in. An oil radiator will store the heat for a while but takes a while to heat up, a convector gives you instant heat but when it goes off that's it.
oil filled rads are very efficient, convectors and radiant type heaters are not since they use energy to produce light, the worst being halogen heaters.
Hi, my house has no Central Heating. It's a small 2 bedroom house. What's the most efficient but cost effective heating? Came to conclusion central heating would take too much room with radiations and too expensive to install.
Check with your local authority to see if there are any schemes that would help you install central heating.
Otherwise - go for the oil filled radiators. They are very efficient and because the oil stores the heat and gently cools down - you don't get the peak-trough effect you get with on-off heating.
I am a bit intrigued by all this talk of wood burners - what do you folks do when you want the home warming in the morning, how good is it, how much wood does it go through, has anyone got by on collecting wood from fallen branches alone, and how much storage space do you need? Can you sweep your own flue?
I'm thinking about the system myself but online is full of people wanting to sell systems or romantic newspaper stories about people from Islington who think it's all the rage. I want practical advice how it works in person.
I've got electric panel type heaters, they can be programmed to come on at certain times, or just switched on at the wall.
Mine aren't on the timer, I just turn them on when I need them on.
They're modern ones (less than 5 years old) and I've got through the winter using only £20 a month in electric bills. That's for everything (lights, tv etc, oven, fridge freezer etc and the heating) so I'd say that's pretty efficient
oil filled rads are very efficient, convectors and radiant type heaters are not since they use energy to produce light, the worst being halogen heaters.
The light from these heaters is visible radiation - it still has a heating effect. Think of the effects of sunshine.
I am a bit intrigued by all this talk of wood burners - what do you folks do when you want the home warming in the morning, how good is it, how much wood does it go through, has anyone got by on collecting wood from fallen branches alone, and how much storage space do you need? Can you sweep your own flue?
I'm thinking about the system myself but online is full of people wanting to sell systems or romantic newspaper stories about people from Islington who think it's all the rage. I want practical advice how it works in person.
There's a lot of romanticism about wood burners. I have one and its great, mosty toasty BUT I live in a very rural area with friends who are farmers and foresters who I can get wood from. We get it green and have to chop it ourselves, stack it and store it for at least a year before we can use it. We use 2-3 cubic metres a winter.
We are not in a smokeless zone.
You can't just go and collect it yourself, you would never get enough without felling trees which would be illegal. Even just picking it up is an offence if you don't have the land owner's permission, there are also environmental issues with that.
Most people buy their wood, I don't know how much they pay but for it to be delivered chopped and seasoned would ££ and then you still have to have the outside, sheltered space to stack it.
I am a bit intrigued by all this talk of wood burners - what do you folks do when you want the home warming in the morning, how good is it, how much wood does it go through, has anyone got by on collecting wood from fallen branches alone, and how much storage space do you need? Can you sweep your own flue?
I'm thinking about the system myself but online is full of people wanting to sell systems or romantic newspaper stories about people from Islington who think it's all the rage. I want practical advice how it works in person.
I installed a 21 kw Aiden woodburner which runs all my radiators and heats 2 cylinders of water, I had to remove the living room rad as the woodburner produced so much heat. The woodburner cost around 950 installed at the time which I done myself as the flue did not need a liner ( most do not), its runs 10 radiators and will burn any fuel though I only use waste wood of any kind which is free. The harder the wood the better with unseasoned woods such as pine being messy and useless.
If you decide to use a top entry flue they are easy for DIY cleaning and also more heat efficient to the trendy rear exit flue (most woodburners have both), the trick is to get the wood for nothing as I go through around 11 tonnes per year heating a 4 bed house and water.
The light from these heaters is visible radiation - it still has a heating effect. Think of the effects of sunshine.
which means it is not heat but light, the same rule applies to most light bulbs as they produce more heat than light compared to modern LED lamps which are the most efficient compared to filament lamps which is clear by their wattage consumption.
Thanks both, that's fascinating stuff. How do you both store it, cut it, and importantly how do you make sure the house is warm when you get up? My biggest concern with gas is - well, there isn't one, the timer's set, all I have to do is make sure the money's in the bank to cover the bill, the rest does itself. I'm fairly practical but I'm not about to turn into an epsiode of the Good Life so I'd want to balance the ease with it and can't see me buying a chainsaw.
which means it is not heat but light, the same rule applies to most light bulbs as they produce more heat than light compared to modern LED lamps which are the most efficient compared to filament lamps which is clear by their wattage consumption.
Just because it's visible doesn't mean it is not heating too. The light is the area of radiated heat, the unlit area is generally convected or conducted heat. You could shine it from outside a window and the light that fell into the room would still warm the room.
Ha, I'm afraid we are a bit Good Life here! Chainsaw and axe for cutting it up. Big, 2 bay (for rotation) woodshed. As for the mornings - it's effin freezing! I have an oil filled plug-in radiator in the bedroom with a timer switch, get the clothes on and get moving! Once the burner is stoked it warms downstairs nicely, but we don't have it running radiators.
Just because it's visible doesn't mean it is not heating too. The light is the area of radiated heat, the unlit area is generally convected or conducted heat. You could shine it from outside a window and the light that fell into the room would still warm the room.
That is because the light is the carrier wave but not the heat itself.
Thanks both, that's fascinating stuff. How do you both store it, cut it, and importantly how do you make sure the house is warm when you get up? My biggest concern with gas is - well, there isn't one, the timer's set, all I have to do is make sure the money's in the bank to cover the bill, the rest does itself. I'm fairly practical but I'm not about to turn into an epsiode of the Good Life so I'd want to balance the ease with it and can't see me buying a chainsaw.
I mainly use old pallets and collect site wood which is already seasoned and free, I take the pallets to a local quarry where they are put through a rock crusher in 3 ton loads and smashed into small pieces and square blocks.
My woodburner has an all night facility and stat which I rarely use but requires smokeless long burning coal for all night application, It is not really needed as my warm up time for the whole house is only 1/2 hour from lighting. The best feature on any woodburner is called the secondary burn which allows air to enter the exhaust gases generating more heat and practically no smoke at all, this is a seperate air control.
i used to use 900-1000 pounds a year in heating oil so my woodburner has paid for itself 4 times over in 4 years and cost nothing to run, the trick is finding a source of free wood as I have done which is industrial sites and building sites where they have to pay people to take away waste wood.
I use an oil-free radiator whenever I'm in a room to heat it quickly. Its soon at a comfortable temperature - as fast as it would be if I put central heating on.
In the main room if I'm home most of the day I burn the woodburning stove - open the door to let the heat circulate to the rest of the bungalow. I order in logs and store them outside to season them for the following winter - about £100 per cubic metre, probably enough for 2 months of cold weather.
Also remember if you use electric heating it is all 100% efficient
Apart from the the power generating stations which are generally 40% efficient at best and the grid which loses another 10%. Gas central heating is more efficient than electric heating because the fuel is being burnt inside your home
Comments
I would suggest Oil filled radiators they are quite cheap to buy fairly cheap to run, and can be fittes with a timer to make them heat each space at the time you want it warm. they also stow away in the summer, they are very safe because (as long as you don't cover them with a towel or something) they don't produce direct heat like halogen or an electric fire. I have one that heats about half of my garage that I converted to a sewing room for my Mother-in-law, this room is 2.3M X 2.5M the oil filled rad is the smallest one I could find it cost me £15.
oil filled rads are very efficient, convectors and radiant type heaters are not since they use energy to produce light, the worst being halogen heaters.
Check with your local authority to see if there are any schemes that would help you install central heating.
Otherwise - go for the oil filled radiators. They are very efficient and because the oil stores the heat and gently cools down - you don't get the peak-trough effect you get with on-off heating.
I'm thinking about the system myself but online is full of people wanting to sell systems or romantic newspaper stories about people from Islington who think it's all the rage. I want practical advice how it works in person.
Mine aren't on the timer, I just turn them on when I need them on.
They're modern ones (less than 5 years old) and I've got through the winter using only £20 a month in electric bills. That's for everything (lights, tv etc, oven, fridge freezer etc and the heating) so I'd say that's pretty efficient
The light from these heaters is visible radiation - it still has a heating effect. Think of the effects of sunshine.
There's a lot of romanticism about wood burners. I have one and its great, mosty toasty BUT I live in a very rural area with friends who are farmers and foresters who I can get wood from. We get it green and have to chop it ourselves, stack it and store it for at least a year before we can use it. We use 2-3 cubic metres a winter.
We are not in a smokeless zone.
You can't just go and collect it yourself, you would never get enough without felling trees which would be illegal. Even just picking it up is an offence if you don't have the land owner's permission, there are also environmental issues with that.
Most people buy their wood, I don't know how much they pay but for it to be delivered chopped and seasoned would ££ and then you still have to have the outside, sheltered space to stack it.
I installed a 21 kw Aiden woodburner which runs all my radiators and heats 2 cylinders of water, I had to remove the living room rad as the woodburner produced so much heat. The woodburner cost around 950 installed at the time which I done myself as the flue did not need a liner ( most do not), its runs 10 radiators and will burn any fuel though I only use waste wood of any kind which is free. The harder the wood the better with unseasoned woods such as pine being messy and useless.
If you decide to use a top entry flue they are easy for DIY cleaning and also more heat efficient to the trendy rear exit flue (most woodburners have both), the trick is to get the wood for nothing as I go through around 11 tonnes per year heating a 4 bed house and water.
which means it is not heat but light, the same rule applies to most light bulbs as they produce more heat than light compared to modern LED lamps which are the most efficient compared to filament lamps which is clear by their wattage consumption.
Just because it's visible doesn't mean it is not heating too. The light is the area of radiated heat, the unlit area is generally convected or conducted heat. You could shine it from outside a window and the light that fell into the room would still warm the room.
That is because the light is the carrier wave but not the heat itself.
I mainly use old pallets and collect site wood which is already seasoned and free, I take the pallets to a local quarry where they are put through a rock crusher in 3 ton loads and smashed into small pieces and square blocks.
My woodburner has an all night facility and stat which I rarely use but requires smokeless long burning coal for all night application, It is not really needed as my warm up time for the whole house is only 1/2 hour from lighting. The best feature on any woodburner is called the secondary burn which allows air to enter the exhaust gases generating more heat and practically no smoke at all, this is a seperate air control.
i used to use 900-1000 pounds a year in heating oil so my woodburner has paid for itself 4 times over in 4 years and cost nothing to run, the trick is finding a source of free wood as I have done which is industrial sites and building sites where they have to pay people to take away waste wood.
In the main room if I'm home most of the day I burn the woodburning stove - open the door to let the heat circulate to the rest of the bungalow. I order in logs and store them outside to season them for the following winter - about £100 per cubic metre, probably enough for 2 months of cold weather.