Conservatory Heating

[ikearns]

Hi there,

Partner's cousin is having a conservatory and looking into heating solutions.

I found an article from the Telegraph from 2015 that said "Another regulation is that the heating system of the main house must not be extended into the conservatory. This is to stop people connecting up radiators or underfloor heating (UFH) to their existing gas-fired boilers, which would result in excessive heat being wasted through the glass walls and roof, and unacceptable “carbon emissions”. "

I then see a lot of posts saying this is the way to go so have the regulations changed?

 

[^woody^]

The heating can be extended, but you must be able to isolate the conservatory.

 

[ikearns]

Ah so I presume this is a precaution against the likes of frozen pipes etc. So a simple isolation valve on each pipe will suffice??

 

[^woody^]

No its a precaution against heating the conservatory every time the main heating is on and all the heat going out of the roof

 

[ikearns]

Are thermal blinds of any benefit?

 

[^woody^]

Only to the shop that sells them to you

 

[ikearns]

A rather bleak outlook. Nothing positive?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Some conservatories look out on fields and trees and alsorts, not bleak at all.

 

[big-all]

what sort off conservatory is it will it be fully double glazed or with plastic roof glazing ??
in general the heat loss in a conservatory is several times greater than any other room
in other words you can need up to 7kw off heat to heat to a useable level in a reasonable time and perhaps 2-4 kw an hour to maintain it
all depends on heat loss that is decided by construction and size
and underfloor is useless for conservatories

 

[noseall]

A rather bleak outlook. Nothing positive?

Connies are glorified sheds and should be treated as such, thermally speaking. People in the UK need to be realistic about these structures and their usage and practicality, before building them. Ours gets used for aboot six months of the year. It's getting to the stage where the missus wants it knocking down and a proper extension building.

 

[HERTS P&D]

Noseall, will you you be getting quotes in from 3 builders to build you a connie?

I know a glazing company who had a faulty back door at his home, he kept telling his wife that he would fit a new upvc one soon. He came home from work one day to find a large double glazing company outside his home. His wife was so fed up of waiting for him to sort it out that she phoned up the company and sorted it herself. Once he calmed down, he did find the funny side.

Andy

 

[theprinceofdarkness]

With respect to the UFH in conservatories:- I installed UHF under my conservatory with its own thermostat. This is so when the thermostat is turned up, the conservatory UHF circulation pump comes on. So far in four years its been on three or four times. This is at Christmas when all the doors are open and the grandchildren run in and out. UHF leads to "itchy ankle" syndrome. Like wise it has 320W of lighting, more then the rest of the three bedroom bungalow as we have LEDs else where. Have not seen a suitable LED based light system, as I need multiple spot lights to throw the light across the room as there is no ceiling to reflect light of, also I can not think of a way of mounting the fitting and cables neatly.
Some people use the conservatory as part of the house, without proper external doors to isolate it. They are paying a high price in heating costs in winter and having the house overheating in the summer.
Frank

 

[ikearns]

This is a 3m X 3m conservatory with an insulated solid concrete floor and glass roof. It leads on from the kitchen and will replace a small terraced area at the back of the house. If using a panel heater, are the cables pulled between the twin brick in the 600mm dwarf wall rather than surface mounting?

 

[noseall]

Connies can be a pleasant year round space to relax in, if you don't mind chucking money at them. However, a lot of folk do end up disappointed, particularly when you think a proper extension costs only a wee bit more.
The one sticking point that always gets mentioned is when folks want to 'open plan' these spaces and integrate them into the main dwelling.

 

[noseall]

Noseall, will you you be getting quotes in from 3 builders to build you a connie?

Three? I only know one decent builder.