Ways to keep warm - your ideas are needed

[Highlander]

No-one said that the whole of the UK was going to go down at the same time, but we have had our warning that power is likely to be in short supply certainly within a few years,.. [ not everyone at once I am sure ]

We have planned for this for a while, it was our three year project

year one,....we started off with cavity wall, and 10 inches insulation in the attic, its no good being able to create heat if you then loose it through the walls,...

Year two,..we then put in the solar panels, this produces the electric to power heat in the house if need be,.. even on dull days

..and year three,... we added a multi-fueled stove with a back boiler, so it heats our water in the tank upstairs, and runs 8 radiators

[bigpaul]

That's great HL....if you own your own home, there are a lot on here who rent, and we are allowed to do very little if anything to our homes, my property is Housing Association and whilst we have had loft and cavity wall insulation that's it, our wooden windows are rotten, the outside gets painted once every 5 years and its a "lick and a promise" to say the least, we are all electrical and although I has asked for permission to install a log burner(at my own expense) it was refused, the maintenance is a joke, repairs are only done when there is no alternative, the fences aren't painted but left to rot then replaced, I think they are the original fences circa 1995 when the house was built.

[Mooski88]

I'm gunna turn my attic into a man cave of survival. Anyone got any ideas on the best stove to put in there for cooking and heating?

[Highlander]

(24 May 2013, 17:19)bigpaul Wrote: That's great HL....if you own your own home, there are a lot on here who rent, and we are allowed to do very little if anything to our homes, my property is Housing Association and whilst we have had loft and cavity wall insulation that's it, our wooden windows are rotten, the outside gets painted once every 5 years and its a "lick and a promise" to say the least, we are all electrical and although I has asked for permission to install a log burner(at my own expense) it was refused, the maintenance is a joke, repairs are only done when there is no alternative, the fences aren't painted but left to rot then replaced, I think they are the original fences circa 1995 when the house was built.

Of course, you are right we can easily forget this,.. its a pity they dont let you upgrade the property, you would think it would help them if they we sure that it was being done by professional, because I am guessing that they are worried that a tenant will make a mess,... can you ask about the wood burner, promising to get a builder to install it?,... although it probably wouldnt make any difference

[Geordie_Rob]

I submitted full plans (cost £200) to the council to install a woodburner into the property. In short, the answer was no.

I forgot to mention having the trickle vents open when using gas heaters & I've also got 3 CO detectors. One changes black when it detects CO, the other 2 are battery powered that emit a sound like a smoke alarm if they detect CO

[bigpaul]

(24 May 2013, 17:27)Highlander Wrote:

(24 May 2013, 17:19)bigpaul Wrote: That's great HL....if you own your own home, there are a lot on here who rent, and we are allowed to do very little if anything to our homes, my property is Housing Association and whilst we have had loft and cavity wall insulation that's it, our wooden windows are rotten, the outside gets painted once every 5 years and its a "lick and a promise" to say the least, we are all electrical and although I has asked for permission to install a log burner(at my own expense) it was refused, the maintenance is a joke, repairs are only done when there is no alternative, the fences aren't painted but left to rot then replaced, I think they are the original fences circa 1995 when the house was built.

Of course, you are right we can easily forget this,.. its a pity they dont let you upgrade the property, you would think it would help them if they we sure that it was being done by professional, because I am guessing that they are worried that a tenant will make a mess,... can you ask about the wood burner, promising to get a builder to install it?,... although it probably wouldnt make any difference

I did ask and got the reply" all our properties are smokeless", they just didn't want to know.

[MaryN]

This old place was built before cavity wall insulation was available. We have open fires, so burn wood and coal. We tend to stay in one room in winter - it's cheaper than heating the whole house via central heating. Warm rugs over knees; cosy thick fleeces and ski socks. Heat-seeking missiles (cats!) keep our knees and laps warm.

Always busy even in winter and exercise keeps the blood flowing. Wear hats and gloves to keep extremities warm. It's just common sense.

[ObongoPox]

Gas bottle stove 'illegally' vented through a window(glass removed and replaced with sheet ali).Valves undo anticlockwise.Don't be misled by internet misinformation regarding valve removal ----it's EASY and SAFE!

[Highlander]

(24 May 2013, 19:47)MaryN Wrote: This old place was built before cavity wall insulation was available. We have open fires, so burn wood and coal. We tend to stay in one room in winter - it's cheaper than heating the whole house via central heating. Warm rugs over knees; cosy thick fleeces and ski socks. Heat-seeking missiles (cats!) keep our knees and laps warm.

Always busy even in winter and exercise keeps the blood flowing. Wear hats and gloves to keep extremities warm. It's just common sense.

That reminds me of the house I sold to move here, the house I was brought up in,.. we did the same, but still ended up warm at the front, but cold at the back,... front room living was ok, but bedtime was a bit nippy, rubbing the ice off the inside of the window to see what the weather was doing,...

[MaryN]

(24 May 2013, 20:45)Highlander Wrote:

(24 May 2013, 19:47)MaryN Wrote: This old place was built before cavity wall insulation was available. We have open fires, so burn wood and coal. We tend to stay in one room in winter - it's cheaper than heating the whole house via central heating. Warm rugs over knees; cosy thick fleeces and ski socks. Heat-seeking missiles (cats!) keep our knees and laps warm.

Always busy even in winter and exercise keeps the blood flowing. Wear hats and gloves to keep extremities warm. It's just common sense.

That reminds me of the house I sold to move here, the house I was brought up in,.. we did the same, but still ended up warm at the front, but cold at the back,... front room living was ok, but bedtime was a bit nippy, rubbing the ice off the inside of the window to see what the weather was doing,...

I know what you mean, Highlander - cold at the back..brrr. I rather like getting into a cold bed and warming up under a pile of duvets. One of my moggies rather enjoys it as well, so we snuggle together; then the collie piles on the bed....... It's like living in the Ark.