To leave the heating on or not?

[liberty]

Don't you people worry about pipes freezing? Or, does it not get that cold? I have to have the heat on a bit or I'll pay for it in broken plumbing.

Never before did I think of this as it is usually not to cold. However this year I just have the radiators turned on in the room that I'm in. But because it is so cold the boiler over rides the rads so it means I'm paying to heat the whole house so the pipes don't burst..

I am also tied into Brit gas until 2011 as set prices even though they have now dropped

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

Never before did I think of this as it is usually not to cold. However this year I just have the radiators turned on in the room that I'm in. But because it is so cold the boiler over rides the rads so it means I'm paying to heat the whole house so the pipes don't burst..

I am also tied into Brit gas until 2011 as set prices even though they have now dropped

The wonders of heat tape:

http://www.mygreathome.com/fix-it_guide/heat_tape.htm

 

[liberty]

You can't tell it's there apparently. It's what I'm doing mine with after I've sanded. Another brand is http://www.gapseal.co.uk/?gclid=CKaJ_YCv1ZgCFQFhQgoddQ6N1A
I think it's going to cost me about £40 to do my whole flat, which isn't bad really. I think the stop gap stuff is cheaper than the gapseal stuff, but from what I can tell it's basically the same.

Thanks.. The gaps in some of my floor boards are very big maybe 12mm

(I miss having a warm flat)

 

[liberty]

Here's my room when it was a bit tidier. Long curtains are the bee's knees and ochre is very restful.

I had to have the curtains because they went perfectly with my loudspeakers.

What do you do when the rads are under the windows so that the curtains would cover them up?

 

[Pip]

Thanks.. The gaps in some of my floor boards are very big maybe 12mm

(I miss having a warm flat)

12mm?! 1.2cm? That's fucking huge! The best thing to do if you want to fill the gaps is bang in bits of wood the same size with a mallet, but it sounds like quite an arduous task.

 

[liberty]

12mm?! 1.2cm? That's fucking huge! The best thing to do if you want to fill the gaps is bang in bits of wood the same size with a mallet, but it sounds like quite an arduous task.

Yes they are huge gaps you have to be careful not to drop money or you will never get it back!!

 

[WouldBe]

What do you do when the rads are under the windows so that the curtains would cover them up?

Have the curtains just longer than the top of the radiator and tuck them down the back so the heat comes into the room instead of into the window.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

The gaps in some of my floor boards are very big maybe 12mm

I read that as 12cm first time
Get thin strips (several together and twisting them helps) of wet newspaper and squidge 'em between the boards *TOP TIP* a plastic 6" ruler is a handy prodder when doing this.
Mix sawdust and PVA glue (basically it's the same as wood glue) and smooth in over the top of the newspaper smoothing as you go with a wet thumb. Dries waterproof and keeps draughts out (and any creepy crawlies under the floorboards).

 

[AnnaKarpik]

Don't you people worry about pipes freezing? Or, does it not get that cold? I have to have the heat on a bit or I'll pay for it in broken plumbing.

The place across the way from us used to be a holiday home - a very under-used one - but they never had any problems with the plumbing, even when it was freezing hard enough to crack chunks of rock off the local cliff. Now it's mostly occupied but they went on a long trip to the southern hemisphere in November, the heating oil ran out and the pipes were all pushed apart by the ice. The plumber said he was constantly busy with frozen pipes, even in fully-occupied properties. Coz we is too poor to heat, innit.

 

[liberty]

I read that as 12cm first time
Get thin strips (several together and twisting them helps) of wet newspaper and squidge 'em between the boards *TOP TIP* a plastic 6" ruler is a handy prodder when doing this.
Mix sawdust and PVA glue (basically it's the same as wood glue) and smooth in over the top of the newspaper smoothing as you go with a wet thumb. Dries waterproof and keeps draughts out (and any creepy crawlies under the floorboards).

If it was 12cm I would be worried

The above sounds like a good idea and I will give it a try (although the boards in the bedroom are painted white)!

I like the idea of the creepys being kept away however I think they have all frozen to death

 

[WouldBe]

I like the idea of the creepys being kept away however I think they have all frozen to death

Woodlicicles.

 

[Badger Kitten]

You can get sheets of cardboard and cover them with tin foil and put them behind the radiators ( foil side facing radiator) and this reflects heat back in and saves you paying to heat the wall. Which saves money and energy.

 

[Pip]

If it was 12cm I would be worried

The above sounds like a good idea and I will give it a try (although the boards in the bedroom are painted white)!

I like the idea of the creepys being kept away however I think they have all frozen to death

Use silicone sealant instead of wood filler then. Don't lick your thumb to smooth it down though, it's how my ex got silicone poisoning

 

[liberty]

Woodlicicles.

 

[WouldBe]

With gaps that big you'd be better off relaying the boards or putting down a new floor.

 

[Citizen66]

Use silicone sealant instead of wood filler then. Don't lick your thumb to smooth it down though, it's how my ex got silicone poisoning

To smooth silicone sealant put washing up liquid on your thumb for the best results.

 

[liberty]

You can get sheets of cardboard and cover them with tin foil and put them behind the radiators ( foil side facing radiator) and this reflects heat back in and saves you paying to heat the wall. Which saves money and energy.

That sounds like a good idea but on this rad I'm sat by (on top of it's so cold) there is no room to get anything down the back as it has around 20 wall fixings !

Will check out the others

 

[Mrs Magpie]

The above sounds like a good idea and I will give it a try (although the boards in the bedroom are painted white)!

It takes paint! Woodstain not quite so well, I have been told.

 

[geminisnake]

Hubby says some water and washing up liquid to wet your thumb(it has to feel quite soapy).

 

[liberty]

With gaps that big you'd be better off relaying the boards or putting down a new floor.

It's a cost thing at the moment I'm afraid

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

The place across the way from us used to be a holiday home - a very under-used one - but they never had any problems with the plumbing, even when it was freezing hard enough to crack chunks of rock off the local cliff. Now it's mostly occupied but they went on a long trip to the southern hemisphere in November, the heating oil ran out and the pipes were all pushed apart by the ice. The plumber said he was constantly busy with frozen pipes, even in fully-occupied properties. Coz we is too poor to heat, innit.

When you go away for a long time, you're supposed to drain the pipes.

 

[Pip]

To smooth silicone sealant put washing up liquid on your thumb for the best results.

Top tip, I've filed that away in my brain

 

[Badger Kitten]

You can also put washing up liquid on the castor things that are under washing machines, when you are moving them. They glide out like a dream.

I feel like a Daily Express Readers' Tips contributor

 

[Geri]

You can also put washing up liquid on the castor things that are under washing machines, when you are moving them. They glide out like a dream.

That's what our plumber told us last week!

 

[Badger Kitten]

There should be an Urban's Top Household Hints sticky thread in suburban.

 

[liberty]

If you lose a contact lens or a small earring but a stocking over the end of the hoover

 

[Badger Kitten]

oooh, good one.

 

[Sweaty Betty]

If you lose a contact lens or a small earring but a stocking over the end of the hoover

I saw that on kim and aggie just the other day

 

[5t3IIa]

That sounds like a good idea but on this rad I'm sat by (on top of it's so cold) there is no room to get anything down the back as it has around 20 wall fixings !

Will check out the others

Is that rad on? Have you bled the air out of them? It makes a HUGE difference

 

[liberty]

Is that rad on? Have you bled the air out of them? It makes a HUGE difference

Oic has tried to do it but the higher up the rads the less they work. The ones on the third floor even though they have been bled only about 10cm gets warm