Small things to increase hearing efficiency

Dingle_berry

We're renting a mid terrace house that's not great for keeping warm. Gas central heating and open gas fire. Single panel windows with most rads positioned underneath them. Beside most windows are the large/normal sized vents, not all of which are baffled. The one in the main bedroom is actually on the chimney not on an external wall! Very few houses in the area have any visible vents.
The house does warm up eventually but cools down quickly.
As its a rented house I can't, nor do I want to, go putting in double glazing or a solid fuel fire with back burner.

Are there any small things that can be done to increase heating efficiency in a house like this? Something to put behind rads or fire to reflect more heat into the room?
Any way to prevent heat escaping up the chimney? Since its a natural gas fire and the room is so well ventilated does the chimney need to be open?

whizbang

If you turn off all the lights, and sit in the dark, your hearing gets very good!:p

Dingle_berry

whizbang wrote: »

If you turn off all the lights, and sit in the dark, your hearing gets very good!:p

Damn autocorrect! Lol

deandean

There are modern hearing aids that are battery powered and are very efficient. They keep yer ears warm too

As for improving hearing in the house: Cheapest is to eliminate all drafts. Block chimneys not in use. Put a jumper behind the door to close the gap at the base. Draw the curtains. Turn off all rads except in rooms where needed.

And wear more clothes.

If it's a cold house, it's gonna cost you more to heat, sadly.

p.s. also, go to bed earlier

paddy147

Get A-Rated double glazed panes installed for a start.

Single panes of glass are useless.

Dingle_berry

paddy147 wrote: »

Get A-Rated double glazed panes installed for a start.

Single panes of glass are useless.

I'm hardly going to pay to install new windows in a house that I don't own and won't be staying in next winter…

paddy147

Dingle_berry wrote: »

I'm hardly going to pay to install new windows in a house that I don't own and won't be staying in next winter…

Get the landlord to do it.


landlords are responsible (should be by law too) for providing a warm dry house for tennants to live in.

Merch

Get heavy curtains or curtain liners to put in the back of the curtain. maybe get different curtain poles/tracks that are closer to the wall. I have wooden jobs and they keep the curtains way too far off the wall. Some people I know have a curtain over the front door and surrounding windows. Draught excluders at doors, turn down the heating (not off) in rooms you dont spend most time in, or are better slightly cooler like bedrooms.

Also, if you dont use the fire in the living room, dont bother with those expensive chimney bags, just get a black sack fill it with a loosely scrunched newspaper.
Just dont ever light the fire, they are crap at heating anyway and are just for the effect. I never use it anyway, there was a gale going up it. Ensure there is another (and I assume there is if there is a gas fire in the room) vent in the room.

Maybe you could get those meshed vented covers, they move back and forth, you could put some of them in place, just use when you are in the room to maintain heat, like a living room but open it when you leave or just open/close it halfway, and open the windows (even on a cold morning) at the weekends to ensure the house gets a good lot of clean air in.

Dont know if Id bother with the rads putting anything down the back of them, be more trouble then its worth, I put reflective foil behind some when I replaced some rads, but as you wont be doing that, Id forget that one.

All stuff you can take down if you leave and clean up and replace with original stuff.

Or maybe get on to the landlord and ask them if they can do something to improve insulation, maybe the attic would be a start.
Dry line/internal insulated plasterboards on the walls, not major jobs.

Failing that, next time you rent, check to see if the walls are slabbed, do they look old, single glazed, old aluminium double glazed.

Outkast_IRE

If you are in a rented house that your paying large heating bills for then consider moving as soon as feasible, its a renters market and with the BER rating having to be stated with property ads from the new year on it should make it very obvious which properties will be better heating cost wise.

You're fighting a losing battle with single pane windows.

Honestly, you are best off moving

cruizer101

Move house, I guessing since your asking not really an option at the moment but really the sooner you can get out of a house like that the better.

I've heard of people putting bubble wrap on windows to insulate and it still lets in most light.
Another similar option is to put up a film of plastic in front of the window if its taped all around the window alcove to seal it it can apparently make quite a difference. I've heard of cellophane being used once its up you can use a hairdryer on it, when heated it will tighten up and become taut and actually not very noticible.

Edit: here is a link to the stuff on b&q uk website so sure they have it here too
http://www.diy.com/nav/build/insulation/draught-excluders/seals/Stormguard-Secondary-Glazing-Film-10908059?skuId=11398755

Vents, I don't think you are really meant to but I'd be blocking some up, again sheet of plastic over, or maybe even just stuff with newpaper so there is still bit of flow of air. I make sure and leave one or two open mind.

Curtain over front door is another good idea if your getting draugts there at all.

Another slightly left of field approach, the best central heating is your own body, go for brisk walk or jog the warm up and will actually help keep you warmer for a fair while after, sometimes if i feel bit chilly I run up and down stairs few times works wonders.

And last but by no means least a nice cuddle

rebelden

[QUOTE=cruizer101;82160148 Another slightly left of field approach, the best central heating is your own body, go for brisk walk or jog the warm up and will actually help keep you warmer for a fair while after, sometimes if i feel bit chilly I run up and down stairs few times works wonders. [/QUOTE]

Like the last poster said, a nice but very brisk jog or fast walk should heat your self up very nicely. Then straight in to bed with the old reliable your pre prepared hot water bottle. Never fails to bring a glow to ones cheeks. Lovely jubbly. Then when you get up in the morning, keep moving at a brisk pace. As well as been naturally warm, its a handy daily way of keeping fit. If you get tried of running frantically about, consider hanging around your local library to keep warm. See how you get on with these suggestions and report back to us.:p Best of luck.