Turning on the heat

P.S. I am in the North..perhaps we just get colder air !!

My heating has not been off all summer. I live in Scotland.

rocketstop

watermeadow

I’m surprised no one has asked yet. Here in the south the rain has stopped today but we had a full-on frost last night and I switched on my heating for a couple of hours this morning.
A ‘heating expert’ has said our homes should be 18 to 21 degrees for health and comfort and manageable fuel bills.
My thermostat is rarely above 15 in winter and I couldn’t afford to have it higher. I don’t believe being chilly does us any harm, it’s just uncomfortable.
Modern houses are much warmer. Is your heating on and how high?

I beg to differ re being 'Chilly' If you are fit and healthy and can zip around ok, I'd agree that you can chuck another layer on and it won't do you harm. I have long covid and lots of other health problems and if the temperature is low I start to struggle for breath which then causes my heart to beat too fast .It's dangerous for some people to get cold AND it doesn't matter how many clothes you put on , it's the cold AIR that you are breathing in that causes the problems.

I beg to differ re being 'Chilly'...

Absolutely.

It's obvious that some posters don't understand that being "chilly" can do you harm.

Cold air narrows blood vessels and arteries. That means the heart is under pressure (literally) to pump harder to push it around the body. For anyone with a heart problem, high blood pressure, who's had a stroke, or has diabetes... it's not good. At all.

Keeping your house below the recommended temperature also leads to the growth of mould, because the house gets damp and as we know from several recent scandals, mould in a damp house can kill, especially if you have respiratory problems.

I had an uncle who felt faint of the temperature reached 70 degrees and, after his wife died, rarely turned the heating on. After he went into a care home and I was clearing the house, I opened one of the wardrobes in his bedroom to see inside that it was packed with clothes and completly enmeshed in the tentacles of a mould and fungi infestation. The mould held all the clothes together.

All I could do was lay a large plastic sheet on the floor and take the contents of the wardrobe out in chunks, and when finished fold the plastic over the clothes, seal it down with gaffer tape and take the resulting huge parcel to the tip.

The cause was inadequate heating that led to the house getting damp.

Just checked the temperature in our house. It's 15 degrees. But no dampness here. We're just a hardy breed.

MissInterpreted

Just checked the temperature in our house. It's 15 degrees. But no dampness here. We're just a hardy breed.

How do you know? Dampness in its early stages is invisible. no condensation, no streaming walls, all that happens is that the walls, furnishings( sot and hard) absorb a surprisingly amount of water. This makes the house more difficult and more expensive to heat.

M0nica

MissInterpreted

Just checked the temperature in our house. It's 15 degrees. But no dampness here. We're just a hardy breed.

How do you know? Dampness in its early stages is invisible. no condensation, no streaming walls, all that happens is that the walls, furnishings( sot and hard) absorb a surprisingly amount of water. This makes the house more difficult and more expensive to heat.

Because we had a survey carried out not that long ago which specifically looked for signs of dampness.

Dickens

rocketstop

watermeadow

I’m surprised no one has asked yet. Here in the south the rain has stopped today but we had a full-on frost last night and I switched on my heating for a couple of hours this morning.
A ‘heating expert’ has said our homes should be 18 to 21 degrees for health and comfort and manageable fuel bills.
My thermostat is rarely above 15 in winter and I couldn’t afford to have it higher. I don’t believe being chilly does us any harm, it’s just uncomfortable.
Modern houses are much warmer. Is your heating on and how high?

I beg to differ re being 'Chilly' If you are fit and healthy and can zip around ok, I'd agree that you can chuck another layer on and it won't do you harm. I have long covid and lots of other health problems and if the temperature is low I start to struggle for breath which then causes my heart to beat too fast .It's dangerous for some people to get cold AND it doesn't matter how many clothes you put on , it's the cold AIR that you are breathing in that causes the problems.

I beg to differ re being 'Chilly'...

Absolutely.

It's obvious that some posters don't understand that being "chilly" can do you harm.

Cold air narrows blood vessels and arteries. That means the heart is under pressure (literally) to pump harder to push it around the body. For anyone with a heart problem, high blood pressure, who's had a stroke, or has diabetes... it's not good. At all.

Exactly.

With COPD, heart issues and other conditions, if I had to live in a house which was constantly at 15 degrees, I wouldn't last very long.

Out heating is set at 20 and I have a bad chest and feel the cold. So it’s going on.

MissInterpreted

M0nica

MissInterpreted

Just checked the temperature in our house. It's 15 degrees. But no dampness here. We're just a hardy breed.

How do you know? Dampness in its early stages is invisible. no condensation, no streaming walls, all that happens is that the walls, furnishings( sot and hard) absorb a surprisingly amount of water. This makes the house more difficult and more expensive to heat.

Because we had a survey carried out not that long ago which specifically looked for signs of dampness.

But that will be looking for a different type of dampness, that caused by structural or other problems. The intrinsic dampness of a cold house is not going to be sufficient to trigger a response on a dampness survey, but it will be enough to encourage the growth of mould, and make the house harder and more expensive to heat.

Whatever...it is what it is. I live in a cold (not damp!) house. My problem...

MissInterpreted

Whatever...it is what it is. I live in a cold (not damp!) house. My problem...

I don't think people mean to sound critical, just that some of us couldn't bear living with that temp.

I cough constantly and breathing in cold air would just finish me off. Even at 18°C my lungs protest.

Marydoll

MissInterpreted

Whatever...it is what it is. I live in a cold (not damp!) house. My problem...

I don't think people mean to sound critical, just that some of us couldn't bear living with that temp.

I cough constantly and breathing in cold air would just finish me off. Even at 18°C my lungs protest.

I appreciate that, but as I've said, it is what it is and I have no other option. Some people do sound extremely critical when they have no idea of other people's circumstances.

MissInterpreted

Marydoll

MissInterpreted

Whatever...it is what it is. I live in a cold (not damp!) house. My problem...

I don't think people mean to sound critical, just that some of us couldn't bear living with that temp.

I cough constantly and breathing in cold air would just finish me off. Even at 18°C my lungs protest.

I appreciate that, but as I've said, it is what it is and I have no other option. Some people do sound extremely critical when they have no idea of other people's circumstances.

I understand. And I'm sad it is what it is.

When I ski I wear a nose/mouth covering. Balaclava neck nose gaiter (Amazon sells). Have you tried that?

Norah

MissInterpreted

Marydoll

MissInterpreted

Whatever...it is what it is. I live in a cold (not damp!) house. My problem...

I don't think people mean to sound critical, just that some of us couldn't bear living with that temp.

I cough constantly and breathing in cold air would just finish me off. Even at 18°C my lungs protest.

I appreciate that, but as I've said, it is what it is and I have no other option. Some people do sound extremely critical when they have no idea of other people's circumstances.

I understand. And I'm sad it is what it is.

When I ski I wear a nose/mouth covering. Balaclava neck nose gaiter (Amazon sells). Have you tried that?

Why would someone go round indoors in their own home dressed as if they're going out on the ski slopes? 🤔

Allira

Norah

MissInterpreted

Marydoll

MissInterpreted

Whatever...it is what it is. I live in a cold (not damp!) house. My problem...

I don't think people mean to sound critical, just that some of us couldn't bear living with that temp.

I cough constantly and breathing in cold air would just finish me off. Even at 18°C my lungs protest.

I appreciate that, but as I've said, it is what it is and I have no other option. Some people do sound extremely critical when they have no idea of other people's circumstances.

I understand. And I'm sad it is what it is.

When I ski I wear a nose/mouth covering. Balaclava neck nose gaiter (Amazon sells). Have you tried that?

Why would someone go round indoors in their own home dressed as if they're going out on the ski slopes? 🤔

That would certainly finish me off! ⚰

MissInterpreted I am like you I live in a old, cold, big house
I don’t have any central heating and use one gas fire in my main room in the winter about mid November to mid March I grew up without central heating and although for some years I lived in the tropics there is NO way I could afford for it to be put in now and it’s a case of what you get used to I m not unhappy with my situation at all and can keep equally as warm as most people in the cold weather Yes I get Jack Frost inside my windows in full on winter days but that’s not a problem is it ?
I m sure I have damp parts in the house but I don’t have any mould anywhere
I have no means to alter my situation and as it’s my norm I have no problems with it at all I ve lived like this for 40 years now and I m as happy and healthy as the next man

Marydoll

MissInterpreted

Whatever...it is what it is. I live in a cold (not damp!) house. My problem...

I don't think people mean to sound critical, just that some of us couldn't bear living with that temp.

I cough constantly and breathing in cold air would just finish me off. Even at 18°C my lungs protest.

I don't think people mean to sound critical, just that some of us couldn't bear living with that temp.

I'm certainly not being critical of those who don't - or can't afford - to keep the heating at a comfortable level, rather countering posters who insist that a chilly ambience doesn't do anyone any harm, when clearly it can.

It's a sad state of affairs that anyone old or young - particularly those with medical conditions affected by cold air - might not be able to afford the level of heating required to keep them safe or comfortable.

... and the escalating conflict in the Middle East looks like it's going to affect the supply, distribution - and price - of crude oil, which will inevitably result in higher energy costs to the consumer.

Not good.

When I said being chilly did no harm of course I didn’t include people with medical conditions.
Our local children walk to school without coats all year round so clearly don’t feel the cold when I’m wearing coat, gloves and hat and it’s clearly not doing them any harm.

You don`t need to see mould to have `dampness`. Any air, laden with moisture, hitting a cold surface will give its moisture to that surface. Warm air holds much more moisture, hence likelihood of damp and mould is decreased when air and surfaces are warm and the air can circulate

Dew point is the temperature at which water will condense. That temperature may well be reached in a cold home, if the walls/windows are cold. You can often see inside condensation on windows when the air outside is very cold. Dew point was reached

Moisture is silently added to air by cooking, drying items indoors, steam from any source eg kettle, hot water, shower. Breathing adds a lot of moisture to the air

Those in old cold houses ie with a chimney, will naturally have good ventilation and may well never get full-on mould as there are no points of air stagnation

I've no central heating in a well insulated double glazed 1950's bungalow. When it's cold I put on a layer: wool or light quilted jacket. Colder and I hug a hot water bottle if I'm sitting down.

Colder again and I put on an oil-free radiator in the room I'm in. Warms quickly and is cosy, no awful running costs.

In the depth of winter I light the wood burner and with the door ajar the heat circulates around the property. I only burn kiln dried wood, no smell or vile smoke [that's only when people burn rubbish and/or unseasoned, treated, varnished or painted wood].

I try not to dry clothes indoors anyway, it's asking for trouble especially when people don't open a window. I can dry washing in the garage with the door/s open on damp but blustery days. When it's brought inside I run the dehumidifier.

If there is a mist on the inside edges of the double glazing on freezing mornings I run a dehumidifier. No problem.

I'm perfectly happy with this [don't like the atmosphere in homes where central heating is on too high, feel like I'm drying up!]. I have never had heating in a bedroom, like it cool. And I definitely have no mould, no damp - anywhere - either.

I don't like being cold any more than anyone else but have no health issues at the moment and have always felt much more discomfort when too hot. I find heat in the summer far too much sometimes.

I m like bluebird must be the blue in our names
If I m cold I wear more clothes and have a few lovely hoodie blankets as warm as warm ( Sherpa blankets etc) for when sitting around and my lovely hot water bottles
I have one gas fire which throws out a good heat but not in use yet
I keep the windows in the rooms I don’t use, slightly opened and the doors shut to stop them getting damp
I m pretty healthy for my age and don’t need anyone to feel sorry for me not having a hot house to live in, mine is quite adequate for me. I totally understand some of you with poor health have no choice and if I had unlimited money I d probably join you but we all have to live with what we ve got and make the best of it

What do you think to my hoodie ? It’s a snuggle for sure

Allira

Norah

MissInterpreted

Marydoll

MissInterpreted

Whatever...it is what it is. I live in a cold (not damp!) house. My problem...

I don't think people mean to sound critical, just that some of us couldn't bear living with that temp.

I cough constantly and breathing in cold air would just finish me off. Even at 18°C my lungs protest.

I appreciate that, but as I've said, it is what it is and I have no other option. Some people do sound extremely critical when they have no idea of other people's circumstances.

I understand. And I'm sad it is what it is.

When I ski I wear a nose/mouth covering. Balaclava neck nose gaiter (Amazon sells). Have you tried that?

Why would someone go round indoors in their own home dressed as if they're going out on the ski slopes? 🤔

To take warm air in their nose. I wear nose/neck gaiters on dog walks and whilst skiing. Why is that inappropriate if one can't afford heat?

Mines on, but have bad chest and feel the cold.