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Off Topic: When does your central heating go on?

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  • ErgatesErgates Posts: 2,953
    4.5tog duvet at the moment, changed up from the 2tog a couple of weeks ago. Never go above 7.5. OH says I’m like a furnace at night, so no need for anything warmer. Not hot flushes at my age, just dry heat fortunately.
    Our gas boiler is over 10 years old, but still very efficient. We may well move to an air source heating system in the future when a replacement needed. 
    We have a gas stove in the living room, looks like a coal burner with a fake chimney pipe. It’s great as a focal point, and almost instant heat. Very efficient, but heats the room so quickly that if we leave the doors open, it suppresses the rest of the central heating and the other rooms get cold.
  • Did you mention hygrometers in a discussion a few weeks back @Fire

    What is the RH in your house this evening? 

    Most online articles say RH should be below 60 in the home but mine is always around 65 downstairs. 

    Will it go down when I eventually put the heating on? 

    It’s all very confusing. I preferred it when I didn’t have to think about any of this. 


  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Did you mention hygrometers in a discussion a few weeks back @Fire
    Will it go down when I eventually put the heating on?
    I should think so.

    What is the RH in your house this evening? 

    Most online articles say RH should be below 60 in the home but mine is always around 65 downstairs. 

    Mine is about 55% in the living room and kitchen (open plan). My loft / bedroom is the problem as it has no rad and has rubbish insulation. I try and keep it below 60.   I have to air out the room constantly in the summer.

    It's cold that really pushes up the humidity level. In the winter I have started using an infrared heater to dry things out, which it does remarkably well. As I sleep in the room, I don't want to get moulds there. When I wake up in the morning it's often over 70, which is distinctly not a good idea. Using central heating later in the year downstairs will bring levels down in the loft. It is a conundrum.  



  • SkandiSkandi Posts: 1,723
    Airing out does nothing to reduce humidity here, not unless you've just had a shower, it's 86% outside right now, as soon as you open a window it gets damper inside! Keeping some heat on is important to keep that dampness down, and I do have a little warning here, DO NOT let your fridge/freezer combo go under 10C The fridge part can't work under that temperature so it shuts down, meaning the freezer part defrosts.. happened a few times in the last house with wood central heating that went out overnight.
  • I did wonder about having the windows open when it’s high humidity outside. Currently here it’s 91 so perhaps keeping the windows closed and heating the house a little more will help?

    I suppose the humidity is only a problem if it causes a problem. I’ll have to see how the house is in winter with condensation etc. 
  • edhelkaedhelka Posts: 2,351
    Back in my home country, it would be normal to aim for 21-22 C inside, September to April.
    When we moved to the UK, we didn't have enough money for heating and had to learn to live with 16 C (which hurt my feet badly).
    Later, we got used to 19 C. Still slightly under my comfort zone, but ok.

    I wear a fleece jacket and warm socks over normal socks 99% of the year. I can't layer up much more, my problem is the circulation and the extremities, and layering doesn't help with that.
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    I can count on one hand the number of nights I've slept with the bedroom window open at night in the 10 years we've lived here.
    Devon.
  • ErgatesErgates Posts: 2,953
    Morning Hostafan.
    Much as I’d love to leave windows open in the summer, and fall asleep listening to the stream across the road, I’m too scared of spiders, and too often attacked by mosquitoes. 
    Radiators are all off at the moment, it’s 13C in the bedroom, and quite comfortable. However, I woke up at 3 am, been doing logic puzzles on line to distract my brain from unpleasant thoughts.
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    Cup of decaff tea and emptying the dishwasher then back to bed for me.
    Devon.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    edited September 2021
    Ergates said:
    Morning Hostafan.
    Much as I’d love to leave windows open in the summer, and fall asleep listening to the stream across the road, I’m too scared of spiders, and too often attacked by mosquitoes. 
    Radiators are all off at the moment, it’s 13C in the bedroom, and quite comfortable. However, I woke up at 3 am, been doing logic puzzles on line to distract my brain from unpleasant thoughts.

    Yes the inside/outside humidity thing is a question. They talk of 'relative humdity' but I have to explore that idea more.

    Mosquitoes usually don't fly high, which is partly why I sleep in the loft - I can keep (Velux) windows open and not be much bothered. Windows open, 18oC overnight.

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