Why is this House Warmer?

[MatthewC]

My wife and I are convinced that this house (1860ish, 16 inch limestone walls, slate roof) is now warmer than in the previous 10 years. We started work on this damp, cold house in Nov 2010. Having done the roof/insulation, gutters, downpipes, drains, high ground and numerous pointing repairs, we moved in during July 2011. I fixed the last slightly draughty window in 2017 or 18. This year I added a whole 0.5 deg C to the target temperature on the thermostatic timer but absolutely nothing else has been done recently.

It seems as though the structure is simply retaining more heat than a year ago, so has something fundamental finally dried? One would have thought that the house would have been fully dried out a long while ago. We have hardly lit a fire since November, and it certainly doesn't seem like a warm winter outside, but the house is so warm that I hardly ever wear a jumper of any sort inside.

Matthew

 

[LadyArowana]

Ghosts moved out? Or are you spending more time at home and using other things that warm up like the oven and kettle?

 

[Flyfisher]

Being drier will definitely help because water absorbs a lot of energy (heat) when evaporating, but I agree that even 16-inch solid walls should have dried out in well under 10 years. Sealing draughts will also make a huge difference. Whatever the reasons, it's surely a good thing.

Another possibility is acclimatisation. Since living here for the past 13 years or so I often find friend's modern houses uncomfortably warm . . . although that hasn't happened for while now for obvious reasons

 

[a twig]

Probably acclimatisation, we've all spent a lot more time at home this last year.

Although on the flip side, mass storage might be working in your favour. Our old place, that we are currently flogging, has been maintaining a consistently warmer temp since we stopped having the whole "off while we are out" routine and maintained a consistent base level of heating

For same monthly expenditure our house seems to be warmer

Humidity also plays a big factor, hot dry air is a lot less "sweaty" and doesn't feel as hot compared to hot moist air. Going from 0% humidity to 100% can account for a 6'C change in "feel"

 

[Feltwell]

Dare I say ageing? It doesn't always work that you feel the cold more as you get older. My mother is the classic case.

0.5 degrees can be enough to notice as well.

I've noticed a big difference here since we had a new boiler and a fancy control system put in a few weeks ago - every room is now effectively an independent zone, unlike before with thermostatic radiator valves, which just switch supply off to rooms that are too warm. The valves on each radiator can now call for heat as well, and each have their own timer settings. Very clever, I'm just dreading if it ever goes wrong! :lol:

 

[1895BrickConversion]

Although on the flip side, mass storage might be working in your favour. Our old place, that we are currently flogging, has been maintaining a consistently warmer temp since we stopped having the whole "off while we are out" routine and maintained a consistent base level of heating

For same monthly expenditure our house seems to be warmer

I could have written these words. Ive been trialling how to eat the house without obliterating money. Leave heating on constantly (with temp changing during the day) and my bill is within a pound or so of the previous comparable month when heating use over time was minimised. But the house feels so much warmer all the time.

 

[MatthewC]

Ghosts moved out? Or are you spending more time at home and using other things that warm up like the oven and kettle?

I think her ladyship has it - there has been two of us in the house almost the whole day, every day for over 10 months, and 'er indoors does do more cooking and baking than before. And the suggestion about increased humidity possibly is accurate as well.

Since I did the last sash windows in 2018, I haven't done any work on draughts here. I have always tried to maintain a constant base temperature both in here and in the church (where a new boiler plus proper controls were fitted in 2014). Funny thing, if it's cold outside, I can*** turn the church heating DOWN as people notice the increase in temperature when they come in; conversely if it's warmer (about 12 or 14 deg) outside then people expect the church to be even warmer and complain of the cold!

*** Not saying I actually do!

 

[d49xc]

Humidity will be the reason it feels less cold.
If the dampness has been removed it will be much better
Same temp, lower the humidity it will feel much warmer.

This is the problem with the UK - we have a maritime climate so our winters are wet rather than being very cold: so they feel miserable.
Conversely Europe has a continental landmass climate so is much drier.

So this means that the UK at say 2 degrees feels quite ghastly outside with your hat and coat/scarf on
Go instead to Europe (skiing typically) and there you are at -10C with the same sort of clothes on and you don't feel as cold: it's simply the lower humidity doing this. I've sat outside in my ski stuff having lunch with the local temp indicator on a building saying -20C

This effects many things. We get leaves on the rail line problems as they are wet and compress to a mush. On the continent generally they don't as they are much drier and get blown off the tracks - as does the much drier snow blows off the roads so does not compress down to ice that makes our roads impassable. Here the snow generally falls at around or just above freezing - out there it falls at minus something and really is quite different snow from the UK - dry powder ideally for skiing.

They can have open air Christmas type markets in the cold, sit outside at Cafe's and its all fine -try that here and its just a dreadful experience.

 

[mardinor]

Dare I suggest..could it be possible you've added your own local, mobile insulation over the last 10 years?

 

[MatthewC]

Dare I suggest..could it be possible you've added your own local, mobile insulation over the last 10 years?

I'm affronted! :shock:

Doing my house caused me to get back fit and trim in my late 50s, and I have endeavoured to keep it that way since then. Mind you, every so often I do something strenuous and think "why am I doing this at my age?" :wink: Last autumn I was pruning up a large apple tree and realised how embarrassing it would be if I fell and had to admit at A&E what I had been doing.