If the whole nation were as careful we might be able to avoid generating power from coal as opposed to the 3.0% at the moment. Thus i always look at the meter to have a go at reducing unnecessary consumption. 458Watts at the moment so we're not doing too badly, gas heater is on 1/3 power. 20.6C in the kitchen and -0.3C in the conservatory so we're on the backup sound system.
So who’s put their heating on yet ?
- Thread starter petespeed
- Start date
If the whole nation were as careful we might be able to avoid generating power from coal as opposed to the 3.0% at the moment. Thus i always look at the meter to have a go at reducing unnecessary consumption. 458Watts at the moment so we're not doing too badly, gas heater is on 1/3 power. 20.6C in the kitchen and -0.3C in the conservatory so we're on the backup sound system.
Colin L
High-tech low-life
-12 last night and -8 just now.
Just had 2 bathrooms and a downstairs toilet refurbed, finished about 6 weeks ago. This morning the toilet flush in the two bathrooms and one of the showers are now U/S. Seems like a frozen pipe somewhere. Bugger. Waiting for the contractor to come round.
Just had 2 bathrooms and a downstairs toilet refurbed, finished about 6 weeks ago. This morning the toilet flush in the two bathrooms and one of the showers are now U/S. Seems like a frozen pipe somewhere. Bugger. Waiting for the contractor to come round.
Ratcliffe power station has been full bore seemingly since the end of summer from what I've seen when I drive past it most days, I bet West Burton is running as well which I think only leaves Drax as the remaining unused coal fired capacity- which must be what they put on standby the other day when thy where on about it.
Something similar in Lincolnshire as a kid. I think we had -28C, which was some kind of record, it would have been at the same time in similar weather conditions to present. IIRC it was a mass of cold air that had drifted across from Scandinavia and was sat on by the high pressure and still air. The car froze to the ground, I remember my dad having to give it a few revs and them bump the clutch to unstick it. We had of course left the heating running, I think there was even a coal fire kept ticking over for most of the night so the house stayed unfrozen.
I think Drax has been converted to biomass, or is that just Ferrybridge about 20 miles up the road?
Edit - Drax burns some biomass, FB is shut.
I think they extended the Drax coal generation capacity until next year as an emergency measure, they are paying them to sit on standby to be fired up as and when.
Edit: see here
https://www.drax.com/investors/six-month-extension-of-coal-operations-at-request-of-uk-government/
mansr
Objectionist
I can afford to turn on the heating, but I'd rather spend that money on something else.
Just about to nip out to the post office with my £66 top up voucher that landed this morning, think I'll stick it all on the gas meter again as that seems to be the big user. Even with a small electric heater running for a few hours an evening the electric use is minimal here.
Mike Reed
pfm Member
And if you don't own one, this is the winter of our discount tents, after all (as advertised by a major camping outfitters some years ago).
Have you canvassed opinion on that?
Struggling a bit here, trying to balance the new system between upstairs and downstairs, where the 'stat is. Had to move a big old rusty oil-filled rad into the bathroom with the new pumped heating to the main rad. 11.5 degrees when I get up is simply too Spartan for an old codger. Progress in c/h? Bit of a curate's egg, i.m.o.
Sue Pertwee-Tyr
Accuphase all the way down
Our thermostat seems to be a bit inconsistent. It's sited in the hall and it's been there, AFAIR, since the CH was installed, umpty-ump years ago. It's a Drayton Digistat, so programmeable in some respects though I've never had much confidence in it (the time displayed is always about 15 minutes slow, and the manual says it keeps itself adjusted automatically so there's no way to manually adjust). When I start to get a bit chilly sat here working I go to look and it typically displays about 16 degrees. I bump the temp demand up to about 17 degrees and the heating comes on, but then seems to radically overshoot. The room gets distinctly toasty, but the temp display still shows around 17 degrees, but sometimes I've caught the heating still running when the temp is above the set level.
So time for a new stat, I think. Probably one of those wireless jobbies so we can control through an app, remotely. No idea where to start. Does the assembled pfm massive have any recommendations? (I'd be looking to get it installed, not a DIY job I'd trust myself to do properly and I'm not prepared to risk disabling the heating at this time of year).
So time for a new stat, I think. Probably one of those wireless jobbies so we can control through an app, remotely. No idea where to start. Does the assembled pfm massive have any recommendations? (I'd be looking to get it installed, not a DIY job I'd trust myself to do properly and I'm not prepared to risk disabling the heating at this time of year).
Minio
Kind of Sort of Not really...
My thermostat behaves similarly.
When I put my hand on the wall where it is mounted it feels colder than the room.
I think it doesn't represent the room temperatures in the house which have rooms better able to store warmth and have the added benefit of storing the heat of the sun during the day.
I would say that the stat is only doing it's job, but in a non representative position.
My stat has a 1 degree either way cut in/out threshold I think, it overshoots 1 degree to whatever it is set to but it also doesn't kick back in until it has dropped 1 degree below the set temp. It's pretty much useless anyway so I'm not that bothered but it is brand new along with the boiler.
JensenHealey
pfm Member
I recently fitted a Hive myself. It was almost trivially easy.
You will want to put the new thermostat in the room you occupy the most. Putting it in the hall seems a bit old hat these days - heat and control the room you want to live in and program the others as you need. is my approach now.
PhilofCas
pfm Member
Having one fitted next week, be nice to have instant flexibility without the need to faff about at the boiler in the little bedroom.
I don't like the wall thermostats so upgraded to Honeywell Evohome with a wireless TRV on each rad, seems to work well.
There's a bit of hysteresis when first on but the rads will settle down; you do have to allow for the TRV position, e.g. the rad inside a cover needs to be set a degree higher.
I turned the pump working pressure up a click so it's less sensitive to balancing and i can prioritise rooms to some extend by opening their valve 90 degrees.
I've got a minimum 12m run to the boiler so wanted to eliminate time spent with negligible flow and short cycling.
It's a fundamental design problem if the bathroom can't be heated individually? It's probably the only room you spend a lot of time naked and wet in!
PhilofCas
pfm Member
We’ve plumped for a Hive Mini Steve, was £95, but seen them cheaper at Black Friday.
They have a box that is wired into your router, then a receiver hardwired into your boiler (in lieu of your boiler timer) and then the wireless thermostat (run on batteries).
All controllable by an app. They need someone competent to wire into the boiler, which for us is going to be around £50 (being fitted next Tuesday), but you can book the installation with Hive for £99.