Is central heating actually that good? Anyone remember before we had it?

[dragonfly101]

I've been getting frustrated with my central heating recently, partly due to my problems with the Hive system, but also with the fact that I just can't my radiators balanced right across the house, and with a single central thermostat you can't compensate for changing wind direction and whether it's sunny or cloudy.

I've honestly been thinking that when my current boiler gives up, I'll just get electric heaters in each room, each with their own thermostat and timer - this way every room will always be the temperature I want it, no mucking about.

 

[muggles]

Sounds like you just need some better controls and someone who understands system balancing. Smart Home systems are available which will allow individual control of each radiator if desired. Electric heating costs about 4× as much to run

 

[robinbanks]

How about a few air-to-air heat pumps?

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Yeah, life was fine if you had the time to keep the coal fires going in every room, including cleaning the ash out frequently. Even if you banked the fires in the bedrooms, come morning the windows would be dripping wet on the inside and it would be very cold.
Course this was before insulation and double glazing..
Sounds like you need some thermal insulation, some draughtproofing and then as mentioned some modern control gear (I'm quite happy with my Wiser hub and WiFi TRVs)

 

[robinbanks]

life was fine

Except the place stank inside and out. Humans have a long history of developing something, then everyone and their dog starts using it, then we end up basically mired in our own polluting s**t that we're generating, then it gets banned/dropped

Horse and cart, internal combustion engined vehicles, fires and wood burners, social media? ..

 

[dragonfly101]

I do have TRVs on every radiator, but they only solve half the problem: they stop a room getting too hot, but the don't prevent it being too cold if the main thermostat is in a different room that is warmer and so the heating is not running.

Weather compensation as far as I understand it only checks outdoor temperature, but a sunny 5 degree day in December is very different from a sunny 5 degree day in March - where my large-windowed south facing living room gets all the heat it needs from the sun (while north side of my house is too cold).

 

[stem]

Location, location, location. I've lost count of the times people have asked me to look at a 'faulty' thermostat but actually there was nothing wrong with it. 8 times out of 10 relocating the thermostat solves the problem. However there are some homes that are tricky to meet all of the criteria. and other adjustments are required. Once downsizing a radiator in the room where the thermostat was located kept the system running a bit longer to allow the other rooms to heat up first.

There are no fixed best places, as to where a room thermostat should go. A hallway may be good if it's cool, but not if it's totally internal, or south facing with a large glass area that is warmed by the sun. Every building is different, so here are the principles that should be considered when selecting a location.

1. The room thermostat should be in a cool area, ideally the last to warm up. That way the other rooms will already be warm enough, (but not overheated because of their TRV’s) before the room thermostat switches the entire heating system off.

2. It should be in a room that is not effected by other sources of heat such as an open fire, cooking equipment, or direct sunlight etc. It should not be somewhere draughty or too close to a window, especially one that is opened in the winter.

3. At least one radiator in the room with the thermostat installed should not have a TRV fitted. Otherwise the TRV can prevent the room thermostat from working properly.

4. The thermostat should be mounted about 1.5 metres from the floor, and not close to, or above a radiator.

5. Preferably it should not be on an outside wall, (although if you have well insulated walls, this is not quite so crucial.)

6. It should be in an area where air can circulate easily, not in a corner, or hidden behind curtains, or furniture.

 

[fixitflav]

Anyone remember before we had it?​

I do, and I wouldn't want to go back there!

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Weather compensation as far as I understand it only checks outdoor temperature, but a sunny 5 degree day in December is very different from a sunny 5 degree day in March - where my large-windowed south facing living room gets all the heat it needs from the sun (while north side of my house is too cold).

That problem should be resolved by where you locate the thermostat, proper location is everything.

 

[Mottie]

I remember it. F’ king freezing we were. Waking up to ice on the inside of the window and having to get a fire going in just one room of the house.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Anyone remember before we had it?​

I do, and I wouldn't want to go back there!

Yep, but at least a major part of the improved comfort is down to much better insulation, DG, and draught proofing.

I am realising that fact now, because I decided to cut down on the CH and make much more use of a radiant gas fire in the living room. Pre-CH, all we had was a similar radiant gas fire, that fire would be running on max, and it would still be cold - we would be huddled around it to keep warm.

Now, once the room is warm, the fire can be turned down to minimum and no need to huddle around the fire for warmth.

 

[bernardgreen]

I also recall ice on the insides of bedroom windows, and having to dig coal out from under the snow,

But that made people of that generation a tougher and more resilient type of person.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I also recall ice on the insides of bedroom windows, and having to dig coal out from under the snow,

I remember having to dig the drifted snow away from the front door, just to be able to get in and out. Half an inch now, and there is panic.

 

[stem]

We were posh. Back in the 60's my parents had a open fire with a back boiler and 3 radiators. You lit the fire and the old cast iron radiators warmed up by gravity circulation (I use the term 'warmed' deliberately), no pump or controls. It was great in the winter of discontent though (1978/9) we had heating during the power cuts. Might have been useful again shortly

The biggest problem was that someone had to get up and light the fire first before any heat was generated. Today some folks get upset if they can't control their heating via an app whilst they are out shopping.

 

[robinbanks]

I also recall ice on the insides of bedroom windows, and having to dig coal out from under the snow,

But that made people of that generation a tougher and more resilient type of person.

Do you think people of those times got ill less often or more often?