Please help me warm up my home

[Gwenhwyfar]

So I have central heating and when it's been on for a while it can get nice and warm. It takes about 3 hours to get properly warm though and I can't put them on a timer. I have to get up to put the heaters on then go back to bed.

I've got a few problems:

1. the areas with no heating, every time I open the door to the hallway the room I'm in gets cold or I myself get cold while passing through. Should I bother trying to heat there or is it a lost battle? I could potentially put an electric heater there on a timer to come on twice a day or something

2. I have a narrow sofa that's only comfortable if I sit on it as if it were a chaise longue with my back against the wall. This means I have to sit the opposite side of the radiator by the French window so it's cold because of the distance from the heating and also because of the draft. I have blinds and I'm thinking of asking the LL if I can put up some curtains. I already have thick curtains, but would need to buy the bar and pay someone to put it up. I don't suppose a tension rod would be strong enough for thick curtains? That would avoid having to drill holes. Or is there another solution?

3. I have a 3 bar heater in the bathroom. Even if I put it on half an hour before having my shower and I don't get into the water until it's hot, I'm still really cold in the shower. The water doesn't cover me totally and because it's a walk-in shower, the shower itself is too big to warm up. I'm wondering if the solution would be a spirella curtain just around me and the showerhead. Has anyone tried this? I read that a larger showerhead could work, but I need one that has a hard water filter inside the showerhead.

I really hate being cold :(

@SheWoreYellow

Have you looked really carefully to see if there is a switch to turn the fan off on the bathroom? Only use it if you can open a window after your shower though, or you’ll get mould. There is usually a separate switch, often high up.

I really wouldn’t bother with putting a curtain up, just leave your heating on a bit longer with all the doors open.

I was told when I moved in that the fan came on with the light (and to have the light on whenever I showered even in the day in summer). I've just double checked and there is no separate switch in the ceiling.

I've got a thick curtain in front of the hallway and living room doors and that's helped to keep the warmth in.

My fan comes on every time the light goes on.

What can the landlord say? You’ve no timer and you’re entitled to be warm. Turn the radiators to 1 overnight and if you’re out for a while and keep the heating on

"What can the landlord say? "

I feel the cold more than other people so for most people the level of warmth I have would be enough I suppose. He told me before to put the radiators on 3. I can't feel anything when they're on 3 so I have them on 5 most of the time.

A pp mentioned an electric throw and that's what's made the difference for me.

Anytime I feel chilly I turn it on and I quite quickly warm up and often end up turning it off after not too long. I find it works really well at heating me up and doesn't cost too much to run. I know that's not so much of a consideration for you but I think it's got to be better environmentally if I'm heating myself rather than the whole house.

@Imworkingonit

A pp mentioned an electric throw and that's what's made the difference for me.

Anytime I feel chilly I turn it on and I quite quickly warm up and often end up turning it off after not too long. I find it works really well at heating me up and doesn't cost too much to run. I know that's not so much of a consideration for you but I think it's got to be better environmentally if I'm heating myself rather than the whole house.

That doesn't really address my concerns though which are draft from the French windows, cold shower and cold mornings or any time I've been out because I can't put the heating on timer. If the issue was just warming myself up I could go to bed with a hot water bottle or something, but I want to warm up my flat.

Curtains will make a huge difference, i did this in my 1750s house and it was very surprising.

You can buy adhesive draught excluder strips which come on a roll from DIY stores, you affix to the door frame or door which help hugely. If you are using a handyman to put up the rail, I'm sure he would affix draught excluders for you. The landlord is unlikely to object, I'm one and tbh I'd do it for you at my expense if you asked!

If your heating is included have you had a chat with your landlord and asked if it's possible to have a timer, or is it that the boiler is in your landlord's part of the house?

Re the shower, have a look at shower heads in b n q or homebase, a decent new one will cost less than £30 and providing you descale every 3 months by putting it in a jug of vinegar or descaler for a couple of hours, you dont need to worry about limescale.

"If your heating is included have you had a chat with your landlord and asked if it's possible to have a timer, or is it that the boiler is in your landlord's part of the house?"

Yes, I can't change the central heating system and the reason why it's included in the rent is that there is no separate boiler or meter or anything.

"Re the shower, have a look at shower heads in b n q or homebase, a decent new one will cost less than £30 and providing you descale every 3 months by putting it in a jug of vinegar or descaler for a couple of hours, you dont need to worry about limescale."

I need to use a special showerhead with a filter for hard water because of what the hard water does to my hair and skin. It's not about the showerhead otherwise vinegar would sort it. Where I live (not UK) the water is VERY hard.

"Curtains will make a huge difference, i did this in my 1750s house and it was very surprising."

I will go ahead with the curtains. Might not be until January when I can get it done, but it seems the way to go.

An oil filled radiator with thermostat you plug in, itself.plugged in to a timer, then into the mains, has saved me.

@ehb102

An oil filled radiator with thermostat you plug in, itself.plugged in to a timer, then into the mains, has saved me.

I have a convection heater and a timer plug already, just feel guilty about using it when I already have good central heating, just that it can't be timed and no radiator in every room. If it gets very cold I'll definitely bring it out.