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Thread: Why's my house so cold?

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    Regular Member chrisf70's Avatar
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    Default Why's my house so cold?

    Any of you out there heating engineers/builders etc? My house, is a seven year old Persimmon new build which is a detached design, but linked to a row of terraces at the back so it has three external walls.

    The problem it is *****y freezing! The boiler is a Glowworm Micron 40FF, service recently by British Gas (the engineer said it could be on the small side for the size of property). It has ample radiators, two in the living room. Double glazed, good loft insulation. I presume being built in 2001 that the walls are cavity and insulated.

    Our last new build was a Wimpy terrace, built in the same year, and it was roasting. Now I know this was terrace, but the other main difference was the last house had solid floors, this one doesn't.

    An example of how cold it is: Last night the external temperature was hovering around 1c, we leave the heating on for three hours (thermostat at 21c. By 9:20pm we are sitting in the living room, having to put the gas fire on and sit under a blanket. Now I'm no soft touch, but you shouldn't have to sit in your living room under a blanket!! The radiators are very hot to the touch but the air in the room is cold. There isn't really any draft. Also if you go out into the hallway where the thermostat is it is clicking off at 14c.

    Does anyone know, is the boiler too small? Is it because we have non-solid floors? could it be that there is no insulation in the cavity walls?

    Who do you get in to assess these sort of things, that isn't a salesman for a particular company?

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    Regular Member steve1975l's Avatar
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    Is the heating on constant?

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    Ex Vec-C Admin / Founder Duncan's Avatar
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    Have you turned the heating on?!


















    couldn't resist.

    The three external walls won't be helping. I'm assuming they're cavity insulated given the age of the house?, and it's got all the required loft insulation for the same reason. The house would have come with an energy efficiency certificate? - does that show it to be well insulated?

    Does sound odd that you've got the heating on full blast and it's still cold in the room.

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    Regular Member JuzzyD's Avatar
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    That doesn't sound right for a new build, mind you after watching Watchdog a few months ago its possible that certain corners were cut in construction so the insulation isn't what it should be.

    Can you feel any form of draught at floor level? (you say the floors aren't solid).

    Also you say the thermostat clicks off at 14 degrees?

    EDIT: The radiators - are they singles or doubles, also how far off the floor are they?

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    Regular Member steve1975l's Avatar
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    Have you checked to see if the radiators are all hot and that they are hot all over i.e. top and bottom?

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    Ex Vec-C Admin / Founder Duncan's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by chrisf70 View Post
    Also if you go out into the hallway where the thermostat is it is clicking off at 14c.
    Are you meaning that it's set to a higher temp but when you turn the dial down it clicks at 14c indicating that's the temperature in the hallway? If it is then it sounds like the heating isn't able to heat the house at a fast enough rate than it's losing it - but I'd have thought the boiler would have to be seriously inadequate for the job for that to be the case.

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    Regular Member steve1975l's Avatar
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    I bet the heating is on timed as it takes all night to re-heat our house if it has been off eg when we come back from holiday.

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    Regular Member MalcGSI's Avatar
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    Faulty thermostat?

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    Regular Member chrisf70's Avatar
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    Loads of questions!!

    Try my best to answer, as we are both out at work all day we have the heating on for approx, 1hour at 6am-7am, 1hour at 3pm-4pm (to try and kick start the warming) and then on between 6pm and 10pm.

    When I say the thermostat clicks at 14c you're right in that is the temperature the hall is maintaining.

    It isn't solid floor, there are airbricks (plastic) at about 1.5m intervals around the permiter of the house just under floor level.

    The radiators are your standard double radiators, mainly located under windows (and the cold is with the curtains tucked behind them to expose them). They are approx 6-7 inches from floor level.

    There is a general coldness at floor level, but not really a draft as such. But then it is hard to tell as the house is just cold.

    Faulty thermostat, I don't think it is as we have just had a full service of the boiler and it is all working OK.

    I really think the boiler is not big enough, do you think NHBC would be interested?

    Cheers.

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    Regular Member chrisf70's Avatar
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    Jeez, Louise I might be cold but just noticed I've become an Enthusiast!!!

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