Disastrous and disruptive central heating installation; where to now?
- Thread starter Mike Reed
- Start date
SteveG
pfm Member
I'm not convinced that article tells us anything useful as you'd need to know how the limited clothing used in the test mapped to real world situations. For example I've currently got my heating at 16C and am not experiencing any of the symptoms that the article describes as being encountered at 18C. I do however have a jumper and long trousers on.
Older people should get a cat, cats don’t lie down if the temperature is below 21 degrees C so if you’re relatively old and the cat’s agitated then you know the room is too cold.
gintonic
50 shades of grey pussy cats
nonsense - 18C here and the cats are fast asleep (laying down)
Mike Reed
pfm Member
After investing in an expensive system? No thanks.
I'm not of a gambling disposition. Ellenor might be right but it'll take hassle and money to see and maybe, as you say, this'd be throwing good money after bad. However, laying overground c/h pipework will be somewhere between tricky and unfeasible.
Whereas on or old system the wired 'stat was permanently on 19 degrees (but may have been wildly inaccurate because of age and being moved) but during this leak hiatus, we're living in either 16 or 17 degree temp's (16 o/night but bedroom rad. off). It's enough to feel comfortable yet keep the flow rate above 20 or so (below which, the leak starts). Quite surprised, really, but it's fine with a couple of pullovers.
Mike Reed
pfm Member
We miss our moggies but too much to take on any more. Apart from them taking a running jump for your lap when you're snoozing, they are little furry radiators with a pleasant sound effect.
And the hifi??????? That would be a catastrophe so doesn't even merit a paws for thought ! DON'T start a catalogue of feline puns, folks
The safety regs in the UK used to state a minimum temperature, 16C, in the old (now rescinded) OSRP regs. This is no longer specified ("a reasonably comfortable temperature") but is used for guidance. I'm currently in the office, it's 18C and feels cool. This in jeans, T shirt, sweatshirt, thin fleece. I don't generally feel the cold, in fact I prefer the place under 20C year round unless I'm trotting round in shorts. I think that the 18C figure quoted above is for someone wearing light clothing. I think that we have become accustomed to wearing fewer clothes. When did you last see someone in a 3 piece suit, or a vest under a shirt? Who these days has a nightgown, or better yet a nightcap? A lot of the factories where I work are refrigerated. Some to only 10C, all year round. That IS cold, you need plenty of clothing. OK though if you keep moving and layer up.
Mike Reed
pfm Member
Have never worn a shirt without a vest; can't believe this isn't standard practice, possibly above a certain age. By 'nightgown', d'you mean nightshirt or dressing gown? Anyway, I subscribe to both as regular attire.
have you thought about asking god where the leak is?
I’ve got this customer who’s proper religious in a real ott way. He called me in a couple of years back because his system was losing pressure. I quickly confirmed he must have had a leak somewhere under the floorboards so he kindly offered to start the task of finding it that evening. He called me later to say he’d asked god who directed him to the right area in one of the bedrooms and the leak was revealed under the first floorboard he pulled up. I was crying with laughter but he was being serious.
I’ll send him over
I’ve got this customer who’s proper religious in a real ott way. He called me in a couple of years back because his system was losing pressure. I quickly confirmed he must have had a leak somewhere under the floorboards so he kindly offered to start the task of finding it that evening. He called me later to say he’d asked god who directed him to the right area in one of the bedrooms and the leak was revealed under the first floorboard he pulled up. I was crying with laughter but he was being serious.
I’ll send him over
Mike Reed
pfm Member
I've asked the dog, as I'm dyslexic, but he sniffed at the chance. Besides, this is an act of plumber, not God, Ellenor.
I could certainly do with some 'divine' assistance in finding the leak here though.At the mo', we're heating c/h water to 65 degrees (reduced from 75 by the plumber before adding the sealant but I have a feeling that's a bit on the low side. As we're living in 16 or 17 degree temp's, though, it's hard to tell as I've yet to move the room 'stat and play abound with balancing rads between upstairs and down.
As the pipes are not expanding as much, I assume they're not contracting as much, helping to keep the (partially sealed????? who knows?) leak above 22/23 on the flow rate. I wonder what a normal c/h water temp. would be set at, as 80 is the theoretical max for my boiler and 75 the practical max.
notaclue
pfm Member
You can change the temperature on the boiler as you wish. There is no right or wrong temperature for the heating. Though when the hot water is on, you are meant to have it above 60c to stop legionella in a cylinder.
In theory, only takes a second to turn a boiler up when the hot water is on and then down if you want it lower when the heating is on. Though no doubt being a Vaillant boiler, it only has buttons and menus so you may need to consult the manual to change the temperature. Much easier and quicker with a boiler with a simple temperature knob.
In theory, only takes a second to turn a boiler up when the hot water is on and then down if you want it lower when the heating is on. Though no doubt being a Vaillant boiler, it only has buttons and menus so you may need to consult the manual to change the temperature. Much easier and quicker with a boiler with a simple temperature knob.
Mike Reed
pfm Member
I've always been a 'one knob, one function' man (!), though I hasten to add that referred mainly to hifi until I was thrust into the push button/icon/menu world we now live in.
Mike Reed
pfm Member
I guess you don't have children then Mike
Yes, three, but all have flown the coop (they're all birds !
)Yes, three, but all have flown the coop (they're all birds !
Still no visible clues to the leak ?
Mike Reed
pfm Member
No, Ian, but t.b.h., keeping c/h on 24/7 or nearly, we've kept the leak down to a repetitive drip when the flow rate drops temporarily below 22/23 degrees, so I doubt there'd be any signs, even if we could pull all the carpets up (major disruption makes me squirm). Also, the plumber, when he added sealant to the header tank, reduced the water temp. by 10 degrees and the pump pressure to minimum, all adding to keeping things relatively stable until we can get the plumber in again to discuss options.
Of course, any (professional) leak detection would be more difficult, i.m.o., though I suppose this could be induced.
Yeah that was because you old Netaheat only had one knob.
D'you know, I can hardly remember, but everything, including the timer, was manually operated and fool-proof, even though the wired 'stat, resting on a shelf since building works 13 years ago, worked, surprisingly despite being in 2 bits.