How to reduce energy loss!

[ericmark]

This time of year all energy used in a house in the end adds to the heating, it does not matter if 100W is used in the TV the lights, or a simple heater, unless it is allowed to escape, then it heats the house.

So saving energy equals stopping it escaping, so there are a number of ways for heat to leave the house.
1 hot water down the drain not much we can do to stop it.
2 drafts, be it open doors or an extractor fan, the only real way to stop it is a heat recovery unit, and negative pressure in the house, however that could be dangerous as it could draw in fumes.
3 radiated energy, be it inferred or simple light. So if you switch on the lights you should close the curtains so the light energy does not escape however same in reverse light entering the house must have some heat value as it is absorbed into walls and furniture.

But before double glazing windows most heat was lost through conduction through the glass, although now reduced it still raises an unanswered question, how much heat is lost by circulating air?

I lived in a house with hot air central heating before double glazing, it cost a fortune to heat compared with standard radiators. This was due to the hot air being blown onto the cold windows. With radiators the air near to windows was colder than air in centre of the room.

So the big question is how true is this today with double glazed windows? I noted in mothers bedroom with three temperature sensors how on a cold day there could be a 2 or 3 degree gradient between window and centre of the house.

However also I noted my house with Myson fan assisted radiator the room temperature had a lower hysteresis than mothers house where air was not circulated.

So on one hand circulating the air keeps the temperature more static so more comfortable, but reducing the circulation allows us to use warm areas of the room and allow windows to be colder than rest of room so less heat is lost.

So although the idea is thermostat for a room to be on opersite wall to radiator is in theory the way to get room at even temperature, having the sensor on the radiator it's self will likely work better specially when using a modulating boiler and two sensors in the TRV one air, and one water which can compensate for the proximity to the radiator.

So the question is although the fan assisted radiator makes the room an even temperature, is it too expensive to run? and how can one work out the cost of circulating the air?

[big-all]

floor temperature perhaps 18% 4 foot up perhaps 20.5% and ceiing height perhaps 23% so keep that in mind with a fan as cold feet can be the biggest problem

[kellys_eye]

Reducing energy loss has to be compared with cost of mitigation.

Fitting double-glazing (for example) can take 'x' years to recoup any cost savings - but we all know that no matter how much you TRY to save, the energy companies must continually retain/increase their profit margins so your 'savings' just mean a resultant increase in the cost of the energy you consume anyway. i.e. it's a pretty pointless and fruitless exercise overall.

But placing the heat where you want it is always a good idea and the good old ceiling fan is very effective for moving the (majority) heat from the upper parts of rooms to the areas it's actually required. Might look dated, might look out of place, but they DO work.

[Grendel]

Another thing that looks dated but works are pelmets on curtains . Closes the gap at the top and stops air being drawn in and being cooled and dropping out of the bottom , a process known as thermosyphoning .

[kellys_eye]

Our early ancestors weren't as daft as they are made out to be!