Combating energy prices

[SoliD]

can you celotex Victorian external walls? My house was built 1890 with original plaster in most places and no cavity. Surveyor said it was a big no to add any fixed board insulation as it will stop the walls breathing and cause damp problems.

Would have thought it'd be like any wall and if you create a good enough seal you won't need to worry about your current walls and damp.

Anyway, made a start on the walls here today, not as much progress as I'd like to have made, but few annoyances with the current rad pipework being enclosed by the water pipes and nailed down.....Put my foot through the floor with a minor slip, luckily it was above our porch so just into another cavity that i'd already filled with wool insulation!

Before



After



Nails...

https://imgur.com/sv0ImhK

 

[Doobedoo]

Looking good really starting to regret I did go down this route when I moved in.

Should be a whole load better than it was before.

 

[SoliD]

Should see fairly quickly as I've had a Temp/Hygrometer in the room for the last month, so will be able to tell quite quickly if it's working, although to the right of the photo is some plasterboard that is falling down that I had to patch up, which probably isn't helping with the c. 65% humidity!

 

[robj20]

I wouldn't want to lose the space by doing the walls.
Definitely going to consider the thermal properties of any underlay I put down downstairs as well.

 

[SoliD]

I wouldn't want to lose the space by doing the walls.
Definitely going to consider the thermal properties of any underlay I put down downstairs as well.

Have you actually looked to understand how much you'd lose in reality. You could remove the plaster then go for 25mm celotex so you'd lose naff all in reality. I need to double check but think I lose 1.5sqm total by doing the 4 bedrooms with 50mm celotex without removing plasterboard.

 

[LuckyBenski]

Don't forget not only is it only 3-10cm you lose, it's only on 1 or 2 walls most of the time (instead of 4).

 

[Foghorn Leghorn]

Would have thought it'd be like any wall and if you create a good enough seal you won't need to worry about your current walls and damp.

Anyway, made a start on the walls here today, not as much progress as I'd like to have made, but few annoyances with the current rad pipework being enclosed by the water pipes and nailed down.....Put my foot through the floor with a minor slip, luckily it was above our porch so just into another cavity that i'd already filled with wool insulation!

Before



After



Nails...

https://imgur.com/sv0ImhK

Looking good. I did the same in a 19th century end terrace years ago on the inside of all external facing walls, huge difference an I only used 25mm celotex.

 

[robj20]

Have you actually looked to understand how much you'd lose in reality. You could remove the plaster then go for 25mm celotex so you'd lose naff all in reality. I need to double check but think I lose 1.5sqm total by doing the 4 bedrooms with 50mm celotex without removing plasterboard.

It wouldn't be worth it, we have huge bay windows in both the living room, dining room and master bedroom. That leaves the back bedroom and boxroom, both of which are already on the small side.

The heating is on in the bedrooms at 15c around the clock, 17c in the 1 year olds room and 16c on the 4 year olds.
The living room and dining room are where I need to look at losses as they have 19c and 18c during the day, dining room also has a flat roofed kitchen extension so I guess I should look at that, at some point, it seems to be the room that drops in temperature fastest.

 

[One More Solo]

The house we’ve moved into has a garage “conversion” (I use the term loosely as not much conversion has gone on). The temperature in there yesterday morning was 8 degrees, about 3 degrees above outside. Going to need some serious work to be liveable.

 

[SoliD]

Looking good. I did the same in a 19th century end terrace years ago on the inside of all external facing walls, huge difference an I only used 25mm celotex.

Nice to hear some first hand experience!

OMS that sounds awful. Almost as useless as a conservatory! Best choice is obviously to put it back to a garage for the bikes!

 

[ristac]

Not if you buy the right one.


https://meaco.co.uk/shop/control/dehumidifiers/meaco-12l-platinum-dehumidifier/

But what if you don’t need the heating on, your cost is not factoring in having your heating on. Heat pump dryers are a much better and cheaper option

 

[Doobedoo]

But what if you don’t need the heating on, your cost is not factoring in having your heating on. Heat pump dryers are a much better and cheaper option

Let’s put it this way. I paid £90 for a second hand condenser dryer. How long will it take to pay back using electricity saved if you buy a heat pump dryer at £550?

If you’re only option is to spend £550 on a tumble dryer then a heat pump may well be the best option otherwise it’s an expensive way to dry clothes.
The most cost effective will either be outside for free, inside on clothes dryers using your already operating central heating, then a tumble dryer.

 

[Monkeynut]

Let’s put it this way. I paid £90 for a second hand condenser dryer. How long will it take to pay back using electricity saved if you buy a heat pump dryer at £550?

If you’re only option is to spend £550 on a tumble dryer then a heat pump may well be the best option otherwise it’s an expensive way to dry clothes.
The most cost effective will either be outside for free, inside on clothes dryers using your already operating central heating, then a tumble dryer.

The cheapest branded Dryer seems to be about £370, but you are correct that electricity costs have to be considered. At the minute though, with everything so uncertain, I'd still get one and did so back in October. At the time this one was £420 for a Candy model which is far more efficient than the previous Bosch condenser.

 

[Doobedoo]

The cheapest branded Dryer seems to be about £370, but you are correct that electricity costs have to be considered. At the minute though, with everything so uncertain, I'd still get one and did so back in October. At the time this one was £420 for a Candy model which is far more efficient than the previous Bosch condenser.

I’m not questioning which one is more efficient that much is obvious, I’m just making the point that regardless it’s still expensive to use compared to other methods. That’s just a fact.

 

[ristac]

Let’s put it this way. I paid £90 for a second hand condenser dryer. How long will it take to pay back using electricity saved if you buy a heat pump dryer at £550?

If you’re only option is to spend £550 on a tumble dryer then a heat pump may well be the best option otherwise it’s an expensive way to dry clothes.
The most cost effective will either be outside for free, inside on clothes dryers using your already operating central heating, then a tumble dryer.

Firstly my comment was regarding using your heating and a dehumidifier. If you don’t need your heating on then it’s never going to dry in front of a radiator, it just sounded an arse about face way of indoor drying your clothes.

If you want damp problems inside your home sure hang wet washing in every room, before you say open your windows think about all the heat you’re letting out and the reason to dry indoors would I assume be due to the weather being wet outside.

I agree outside on the clothes line is cheapest but there are lots of people living in flats, there are lots of parents with kids clothes to dry for school and lots of wet days a week.

In regards to this question, according to Ideal Home the Heat Pump is £75 a year cheaper taking average use. Throw in the life expectancy of a cheap second hand dryer costing £90 and future price rises this year and I’d say not long

 

[theone8181]

Firstly my comment was regarding using your heating and a dehumidifier. If you don’t need your heating on then it’s never going to dry in front of a radiator, it just sounded an arse about face way of indoor drying your clothes.

If you want damp problems inside your home sure hang wet washing in every room, before you say open your windows think about all the heat you’re letting out and the reason to dry indoors would I assume be due to the weather being wet outside.

I agree outside on the clothes line is cheapest but there are lots of people living in flats, there are lots of parents with kids clothes to dry for school and lots of wet days a week.

In regards to this question, according to Ideal Home the Heat Pump is £75 a year cheaper taking average use. Throw in the life expectancy of a cheap second hand dryer costing £90 and future price rises this year and I’d say not long

I looked into for me and I'd save maybe 20 quid a year with a heat pump model. We don't use the Tumbler much which is what would make the payback so long.

 

[chrcoluk]

Isnt this the 3rd thread now on energy prices?

As to what I will do, not a lot, I have been trying to keep usage down anyway, further cuts would be a significant impact on my lifestyle, already have all LED bulbs, optimising cooking appliance use, turned fridge down etc.

This is one of those things I feel is out of our hands, one might save £50 a year by changing habits, but then its all cancelled with unit price inflation.

 

[Dirk Diggler]

I think I'll purchase the heat pump tumble dryer regardless of whether it'll "pay for itself". I'm in central Scotland so I'll always need to use a dryer, particularly through winter so it's just better all round to be investing in something more efficient.

 

[Sheff]

I've just moved into a mid-terrace, I can certainly tell when the neighbours have put their heating on so I might get away with leaving mine off next winter!

 

[b0rn2sk8]

You also can’t really compare a used dryer off Facebook to a new one in a shop, it’s not exactly like for like. You could make that argument for almost anything.

Why not look at used for used prices or new for new?