Understanding Home Heating & Insulation
By David Holmes on August 1, 2008
Home heating systems obviously vary in complexity, cost and suitability from property to property. The most affordable home heating system is a gas-fired combination – or “combi” for short – boiler which allows all the major components to be housed in one unit and does away with hot and cold water storage tanks. A combi boiler may, of course, not be suitable for home heating in all households. Other energy efficient home heating systems – LPG (“Liquified Petroleum Gas”) or oil-fired boilers for example – do exist but they do tend to be very expensive in comparison. The British Government maintains a SEDBUK (“Seasonal Efficiency of Domestic Boilers in the United Kingdom”) database in which each boiler model is rated “A” to “G” for energy efficiency.
Of course even the most energy efficient boiler cannot provide you with fuel savings if your central heating is not controlled properly or if heat is allowed to escape through inadequate home insulation. A home heating system should be controlled by a timer and room thermostats and insulation should extend to the walls, floors, loft, pipes and tanks within your home. Cavity wall insulation is the most effective form of home insulation – roughly 33% of the heat lost from an uninsulated home is dissipated through the walls although other areas should not be neglected. If a loft is insulated to the recommended depth of 270mm it is possible to achieve a saving of £150 or more per annum in heating costs.
Ihave one storey rear extention with flat roof. It usually up to ten derees cooler tham rest of the house. I think the cavity walls are filled (before my time) Iv filled and sealed larghe bags with loft glass fibre insulation 170mm thick and will put it on the roof weighed down to tyty to insulate the roof beter. When it stasts leaking()iv bin in 25 yrs) il ask for more insulation to ber buiolt in by the roofers. Can i do anything else to betterr inulate it. Bimn thinking of lining it with expanded polysryrene sheet internally?Any suggestions please? Im thinking bout bying an hlogen heater instead of thev electric fan heater wch i use to boost the ch radiator in there . I wear 7 layers of clothing in there and two pr of long johns !!