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There are lots of berries on the holly

I was always told that this meant a cold winter.  I hope not.  It is cold enough for me already.So - how are you preparing for the cold weather and keeping warm - apart from just putting the heating on!Thermal curtain linings?Draught excluders?Making sure radiator heat is unobstructed?Door curtains?Chimney balloons?

Philippa Bond ● 2684d10 Comments

http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/home-insulation/insulating-tanks-pipes-and-radiators

Philippa Bond ● 2673d

I like the suggestion of leaving the oven door open after the meal is cooked to allow the heat into the room.I must think of something else to cook in the oven if it is going to be cold!

Philippa Bond ● 2683d

It seems that there are also chimney sheep.  I'm sure someone said that they remembered stuffing newspaper up the chimney to stop draughts.  Just don't light a fire!In the past newspaper was also used as a carpet underlay.https://www.thegreenage.co.uk/better-chimney-sheep-chimney-balloon/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/property/green/10473818/Eco-living-how-a-Chimney-Sheep-could-keep-your-house-warmer.htmlhttps://giynow.com/2016/11/28/stop-loosing-heat-through-your-chimneys/

Philippa Bond ● 2683d

What it says, a balloon placed in the chimney to stop heat loss and draughts.

Fred Hunt ● 2683d

What are chimney balloons please?

Nicholas Beard ● 2683d

Yes, I agree and exactly why I wouldn't do that myself!  Those are nice clear instructions.  What also worries me about it is that youngsters in particular today are very impatient and I can imagine the valves will be unscrewed too far and too fast so that they come out.  If you happen to be in a block of flats with a communal system there will be a lot of water.

Philippa Bond ● 2684d

I'm no expert, but i was warned off by my landlords plumber, it causes boiler pressure issues that the system cannot recover from. Below is a link to the process, and step six is the one that gets most people. In my case it involves removing the boiler casing and using a special key and a screwdriver.https://www.uswitch.com/energy-saving/guides/how-to-bleed-a-radiator/

Dennis Bailey ● 2684d

I had an argument on another forum because I also am wary of bleeding radiators without experience having seen problems and knowing it isn't as simple as just buying a radiator key. You don't want to end up like the little Dutch boy with your fingers stopping the water coming through the dam when the shops are closed... and the plumbers have gone to bed...  If your landlord doesn't organise this, can you find someone to be around so that there is help should you need it?  There is lots of step by step info on the internet.  If your flat is rented then the landlord should arrange for the boiler to be serviced every year and a certificate issued anyway.  The TRVs can also stop working.When the linings on my favourite long curtains rotted I replaced them with removable washable thermal linings that just clip onto the tape which I'm very pleased with.I still need to do some draught proofing of a door and I'm considering buying a curtain pole to fix there to hold a curtain although in the past I've just hung a rug on a pole held up with cuphooks when it is cold.Several years ago I bought a roll of foil insulation from Wickes I think to stick behind the radiators to deflect the heat away from the wall and into the room.  I intend to stick some onto cardboard to hang behind the radiators.I love my mattress topper which has a fluffy side for winter and a smooth cotton side for the summer.I also love my goat socks which can be washed in the washing machine.Here's one internet list of things you can do:https://theconversation.com/10-ways-to-keep-your-house-warm-and-save-money-this-winter-67285

Philippa Bond ● 2684d

Impressed by your Winter defence precautions. But never bleed radiators?As most modern systems have the radiators with both bottom feed and return connections, air can get trapped at the top that is unlikely to reach the automatic air vent on the boiler.  So if the top of your radiator is cold you need to bleed.  If the bottom is cold likely to be sludge.

Philip Coe ● 2684d

For me with a nervous system under attack, cold is the enemy. Before i moved into my current place i thought hard about heat retention in the winter. I hurt when i get coldI tiled my ceiling with fireproof thermal tiles because i have no loft insulation. My walls are papered with extra thick paper for its thermal qualities on external walls. There is a massive difference between papered and non papered walls.At the windows i used the layer method that i use when i dress to go out. Net curtains to slow the heat from reaching the cold windows, and a thermal roller blind, a quality one. They hang almost against the wall and stop heat from going anywhere but back into my rooms. I always make sure that they are as far above the radiator as possible.Hard flooring is no good in the winter, and again i use the layer method. I use extra thick underlay topped with a cheap carpet. The underlay stops drafts that blow up through my floorboards. No carpet on its own has that ability.I always leave my internal doors open so that the heating thermometer monitors the whole place and not just one room, and adjusts the radiators accordingly.I have a two piece duvet, a 5 tog and a 10 tog, again i was after the layers. They are cheap enough, cheaper than washing them every few years.Although i don't need it, i plan on getting a heavy curtain over my external doors. In the old days front doors were made of wood and did an excellent job, but now they are all hollow and have useless thermal qualities, well mine do anyway. It will reduce my heating billI then chop and change power and gas supply companies to ensure i don't bankrupt myself. I get emails from MoneySavingExpert.com who tip me off if there is a cheaper supplier than the one i have.Also, i NEVER bleed my radiators. Most heating systems have an automatic air releasing setup in the water side of the boiler somewhere. If you have one of them your water pressure takes a dive and isn't replaced. bleeding is for the heating engineer, and it is they who have to bring the pressure back to normal. I'm not clued up enough to do it myself, and my landlord would have kittens if i started to tinker with my gas boiler.If that all fails i will put a coat and a pair gloves on, but at the moment i'm snug as a bug in a rug.

Dennis Bailey ● 2684d