Alternative Energy Sources?

[Digit]

Just done a quick Google Mike and I notice that it can be done DIY for lofts so I'll contact them. In addition they mention its sound insulation properties. That would be good news as well as an airfield is being built about a mile from me with an expected increase in road traffic.

Roy.

 

[RogerS]

can you expand on the controls bit?

Just to add a little to Jenxs' reply. Early central heating systems used to rely on the boiler thermostat alone for turning it on and off. So the boiler would keep going regardless as to whether heat was needed in the house or not. The ch circuit and the circuit to the hot water cylinder might also be one and the same - superheated hot water at times!

Roll forward and, as Jenx says, controls are much better. Split circuits for ch and hot water ...with their own electric valves controlled by their own thermostats. Individual TRVs on all radiators except the one in the room where the ch thermostat is. Heat demand from the boiler is only requested when either the ch thermostat or hot water thermostat requests it.

Cleverer thermostats/controllers will anticipate the heat left in the circulating water and so turn off the boiler a little bit sooner. Some are heuristic and will model over time the heating dynamics of the house such that if you want an internal temperature of x degrees at time y and the outside temperature is z degrees then it will turn the ch on a just-in-time basis.

[smug mode] I installed virtually all of the above 20 years ago when I put in our ch system despite the local central heating supplier scoffing [/smug mode]

 

[tnimble]

Roy,

Mike about said it all. Cellulose is one of the better insulations materials, one of the great benefits above for instance mineral wool is the moistre open and regulating properties and latent heat storage properties. A drawback of Cellulose/Polyurethane/Polyisocyanurate are some of the chemicals used during production, cellulose having the least chemical dependence. A small problem that can occur with the expanding foam materials is filling the wall to much, however this should not be a problem unless the someone doing the job is not paying attention whilst filling the wall.

Roll forward and, as Jenx says, controls are much better. Split circuits for ch and hot water ...with their own electric valves controlled by their own thermostats. Individual TRVs on all radiators except the one in the room where the ch thermostat is. Heat demand from the boiler is only requested when either the ch thermostat or hot water thermostat requests it.

Or even go a step further and have a thermostat in every room with its own temperature and time settings. These thermostats can even be combined with the light switch.