Thermostats and heating

[Frazzledmum55]

I recently got a new thermostat that is portable rather than being attached to a wall. Seeing as my bedroom is the coldest room in the flat I put it in there so I could see how cold it actually is.
The highest temperature it’s ever reached is 22 degrees and that’s after being on for hours and hours. It still doesn’t feel warm even at 22. It was set to 24 but will never reach that temperature. Meanwhile the living room gets too hot.
When I’m at work I’ll leave it at 17/18 but the heating never kicks in as it seems it the temp doesn’t drop below 18 degrees. But I’m not kidding it’s absolutely freezing, it’s got to be colder than 18 degrees in there surely?? It’s like the window is wide open it’s so cold.
It’s an end corner room so external walls, and also had a slight damp problem (before I moved in) which is under control and I use a dehumidifier. Not sure if it’s relevant but humidity is usually around 80 if dehumidifier hasn’t been on.
When I get clothes out my drawers I have to warm them on radiators as they feel so cold and almost damp.

What does 18 or 22 feel like in other peoples homes??

@MRex it’s mostly kept under control with the dehumidifier. I’m not sure how accurate the reader on it is but it says 57 now.
It’s a HA property but not sure what anyone can do about the humidity levels.
When I moved in I think there had been a leak that had never been sorted and there was also no central heating, there was mould on the walls. Leak was eventually fixed and room was sorted out, damp sealed and replastered. I’ve had no mould since but occasionally get what looks like rising damp on the bottom corner of external walls . Skirtings go tacky and water marks start rising up a couple of inches but the dehumidifier seems to stop it. It probably isn’t rising damp though as I’m not on the ground floor. That area of carpet often feels wet though but may just be really cold it’s hard to tell.

DuaLipaSuction I’m in a flat so another flat above me

I suppose it's not the done thing to ask the flats below and above to turn up their heating?

It’s an old 1960s block

@bungaloid thanks for that. I never knew how they worked. They never seem to come on at all if I have them on 4 but I’ll give it another go. What I’ve done in the last it turn them down once the radiator has already been on so would make sense they’d go completely off then as the room is probably warmer than the desired temp.

@DuaLipaSuction Shall I try?

I’ve had no mould since but occasionally get what looks like rising damp on the bottom corner of external walls . Skirtings go tacky and water marks start rising up a couple of inches but the dehumidifier seems to stop it.
30-50% is the reasonable humidity level, over 60% is a risk to heath, you are barely even safe. I don't think they dried out the walls properly from what you're saying, you need to contact the Housing Association to get them to assess and resolve the problem. It is their responsibility, push very hard to make them resolve it. If they bring industrial dehumidifiers, ask them to cover the electric cost, check and agree the electric meter values before and after those go on plus take an agreed photo of the meter. Meantime you absolutely cannot dry laundry in there because that will be making it worse. Buy a heated airer and do laundry quickly in the kitchen or living room with a window open, then fold away.

If what bungalows suggests doesn’t work then consider whether the size of the rad in your bedroom is big enough for the room.

Also have you got any droughts (& make sure the thermostat isn’t in direct sunlight or under a light bulb/next to a lamp etc)

I keep mine in the hall under the stairs. The previous owners mounted it in the dining room which was daft as that’s the hottest room in the house (no external walls)

No matter what the ambient temperature it will feel far colder if it's damp. You definitely need proper dehumidifiers. And a window open (though less use when it's so wet outside).

@MRex I honestly don’t know what more they can do.
It was suggested that the next step could potentially be to put something I can’t remember the name of all over the walls, then replaster over again (think it’s some expensive mesh thing) but I’ve spoken to someone that’s done it and it didn’t help. I’ve just spent thousands decorating and I can’t be doing with the mess and upheaval of that. Taking all my furniture apart again to clear the room ect and plaster mess through the flat.
There’s no visible signs of damp apart from the wet corner that’s happened once or twice. But the wall where the window is, the carpet under there definitely feels cold/damp at times. I’m going to look into moving the radiator to over there.

It was originally dried out with an industrial dehumidifier for months. I’m pretty sure it was dry. Plus the wall where the leak was is an internal wall which doesn’t cause problems now.

I really don’t know what anybody can do about humidity in the air. I’m just waiting for it to warm up and hopefully it won’t be too bad and I can put washing on the balcony.

I think the heated airer is a good idea. Or get a heated oil filled radiator and a fan.

I honestly don’t know what more they can do.
That's why you have them send an expert round. There could be an additional leak in a different place, a need for more industrial dehumidifier, even some really simple options. But what you need is an expert.

18 feels cold in mine.
I also have a very cold bedroom (attic conversion, not insulated) and I've got thermal curtains that I draw as soon as it gets dark, an electric blanket and a plug in oil radiator in case it's freezing.

There is the option for the walls to be tanked, which involves removing the plaster to bare brick and applying a special slurry. The plaster is then replaced with a special insulating coat called Renovating Plaster that helps to prevent surface condensation. Without seeing the corner its hard to be sure whats going on but what you describe sounds like penetrating damp. Have you checked the gutter above isn't blocked or whether there's an overflow pipe discharging onto it somehow?

Some may disagree with idea of tanking above ground level but I've successfully done it in a bedroom where there was a horrendous damp problem in a wall and it worked perfectly. The problem was caused by problems with the mortar around a chimney stack above and rain was getting in for years.

OP I don't think you understand how TRVs work. The numbers 1-5 represent how hot you want the room to be, not how hot you want the radiator itself. The radiator will either be on or off, it goes on max until it automatically turns off if the room reaches the required temperature. So the trv and the portable thermostat can fight each other. Have you tried setting all the radiators to about 2, except for the one in the room that feels cold? That might even it up a bit, as damp rooms always feel colder.

We always have our heating set to 15 if we are in during the day, but I do find it seems much colder if the weather is cold, whereas if it's warmer outside, 15 feels fine. It's probably to do with the effects of draughts and temperature gradients being greater in cold weather.

Turn your boiler temperature up to maximum, that should increase the temperature in your flat. Have you got a draft excluder at your outside door? Mine is a 1960's flat & the wind blows under the front door. I would get some thermal linings for your curtains as well & some silver foil behind all your radiators to bounce the heat back in to the room. Have you thought of getting a heater as well? I use my tumble dryer without putting the pipe out of the window in winter, it helps warm the flat up.

@Nat6999

Turn your boiler temperature up to maximum, that should increase the temperature in your flat. Have you got a draft excluder at your outside door? Mine is a 1960's flat & the wind blows under the front door. I would get some thermal linings for your curtains as well & some silver foil behind all your radiators to bounce the heat back in to the room. Have you thought of getting a heater as well? I use my tumble dryer without putting the pipe out of the window in winter, it helps warm the flat up.

Running your drier without venting out of the window will massively increase humidity and condensation. Where do you think the water in your wet clothes is going while you run it?