heating

[Anonymous]

we are,hopefully-I think-about to buy a grade 2 listed cottage in cornwall.At the moment it has a few electric storage heaters-downstairs and no heating in the 3 upstairs bedrooms.I'm now panicking,I hate being cold and remember that storage heaters,in the past were pretty useless,I'm told by friends that they still are.Is this true?The walls of the cottage are about 2ft thick,what is the best way to heat this house?Help

 

[Anonymous]

Look at what the neighbouring properties have got. Any plumes of steam from boiler flues? Any green oil tanks in the back gardens?

Oil fired condensing boiler, assuming the mains gas is nowhere nearby. Add a wood-fired back boiler at a later date for when the oil gets too costly. Keep the economy 7 and any decent storage heaters if you've got room and calculate the running costs. Ignore any idiot who suggests solar space heating; it works well in California.

 

[Anonymous]

lol. Electric storage is your most expensive option to run, apart of course from plug in electric heaters. A wood burner, would you be allowed to do all that to a listed building?

NT

 

[Anonymous]

To heat a cottage house it may be important to have a permanent low temperature heating during the cold time to conservate against condesate and ruin by woodworms and mould. This heating system must only heat the wall surface on low level, not the air.

When used by living, the system must be able to give enough warmth in some hours. I would prefer an electrified stone plate (in german: Marmorplattenheizung) or another type of IR-radiation (there are alternatives) systems. These will cause nearly no installation costs, are cheap to buy and easy in use.

Details on the link (in german).


IR-radiation heating system - how and why?