Heating a House

[Marisawright]

16 minutes ago, Melbpom said:

Now that you mention it, my gran had underfloor heating and for some reason she never used it. That was years ago so I don't know why, maybe cost or as you say, too difficult to control.

I knew someone who had it, and hated it. She said she didn't like the way her feet would feel hot and yet the house didn't feel warm

[Toots]

11 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

I knew someone who had it, and hated it. She said she didn't like the way her feet would feel hot and yet the house didn't feel warm

Mum had it.   She liked it  The whole house was nice and warm during winter.  There was a spot in the sitting room which seemed warmer than other parts and that's where her dog always chose to lie.  She had no problems with it while she lived in that house (until she died) but the new owners only had it for a couple of years then it carked it.  It lasted nearly 50 years  ........ it was put in when the house was built in the late 1960s.  Mum and Dad bought the house in 1973.  I visited the current owners and they had central heating (radiators) installed.

[DukeNinja]

Evidently, the underfloor hot water heating is the better option. Hot water is directed through a dedicated underfloor labyrinth of pipes, instead of having radiators. This would allow you to run a lower heating temperature, and have a better heat distribution when compared to isolated radiators. 

Or you could have a smart heating system. I had a Honeywell Evohome installed in the UK, with each radiator having a smart TRV. I had different schedules for weekdays/weekends. I'd often have to leave the house before 5, so I'd set it up so that the master bedroom was comfortable for when I woke up. Then the bathroom was warm in time for my shower, followed by the kitchen, for me to have brekkie.

And you could set it to heat the kitchen during cooking and dinner time, followed by heating the lounge, and then getting the bedroom warm enough for bedtime.

The system also allowed IFTTT integration and geolocation activation (it would start heating the house as soon as I was outside a pre-set radius around work).

It also had Alexa integration, so I could say (Alexa, set bedroom to X degrees).

I loved it. We had a Victorian end of terrace, and the house was never cold. Then I rented the house out, and the tenants wrecked it.

[newjez]

5 hours ago, DukeNinja said:

Evidently, the underfloor hot water heating is the better option. Hot water is directed through a dedicated underfloor labyrinth of pipes, instead of having radiators. This would allow you to run a lower heating temperature, and have a better heat distribution when compared to isolated radiators. 

Or you could have a smart heating system. I had a Honeywell Evohome installed in the UK, with each radiator having a smart TRV. I had different schedules for weekdays/weekends. I'd often have to leave the house before 5, so I'd set it up so that the master bedroom was comfortable for when I woke up. Then the bathroom was warm in time for my shower, followed by the kitchen, for me to have brekkie.

And you could set it to heat the kitchen during cooking and dinner time, followed by heating the lounge, and then getting the bedroom warm enough for bedtime.

The system also allowed IFTTT integration and geolocation activation (it would start heating the house as soon as I was outside a pre-set radius around work).

It also had Alexa integration, so I could say (Alexa, set bedroom to X degrees).

I loved it. We had a Victorian end of terrace, and the house was never cold. Then I rented the house out, and the tenants wrecked it.

Never had underfloor, but from what I've heard the major drawback is it works like night storage heaters, heating up the slab. You can't just turn it off if it gets too hot. Even so, it does appeal.

[North to South]

Hello, appreciate all the useful tips on this.  I've used the AC heating in the morning and that definitely takes the chill off things and the gas space heater for an hour in the evening in the living area and that seems quite effective.  Certainly, not the same as heating a house in the UK, but nicer than looking at pipes and radiators everywhere which means you can place furniture wherever you want

I've started looking at some new windows as the ones at my house must be original and are very pool for insulation.  If anyone can recommend a company/person in Adelaide for windows it would be great.  Thanks again

[calNgary]

2 hours ago, North to South said:

Hello, appreciate all the useful tips on this.  I've used the AC heating in the morning and that definitely takes the chill off things and the gas space heater for an hour in the evening in the living area and that seems quite effective.  Certainly, not the same as heating a house in the UK, but nicer than looking at pipes and radiators everywhere which means you can place furniture wherever you want

I've started looking at some new windows as the ones at my house must be original and are very pool for insulation.  If anyone can recommend a company/person in Adelaide for windows it would be great.  Thanks again

Try and get double glazed, i don't think its just your windows that are rubbish, i think its the majority of houses here !  I have heard it is expensive compared to normal windows but i am yet to come across a house that doesnt have drafts via the windows,lol, I know if we replaced ours we would look into it.

 Cal x

[rammygirl]

Double glazing is much more common now.  We had the builder put it in when we built our house over 10years ago.  Much sucking and drawing of breath was done as they hadn’t put it in a residence before (only commercial buildings). Anyway there were less options then and yes they were more expensive but as a proportion of the full build price not a huge difference. 
There are many more options now and bulk builders are starting to use it more commonly too so prices are more reasonable.

[Ken]

13 minutes ago, rammygirl said:

Double glazing is much more common now.  We had the builder put it in when we built our house over 10years ago.  Much sucking and drawing of breath was done as they hadn’t put it in a residence before (only commercial buildings). Anyway there were less options then and yes they were more expensive but as a proportion of the full build price not a huge difference. 
There are many more options now and bulk builders are starting to use it more commonly too so prices are more reasonable.

We had double glazing installed when we had our house built (5 years ago now). The builders thought we were bonkers and even had an idiotic suggestion of putting it on one side of the house and not the other! The concept of insulation is clearly still in the dark ages. Well worth the expense. Good insulation (including double glazing) doesn't just save on heating bills in the winter, it saves on air-conditioning in the summer, and it's reduces any noise pollution from outside too.  

Edited April 29, 2021 by Ken

[rammygirl]

3 hours ago, Ken said:

We had double glazing installed when we had our house built (5 years ago now). The builders thought we were bonkers and even had an idiotic suggestion of putting it on one side of the house and not the other! The concept of insulation is clearly still in the dark ages. Well worth the expense. Good insulation (including double glazing) doesn't just save on heating bills in the winter, it saves on air-conditioning in the summer, and it's reduces any noise pollution from outside too.  

Yes. After our house was built it was rented out for several years as we returned to the Uk. Interestingly two tenants were renting whilst building their homes. Both ended up adding double glazing after living here. 

[steveshe]

Makes you wonder all these years how Aussies have coped   with living through winters here . . Poms come over and instantly start moaning houses are not like the UK . Its not the UK . 

[Quoll]

48 minutes ago, steveshe said:

Makes you wonder all these years how Aussies have coped   with living through winters here . . Poms come over and instantly start moaning houses are not like the UK . Its not the UK . 

With respect to heat, I’m always gobsmacked at how hot people keep their houses in winter in U.K.  - our house in Aus was reasonably well insulated but we’ve recently replaced all windows with double glazing and it’s feeling even better. Our wood stove is brilliant - not only does it heat the whole house, the chimney which backs onto the kitchen acts as a heat bank for hours after the fire has died. Even so, the house doesn’t get as hot as my mum and dad wanted their central heating to be - when living in their house in U.K. I often had to close the door, turn our radiator off and open the window!
Recently we had r/c air con put in here in Aus and thus far we have used that on a few days just to take the chill off.  When my son first moved to U.K. he was bemused that people whinged about the cold yet wandered around in t shirts in overheated houses, he was used to wearing jumpers! 

[newjez]

2 hours ago, Quoll said:

With respect to heat, I’m always gobsmacked at how hot people keep their houses in winter in U.K.  - our house in Aus was reasonably well insulated but we’ve recently replaced all windows with double glazing and it’s feeling even better. Our wood stove is brilliant - not only does it heat the whole house, the chimney which backs onto the kitchen acts as a heat bank for hours after the fire has died. Even so, the house doesn’t get as hot as my mum and dad wanted their central heating to be - when living in their house in U.K. I often had to close the door, turn our radiator off and open the window!
Recently we had r/c air con put in here in Aus and thus far we have used that on a few days just to take the chill off.  When my son first moved to U.K. he was bemused that people whinged about the cold yet wandered around in t shirts in overheated houses, he was used to wearing jumpers! 

I remember my first Christmas in the UK. I stayed in my uncle and aunties place in London. Woke up Christmas day, I thought I was back in Perth. She had the heating set to the low thirties.

We keep ours at twenty. You can always put a jumper on.

[newjez]

3 hours ago, steveshe said:

Makes you wonder all these years how Aussies have coped   with living through winters here . . Poms come over and instantly start moaning houses are not like the UK . Its not the UK . 

Do you not think Australia can learn from other countries? Double glazing is a brilliant idea. Good for summer and winter and cuts down the noise. If only they had decent flyscreens in the UK. They are trying, but not their yet.

[Toots]

10 hours ago, Quoll said:

With respect to heat, I’m always gobsmacked at how hot people keep their houses in winter in U.K.  - our house in Aus was reasonably well insulated but we’ve recently replaced all windows with double glazing and it’s feeling even better. Our wood stove is brilliant - not only does it heat the whole house, the chimney which backs onto the kitchen acts as a heat bank for hours after the fire has died. Even so, the house doesn’t get as hot as my mum and dad wanted their central heating to be - when living in their house in U.K. I often had to close the door, turn our radiator off and open the window!
Recently we had r/c air con put in here in Aus and thus far we have used that on a few days just to take the chill off.  When my son first moved to U.K. he was bemused that people whinged about the cold yet wandered around in t shirts in overheated houses, he was used to wearing jumpers! 

I found some of the houses were over heated too.  Very stuffy and made my nose and eyes feel very dry.  I did the same as you in the bedroom.  Turned off the heating and opened the window.  What a relief.

[Marisawright]

12 hours ago, steveshe said:

Makes you wonder all these years how Aussies have coped   with living through winters here . . Poms come over and instantly start moaning houses are not like the UK . Its not the UK . 

Aussies have coped like Brits used to cope.  It's only in the last 20 or 30 years that the Brits have woken up to their climate and started putting proper insulation and heating in their homes. Talk to most Scots over 50 and they grew up in houses that had frost on the inside of the windows in winter, frozen pipes etc.   My sister now lives in our childhood home and has installed full central heating and double-glazing, and insulated the attic---but my parents lived in that home for 40 years and thought it the height of extravagance when they installed gas fires.

Australia is still in that old frame of mind.  Extremes of climate are just something you tolerate.  Also, the building industry is used to building fast and cheap, to satisfy the demand created by the constant flow of new migrants.  Homes with shoddy workmanship and no insulation will still sell because there's so much demand.  And the Building Code doesn't require much, and in any case, the government doesn't even enforce what it does require, due to the self-certification rort.

I was very impressed with the quality of build in my (rented) home when I was in the UK, compared to where I now live in Melbourne.  I prefer living in Australia and love many things about the country, but their building standards isn't one of them.

Edited May 3, 2021 by Marisawright

[Toots]

1 hour ago, Marisawright said:

Aussies have coped like Brits used to cope.  It's only in the last 20 or 30 years that the Brits have woken up to their climate and started putting proper insulation and heating in their homes. Talk to most Scots over 50 and they grew up in houses that had frost on the inside of the windows in winter, frozen pipes etc.   My sister now lives in our childhood home and has installed full central heating and double-glazing, and insulated the attic---but my parents lived in that home for 40 years and thought it the height of extravagance when they installed gas fires.

Australia is still in that old frame of mind.  Extremes of climate are just something you tolerate.  Also, the building industry is used to building fast and cheap, to satisfy the demand created by the constant flow of new migrants.  Homes with shoddy workmanship and no insulation will still sell because there's so much demand.  And the Building Code doesn't require much, and in any case, the government doesn't even enforce what it does require, due to the self-certification rort.

I was very impressed with the quality of build in my (rented) home when I was in the UK, compared to where I now live in Melbourne.  I prefer living in Australia and love many things about the country, but their building standards isn't one of them.

I was born and brought up in a house that was built in 1734.  There was a big old solid fuel stove in the kitchen which heated the water and was used for cooking  .............  the other rooms were heated by open fires.  Definitely remember the joy of scraping the frost from the inside of the windows.  Also remember having chilblains.  That old house stood up to many a battering from storms.  The exterior walls were nearly 3 feet thick.  Mum was delighted to retire to a small, comfy bungalow with underfloor heating. 

Yes, Australia needs to pull its socks up and start to build decent homes not those types of look good but no substance sort of houses.  As for some of the rentals I see    ....................  how the landlords have the cheek to charge the rent they do   ...................  

[Bulya]

22 hours ago, newjez said:

Do you not think Australia can learn from other countries? Double glazing is a brilliant idea. Good for summer and winter and cuts down the noise. If only they had decent flyscreens in the UK. They are trying, but not their yet.

Double/triple glazing available and advertised regularly on the radio.  

[Skani]

On 03/05/2021 at 10:04, Marisawright said:

Aussies have coped like Brits used to cope.  It's only in the last 20 or 30 years that the Brits have woken up to their climate and started putting proper insulation and heating in their homes. Talk to most Scots over 50 and they grew up in houses that had frost on the inside of the windows in winter, frozen pipes etc. 

My mother talked about waking up to ice on the inside of the bedroom window - and that was in Essex.

Quote

Also, the building industry is used to building fast and cheap, to satisfy the demand created by the constant flow of new migrants.  Homes with shoddy workmanship and no insulation will still sell because there's so much demand. 

This was exacerbated in the post war years when the population almost doubled at the same time as a  shortage of building materials.  Any housing, however hastily built,  was better than nothing.  My aunt and uncle migrated in 1948  and had to live in a corrugated iron shed for the first few years.  But it was by the beach in Coffs Harbour and, having  spent 5 years in a German POW camp in Poland,  he thought he'd landed in heaven.

[Rossmoyne]

I grew up in a council house in Essex that we moved into in 1949.   There was no heating, no double glazing and no insulation.  It was absolutely freezing in that house until my Dad installed a pot belly stove come water heater in 1951.   We finally had hot water to wash, bath and do dishes, and it kept the downstairs living area quite warm.   However the bedrooms and bathroom upstairs were a different issue!.  Not sleeping in winter because of the cold or waking up to the windows frozen on the inside was quite normal.   Horrid, but normal at the time.

Fast forward to the mid 1970's and my parents were then living in WA with only a gas heater in the lounge and loving how warm the house was all the time.  Around the late 70's I was living in my first purchased property in UK and had gas central heating set at 18C, and loving it.   Our house was part of a new development geared towards good insulation in floor and walls, ceilings, double glazing, gas boiler and radiators.   That house was so warm and comfy.

Fast forward again to the 1990's and my children and I were now living in WA near my parents, and that first winter in our new house nearly froze us to death!   Investigation showed there was no  roof insulation.... sorted that.   No-one provided double glazing at that time, so we bought insulating curtains for every room.  Electric heaters were so expensive to run, so we installed a couple of gas convector heaters and had them on a timer.    It was never going to be our cosy warm house from UK, but hey it was only for 3 or 4 months a year and not 8 months a year, so we went with it.

I am still living in that house 30 years later. I have added to the roof insulation, I have installed insulated flooring, and I have installed a reverse cycle aircon unit for the living area that runs off the solar panels during the day.  Double glazing is now available in WA, but is so expensive.  However if I was in a position to build from new now, I would definitely go with it.

 

 

[ramot]

16 minutes ago, Rossmoyne said:

I grew up in a council house in Essex that we moved into in 1949.   There was no heating, no double glazing and no insulation.  It was absolutely freezing in that house until my Dad installed a pot belly stove come water heater in 1951.   We finally had hot water to wash, bath and do dishes, and it kept the downstairs living area quite warm.   However the bedrooms and bathroom upstairs were a different issue!.  Not sleeping in winter because of the cold or waking up to the windows frozen on the inside was quite normal.   Horrid, but normal at the time.

Fast forward to the mid 1970's and my parents were then living in WA with only a gas heater in the lounge and loving how warm the house was all the time.  Around the late 70's I was living in my first purchased property in UK and had gas central heating set at 18C, and loving it.   Our house was part of a new development geared towards good insulation in floor and walls, ceilings, double glazing, gas boiler and radiators.   That house was so warm and comfy.

Fast forward again to the 1990's and my children and I were now living in WA near my parents, and that first winter in our new house nearly froze us to death!   Investigation showed there was no  roof insulation.... sorted that.   No-one provided double glazing at that time, so we bought insulating curtains for every room.  Electric heaters were so expensive to run, so we installed a couple of gas convector heaters and had them on a timer.    It was never going to be our cosy warm house from UK, but hey it was only for 3 or 4 months a year and not 8 months a year, so we went with it.

I am still living in that house 30 years later. I have added to the roof insulation, I have installed insulated flooring, and I have installed a reverse cycle aircon unit for the living area that runs off the solar panels during the day.  Double glazing is now available in WA, but is so expensive.  However if I was in a position to build from new now, I would definitely go with it.

 

 

You were lucky in the 1970’s. We were in RAF married quarters from 1970 -1984. In 1970 we only had a coal fire in the living room. We ran a smelly paraffin stove in the hall, and bought a plug in radiator for the baby’s bedroom. Can’t remember when or if the heating was improved. 

When I was working for an airline in the 1960’s I used to keep my uniform in the airing cupboard so it was warm to put on before leaving the house at 5.45 for the early shift at 6.15, at the terminal. If the first bus out of the bus terminal missed me as it wasn’t a regular stop, I would hitch!! Not as bad as it sounds, as several of us lived in the area, and there were regular early drivers who worked in the markets who would look out for us. I honestly don’t remember how I got to Heathrow when I started flying as a stewardess, perhaps I’ve blanked it out. Wasn’t funny braving icy pavements in uniform high heeled shoes either.

I agree how cold the houses are here. We moved from hot Brunei to here in late April, there was no heating in the house, no door from the kitchen/family room,  we kept the oven on for the first week, before we bought heaters. 

 

[SPRINTER]

On 27/04/2021 at 08:49, North to South said:

Hello, appreciate all the useful tips on this.  I've used the AC heating in the morning and that definitely takes the chill off things and the gas space heater for an hour in the evening in the living area and that seems quite effective.  Certainly, not the same as heating a house in the UK, but nicer than looking at pipes and radiators everywhere which means you can place furniture wherever you want

I've started looking at some new windows as the ones at my house must be original and are very pool for insulation.  If anyone can recommend a company/person in Adelaide for windows it would be great.  Thanks again 

Doubleglazed .com is the place to go for double glazing in Adelaide, just on the outskirts in Lonsdale, run by a Scot who knows the business inside out and his installers were mainly Brits when he put ours in. Noticed an immediate change in the temperature and drafts in the house. Got to agree the Aus. building standards are crap though.

[ramot]

36 minutes ago, ramot said:

You were lucky in the 1970’s. We were in RAF married quarters from 1970 -1984. In 1970 we only had a coal fire in the living room. We ran a smelly paraffin stove in the hall, and bought a plug in radiator for the baby’s bedroom. Can’t remember when or if the heating was improved. 

When I was working for an airline in the 1960’s I used to keep my uniform in the airing cupboard so it was warm to put on before leaving the house at 5.45 for the early shift at 6.15, at the terminal. If the first bus out of the bus terminal missed me as it wasn’t a regular stop, I would hitch!! Not as bad as it sounds, as several of us lived in the area, and there were regular early drivers who worked in the markets who would look out for us. I honestly don’t remember how I got to Heathrow when I started flying as a stewardess, perhaps I’ve blanked it out. Wasn’t funny braving icy pavements in uniform high heeled shoes either.

I agree how cold the houses are here. We moved from hot Brunei to here in late April, there was no heating in the house, no door from the kitchen/family room,  we kept the oven on for the first week, before we bought heaters. 

 

Added a door and Have reverse aircon in every room, good insulation in the roof, and varisol window blinds, which really seem to work. Only put the aircon on In cold early mornings and for a while in the evening.

Edited May 4, 2021 by ramot

[s713]

22 hours ago, Bulya said:

Double/triple glazing available and advertised regularly on the radio.  

Googling a couple of home-building type sites says to expect to pay $800-$1200 per sqm for double glazing. Our old house in WA had 55 sqms of glass!!! Most of the whole back of the house was glass, would have cost me $50k-$60k!!!

[newjez]

On 03/05/2021 at 14:30, Bulya said:

Double/triple glazing available and advertised regularly on the radio.  

It should be compulsory on all new builds.

[Bulya]

7 hours ago, s713 said:

Googling a couple of home-building type sites says to expect to pay $800-$1200 per sqm for double glazing. Our old house in WA had 55 sqms of glass!!! Most of the whole back of the house was glass, would have cost me $50k-$60k!!!

You bought the wrong house!