My home never gets warm

[geoffo]

I had a Potterton Profile 50el installed about 4 years ago, and my home has never really been hot since. I have a 3 bed EOT house, and during the recent cold spell, with the boiler set on Max, the temperature has never risen above 14C. There are 8 radiators, though 2 are always off. It's puzzling because the radiators are hot to touch, and there are no cold spots on the rads.

Logically I suppose either the boiler isn't doing its job, or there must be other heat loss. I have double glazing and there is some loft insulation, though I've had that a while and its not very thick. I don't have cavity insulation - I've heard some disturbing reports about badly fitted insulation.

I'm wondering what my next step should be. Should I ask my boiler servicer for his advice (he's not the same guy that installed the boiler) or if there is another service that either the council or energy conservation trust run whereby someone can come in and look at my whole system and measure any heat loss occurring.

 

[Nige F]

Don`t be disturbed about cavity wall insulation . Get on to Cavity Tech . An E. Sussex wall/roof insulation co. of good repute based near Eastbourne .They work all over SE. AS to the lack of heat it`s probably a bady sized /installed setup

 

[xr4x4]

when do you have your heating set to come on and off? and for how long.

 

[geoffo]

when do you have your heating set to come on and off? and for how long.

It came on at 8am and has been on all day. It's now 16.45 and the stat clicks at 14c. It's strange because years ago, it used to be too hot at 22c. That was another Potterton boiler, but the current one is too hot to touch. I'm at a loss because there have been no structural changes to the house.

 

[adlplumbing]

have you bled your rads ever?

 

[geoffo]

have you bled your rads ever?

Yes, I did it early in the week, though only a little air escaped. There is a bit of gurgling going on with the boiler, but not a lot. Do you feel the Potterrton Profile 50el is man enough for 8 rads?

 

[geoffo]

Don`t be disturbed about cavity wall insulation . Get on to Cavity Tech . An E. Sussex wall/roof insulation co. of good repute based near Eastbourne .They work all over SE. AS to the lack of heat it`s probably a bady sized /installed setup

Nige - I read that the cavity is there deliberately to prevent condensation. And that filling this cavity can bring about condensation. Is this false, or only if the wrong materials are used (foam?)

 

[xr4x4]

have you bled your rads ever?

Yes, I did it early in the week, though only a little air escaped. There is a bit of gurgling going on with the boiler, but not a lot. Do you feel the Potterrton Profile 50el is man enough for 8 rads?

if all the rads are hot all over, yes.

you will find that most people in these temps will be running there systems 24hrs, esp in old houses.... to be truly warm.

 

[geoffo]

Thanks, mine is an older property. I would love to be truly warm, but I just can't get it up over 14c

 

[Bahco]

You are burning money if you do not insulate your loft properly.

Some good deals on at the moment at the sheds so get it sorted and you need 11 inches of it to get the maximum benefit.

Get the cavity insulation sorted too.

 

[tryitandsee]

As Bahco has said good thing to get done. I have a similar problem with my old place if I don't light the fire in the sitting room, the chimney sucks all the expensive hot air out the house. When not in use I have to stuff a pillow up the throat, which helps. Has your place got any unused fires?
The Victorians may have been industrious, but they knew nothing about insulation.

 

[geoffo]

As Bahco has said good thing to get done. I have a similar problem with my old place if I don't light the fire in the sitting room, the chimney sucks all the expensive hot air out the house. When not in use I have to stuff a pillow up the throat, which helps. Has your place got any unused fires?
The Victorians may have been industrious, but they knew nothing about insulation.

Yes they all have firegrates, but they are all boarded up (not efficiently though). What I have problem in understanding is that any heat escaping through the roof would affect my bedrooms - which have the radiators off anyway. So I don't see how that will help me get warmer downstairs. I also can't understand how my old boiler was capable of temperatures in the 20c's, yet this won't go above 14c. Grrr. Should I get the guy who does my annual service in to see what he thinks?

 

[andy123456789012]

Old fireplaces? Unused?

Our house is old and it's referred to as probably the coldest house that we have ever lived in and it seems like the 96000 btu biasi 24S has never been able to handle it.

Probably why is detailed below.

It's semi-detached, solid walls, therefore no cavity wall insulation, about 4 inches of loft insulation. Apparently the chimneys were "boarded off" The fireplaces were all walled up with classic plasterboard complete with echoing scraping noises at night from neighbours.



So, these chimneys may be boarded at top but there is still a lot of air space is there not? Do any members here have any experience of either poor boarding or better more insulative methods.
In other words, just trying to find out if we are missing any "tricks" not including insulating the external walls, adding a bit loft insulation etc......

I note the 11 inches of insulation recommendation....

 

[tryitandsee]

Being that warm air travels upwards, the heat downstairs is going upstairs. Until the upstairs is warm and the heat can then satisfy downstairs, the wall stat will only then shut off. The heating engineer would when doing his calculations have taken into account the house as a whole, including the upstairs.

 

[kevindgas]

There are 8 radiators, though 2 are always off.

theres your answer turn the rads on!! cold rooms will suck the heat from heated rooms.
stop being a skin flint and turn them on you are not saving money by having them turned off!!