tinfoil down the back of a radiator ??..

[COLVERT]

Originally Posted by stevestrat

The house has some kind of insulating board behind the radiators, the side facing the radiators is silvered. My folks fitted it years ago.

Absolutely correct. Why heat a wall when you are trying to heat the air in a room.
Silvering is how thermos flasks work to keep the heat in or sometimes the heat out if you fill one with a cold drink.

There is so much in post 8 that doesn't make sense.--Just one thing. The hotter your house is the faster the heat loss through the walls.---

You never get something for nothing. More heat generated means more cost. That's a fact.---

[Ros3]

So, to summerise, it really does work and helps to make a house warmer. Also tinfoil can be used rather than the thermal roll that can be bought at a diy shop ?. Amazed I thought it was rubbish..

[Ian G]

Radiator heat reflection foil is a foil faced polystyrene roll and is available from B & Q.
Used it to good effect in our caravan.
Cheers Ian

[macafee2]

I understand running heating for 24/7 is better then a few hours in the morning and again in the evening. boiler has to work hard heating eater from cold and the house expands and contracts as it gets hot and cold.

our heating works better when the outside temperature is cold

agree about tin foil reflecting, I've used ti to cover things when using a blow torch near by and when tin foil is removed what ever was under it is unharmed

macafee2

[mileshawk56]

It works, as said it reflects the heat into the room but it does heat the wall as some heat will transmit from the foil to the wall-its a bit "marginal gains" but its particularly helpful on an outside wall. Chris.S.

[grivas]

Originally Posted by Ros3

So, to summerise, it really does work and helps to make a house warmer. Also tinfoil can be used rather than the thermal roll that can be bought at a diy shop ?. Amazed I thought it was rubbish..

To summarise, to a degree, it will help, however you need to ensure that the whole house is well insulated and double glazed to a high standard, most double glazing in the UK is barely adequate for the task, and you get what you are able to afford, the other fact is humidity in the interior of the home, a good quality dehumidifier set-up correctly will ensure a dry environment which will maintain its heat more efficiently, lastly but most importantly, a high quality combination boiler from the likes of Worcester-Bosch or Valiant will provide all the water you need and heat the whole house very well, a quality thermostat will control everything nicely, that is it, barring all that, a Mediterranean climate is the best alternative.

[Darcydog]

Originally Posted by COLVERT

Absolutely correct. Why heat a wall when you are trying to heat the air in a room.
Silvering is how thermos flasks work to keep the heat in or sometimes the heat out if you fill one with a cold drink.

There is so much in post 8 that doesn't make sense.--Just one thing. The hotter your house is the faster the heat loss through the walls.---

You never get something for nothing. More heat generated means more cost. That's a fact.---

The reality is that heating the air in a room makes you feel warm only whilst you heat it. In the summer the bricks and mortar become hot with the sun and so this last summer especially it was cooler outside at night than it was inside due to the bricks and mortar radiating the heat stored within it during those hot days.

If you have a cold house you will spend more on heating the cold air within it. If your house is warm house then you spend less on topping up the heat in the already warm air.

Those that cannot see this tend to be those that only have their heating on for a few hours a day rather than leaving it on all day and let the thermostats do their job.

Still, it’s down to personal choice, knowledge and experience.

You pays your money, you take your choice.

[Darcydog]

Originally Posted by grivas

To summarise, to a degree, it will help, however you need to ensure that the whole house is well insulated and double glazed to a high standard, most double glazing in the UK is barely adequate for the task, and you get what you are able to afford, the other fact is humidity in the interior of the home, a good quality dehumidifier set-up correctly will ensure a dry environment which will maintain its heat more efficiently, lastly but most importantly, a high quality combination boiler from the likes of Worcester-Bosch or Valiant will provide all the water you need and heat the whole house very well, a quality thermostat will control everything nicely, that is it, barring all that, a Mediterranean climate is the best alternative.

Totally agree with all that you say with the exception of Combi Boilers - just about everyone we know who have these has had problems with pressure drop such that the boiler shuts down.

This happened to two friends last year whilst the “Beast from the East” was visiting. Not funny at all being without heating and hot water for a week or so!

Meanwhile our old Potterton Flamingo carries on as normal with just its regular annual service. It’s over 30 years old now and so well built it is infinitely repairable - not that it has ever needed any more than the odd sensor.

We also have PV solar panels with a gizmo that dumps what power we don’t use into our hot water tank via an immersion heater.

Obviously a combination boiler without a hot water tank would not allow this hugely advantageous facility.

[zedhed]

Originally Posted by klarzy

It will reflect heat away from the wall and back onto the room... what do you think all of that heat shielding between your exhaust and the body of the car does.....

And the chrome backing you find in these halogen heaters etc.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[COLVERT]

Originally Posted by grivas

To summarise, to a degree, it will help, however you need to ensure that the whole house is well insulated and double glazed to a high standard, most double glazing in the UK is barely adequate for the task, and you get what you are able to afford, the other fact is humidity in the interior of the home, a good quality dehumidifier set-up correctly will ensure a dry environment which will maintain its heat more efficiently, lastly but most importantly, a high quality combination boiler from the likes of Worcester-Bosch or Valiant will provide all the water you need and heat the whole house very well, a quality thermostat will control everything nicely, that is it, barring all that, a Mediterranean climate is the best alternative.

All the correct solutions in your post--10/10

The drying the air part. If it gets too dry it will give you sore eyes.---

I've had three Worcester boilers. One for over 15 years. All have done the job required of them. The 15 year one heated a four story 12 roomed house very efficiently.--( 15 radiators. )--All the plumbing done by myself.

Another post mentioned a boiler shut down due to low water pressure. Of course that is NOT a fault of the boiler but of the water company.
All boilers automatically shut down if the water supply drops below a pre-determined minimum pressure. ( called a safety control. )

As you say, good insulation is the be all and end all.

The heat is not lost trying to heat the fabric of the house. Very little is needed there. Just enough to stop damp and no more.

Paying to get the walls hot makes no sense at all and is a complete waste of money.