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Original poster

heating a very very tiny room (when the CH is off)

30 replies

fasterthanthewind · 01/12/2014 21:12

DH now works from home. He's a chilly mortal, and he can't cope with the house at the temp it is. Thing is, it's a long tall London house, and he works in the teeniest room imaginable, and it's INSANE to have the central heating on, just to heat his wee room. (There's no way on earth he'd go round turning off every other radiator btw - simply won't happen.)

So, I think it must be best just to heat his room. It's about 5 x 4 x 10 foot high, so exceptionally tiny. There's space for a built-in narrow desk, and a chair. If someone is sitting in the chair, you can only partly open the door.

My plan is to get a heater as a Christmas present - but what to go for?

Ideally, I'd like to get something that has a timer and a thermostat, and which can keep the room at (say) 22/3 degrees at particular times of day. I don't want something that heats the room up way beyond that temp, and I think most heaters will be far too powerful to be appropriate. Nothing radiant (can't get far enough away; dangerous). May need to be wall-mounted (if so, it'd be under the desk).

Any suggestions? I'm inclining towards a cupboard heater like this but I'm afraid it'll be so UNDER-powered that DH is still freezing all the time...

OP posts:
ThinkIveBeenHacked · 01/12/2014 21:15

We use an oil filled heater for dds room and its great. Safe too. Might be worth seeing if anywhere sells slimline ones?

hereandtherex · 02/12/2014 09:48

Jumper, socks, woolly hat and sleeveless gloves.

I never bother heating a house if Im in it alone.
Its cheaper and easier to keep yourself warm.

I used to work from home in a relatively cold place.
The above were fine.
If I did feel cold I just did some push ups.

Original poster
fasterthanthewind · 02/12/2014 09:55

hereandtherex - same here. I'm particularly unsympathetic if the temp is 18 in his office (it often is) - then it seems to me that the PERSON is cold, not the ROOM. But it's making him too miserable, and he IS dressed up warm (vest, shirt, jumper, down jacket...) He's just a very chilly being.

And as we could afford to heat the whole house, I know that if I don't find a solution that makes his room cosy, that's what will happen. Oil filled teeny radiator seems like the way to go. Have re-thought the cupboard heater idea (50W will give out the heat of a bulb - that's not going to make much of a difference, is it!)

OP posts:
wigglybeezer · 02/12/2014 10:05

Plug in heated throw, hat and slippers would be my suggestion ( live in expensive to heat draughty old house).

wigglybeezer · 02/12/2014 10:16

We have an oil filled radiator with a thermostat too.

This is going to sound pretensious but I reccommend wearing the poshest natural fibres you can, I have an ancient long length alpaca cardigan and a wide cashmere scarf ( sounds nice but was a present from MIL and is a bit too frumpy to wear out), I stick them on before the heating goes off in the morning and seem to maintain a reasonable core temp!

hereandtherex · 02/12/2014 10:17

He's a wuss then.

I would use the good old way - leave him outside for the Wolves to eat.

Seriously, as long as you keep you head, hands and feet warm he should be OK.

StUmbrageinSkelt · 02/12/2014 10:34

I've got a cold frog of a partner as well. Particularly amusing as we live in the subtropics.

I'd go for one of the slimline gas column heaters. I can't see any good reason for him to be uncomfortable personally.

SilverViking · 02/12/2014 10:34

More thin layers, and keep the lead warm.
I have 2 pairs socks, leggings plus jeans, thermal top, long sleeve top, shirt, thin jumper and fleece; snood and woolly hat

SilverViking · 02/12/2014 10:36

.... It is still freezing outside, but it is warm in here!!

FrauHelgaMissMarpleandaChuckle · 02/12/2014 10:37

If it's really only a teeny room, what about an infra red light bulb, would that work?

www.chicken-house.co.uk/acatalog/Heat_Lamps.html

SilverViking · 02/12/2014 10:38

"lead" = head
Also, bikers talk about keeping the core of your body warm, then the extremities (toes and fingers) will be warmer.

culturemulcher · 02/12/2014 11:35

This is a subject close to my heart OP as I work from home in a fairly small room too and REFUSE to heat the whole house just for me.

I find that it's the sitting still that makes you cold. Even though the room may be 18 degrees the fact that all you're moving is your fingers means that you get quite chilly.

The best solution I've found is a combination of 4 things.

I have a big cuddly, thick warm, long woolly cardigan that I leave on my office chair and slip on and off when I sit at my desk. I also have a pair of duvet-style slippers which come up over my ankles and which live on under my desk. If anyone comes to the door I quickly whip them off they're hideous I also have a cheapo fan heater which I set to low and it clicks on and off maintaining a steady temperature. I know they're expensive to run, but if you don't set it high and if the room's small they're not bad. In fact, I haven't noticed a discernible difference on our electricity bill since I started using it. Lastly - the best one! - frequent cups of tea and always something for lunch - soup or a toasted rather than normal sandwich.

Tell your DH he has my sympathy!

culturemulcher · 02/12/2014 11:38

something hot for lunch

ReinholdMessner · 02/12/2014 11:59

Our last house didn't have gch, just storage heaters which for some reason were omitted from the second bedroom. Once it became DD's room we bought a small De'Longhi oil-filled radiator with. A thermostat and a timer. It was vastly superior to the stupid storage heaters and didn't need to be on Dr long to retain a decent amount of heat.

wonkylegs · 02/12/2014 12:22

I have a hot water bottle which lives on my desk chair. I find that filling it up and using it as a cushion between me and the back of my chair warms the whole of me when I'm working in my office & that's in a huge room.
It lasts ages most of the day too.

DayLillie · 02/12/2014 12:31

I get cold if I sit still for long.

I wear a fleece, sheepskin slippers (I get chilblains), cashmere socks.

Getting up regularly to make a cup of tea and break from the screen helps.

An oil-filled radiator with thermostat is useful. We have one on the landing, for those times that the boiler dies, central heating pump dies etc.

Original poster
fasterthanthewind · 02/12/2014 14:25

lots of great ideas, thank you.

DH definitely thinks I want to throw him to the wolves - perhaps pre-frozen (he reckons the whole house is too cold.)
It's all about sitting still for too long, definitely. problem is, that's what work is, isn't it (and he's a concentrator - can easily let 2 hours slip past without noticing).
Long, ankle-covering, woollen slipper things are a great idea. Sort of Ugg boot things perhaps? I will investigate. He has sheepskin slippers already, and wears 2 pairs of socks.

OP posts:
TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 02/12/2014 14:33

The advantage of fan heaters is that they warm the room very quickly indeed so they don't have to be on long. Also they're cheap to buy.

Disadvantage is they make a noise which can be annoying, depending on how sensitive he is to that kind of thing.

You might as well go for something portable, rather than wall-mounted.

RabbitsarenotHares · 02/12/2014 14:35

I too sympathise with him. I'm always about 500 degrees colder than DP (who'll be sitting in a t-shirt whilst I have a jumper on, snuggled under a blanket!)

Definitely agree with an oil-heater - my mum has one and it's surprisingly good at heating her large lounge. If he puts it on when he gets up the room will be warm by the time he starts work.

I do have a slightly odd suggestions, and that is, to insulate the room. Definitely a curtain across the door (possibly either side). And what about wall hanging? Ok, that might be a bit OTT. Rugs?

Hope he manages to warm up in there soon!

hereandtherex · 02/12/2014 14:41

Does the room have an external wall?
You could try internal insulation on them.

What about drafts - from the floor, or windows?

Get him a pull up and a timer. Set the timer to go off every 40 minutes and tell him to do 20 pull ups.

Amethyst24 · 02/12/2014 14:58

Get a cat. Mine is currently curled up on my lap purring like mad and keeping me warm and immobile for the foreseeable.

bilbodog · 02/12/2014 15:29

hi - i've just bought one from Amazon - its very small but had good reviews - to heat my sons room as he is a night owl at present so up and about when everyone else is in bed and snuggly warm!

Marmitelover55 · 03/12/2014 09:19

Maybe a thyroid function test too - feeling cold is one of the symptoms...

antimatter · 03/12/2014 09:31

I think people who think it is possible to be happy with 18 C and under whilst using keyboard never had to d oit day in day out.

I would buy something like this:
www.johnlewis.com/de'longhi-bambino-trn-050m-oil-filled-radiator/p230856015

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