House constantly loses heat at a fast rate, how best to identify source?

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As the title says, my house loses heat at a stupidly fast rate, we can have the heating on and the house warm but as soon as the heating goes off the temperature just decreases quite rapidly. It mainly affects downstairs, my kitchen and hall in particular never heat up.

This is my 5th winter in the house and I can't take it any more, I've 2 young kids and this is non use. Is there a good way of identifying where the issue is coming from and then fixing?

I've looked for draughts, only place I ever feel any is in kitchen at floor level, it's either coming from external wall or from pipe chase that runs to my loft but I'm not sure this would fully explain the scope of the problem.

At my wits end a bit with this, I've never known a house as cold as this. It's a mid 70s ex council house, standard construction with cavity walls
 
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Unfilled cavity walls and no floor insulation could be the main culprits.
Or... shut the windows :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
 
Hire a IR camera and take a look around the inside and outside of the house.

Buy some smoke sticks and check for draughts.

Check the attic for insulation.

Just do a insulation/draught update in the house. Do it slowly and methodically and you may be surprised at what you find. Window seals is oft a surprising culprit.
 
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Block the air holes. It's said some houses act like a door is open with the amount of cold air blowing in
 
Unfilled cavity walls and no floor insulation could be the main culprits.
Or... shut the windows :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

Cavity wall insulation apparently been done and it does look like theres holes in the roughcast (at the back anyway)

I have wondered about underfloor insulation though, I have laminate flooring which I got put in when I 1st bought the house, I suspect it may not be the best insulation under it
 
What type of heating?

Heating patterns?

GCH, piped in old microbore sp not ideal, I have it balanced so most flow goes to living room. Coldest room in the house is the kitchen (cold to the point it feels like outside) and to be fair the radiator in there is in a terrible position and blocked by tumble dryer, so there are some less than ideal factors but it's the scale of *how* cold it gets and the speed at which the temperature drops which is so unusual
 
Skillbulder has a video made recently on insulation as so many suffer cold houses. Shows you what to do so go look up on youtube
Also made one covering insulation under floor boards
 
GCH, piped in old microbore sp not ideal, I have it balanced so most flow goes to living room. Coldest room in the house is the kitchen (cold to the point it feels like outside) and to be fair the radiator in there is in a terrible position and blocked by tumble dryer, so there are some less than ideal factors but it's the scale of *how* cold it gets and the speed at which the temperature drops which is so unusual

You sure your GSH is working to scratch?
 
You sure your GSH is working to scratch?

Boiler itself is a 3 year old Worcester so should ok, pipework and taps not so good and am thinking about replacing them but my feeling is they're not the big culprit here
 
Boiler itself is a 3 year old Worcester so should ok, pipework and taps not so good and am thinking about replacing them but my feeling is they're not the big culprit here

If you do do a draught, insulation survey, have a look behind any wall vents. You may find that the vent is not sleeved and you are in fact ventilating the cavity (as mine were).

Also, if you have a chimney, buy a chimney sheep.
 
If you do do a draught, insulation survey, have a look behind any wall vents. You may find that the vent is not sleeved and you are in fact ventilating the cavity (as mine were).

Also, if you have a chimney, buy a chimney sheep.


I do have an unused tumble dryer vent that i do think is a problem. Can't get access to it from inside though due to built in kitchen units
 
I do have an unused tumble dryer vent that i do think is a problem. Can't get access to it from inside though due to built in kitchen units
Go outside, remove external vent cover and block it up.
 

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