Heating the hall/porch

Unless you insulate your walls etc you are into large fuel bills whatever - we had a utility in one house which only had a single brick wall - we had a heater on out there for hours and you would never know - it remained so cold. In this house we put a lot of insulation on the walls and also between the beams of the ceiling and the difference in warmth has been enormous. Electric underfloor heating is expensive to run - although quick and easy to install - whereas if you could have water pipe heating it is very cheap to run and comes off the house central heating, but needs to be on for hours as it operates at a low temperature. If you get a good plumber who as they say 'knows his onions' you do not need all the fancy controls they tell you about. it can be done in a much more economical and easier way - the son of OH is a Corgi engineer and installed this type in his house and it works beautifully.

Thanks everyone I'm going to think seriously about underfloor heating I've just been looking at heating foil that will go under laminate flooring it looks ideal I will find out the cost and how much to take up and relay the floor.

We have underfloor heating in a small conservatory and in a small shower room/wetrooms. Both work really well.

Underfloor heating is a doddle to fit,has a timer and works a treat

When we moved into our current home the bathroom had a light fitting which incorporated an infra-red heater. the heating element had separate controls to the light.

We used to have a heat/ light fitting in our bathroom when I lived at home light in the middle and a bar like an electric fire element running around it. You can turn the heat off in summer.
We have a special large bulb type fitment in our loo off the utility room. It's not great but takes the chill off.

You can get radiators that are the size of skirting boards.

Greyduster I think we'd have to take up the wooden floor plus tiles that are underneath unless it could be laid on top of the floor tiles under the wooden floor.

thanks everyone lots of food for thought there..

I think you can get a light fitting that is also a heater. That might be adequate depending on size of porch.

I was about to suggest a non-electric greenhouse heater. You can get ones which run on bottled gas (small) or paraffin.

There are electric greenhouse heaters that are like horizontal drainpipes. They are designed to keep a low level of constant heat. One of these might do if electricity could be provided.

X

Am a bit puzzled as to why underfloor heating would require pipes through the wall? Mostly, it is electric. Our conservatory has underfloor heating, which was installed by the previous occupants, but i have to say, it's such a big space (12ft x12ft) that we don't find it very efficient. In a smaller space, though, i should imagine it would do very well.

I'll investigate if there is enough space below the door frame to run a cable but the door opens almost level with the floor so it would be difficult I think. Thanks for the idea though I'll see if its possible. Radiator on a time is an excellent suggestion thanks.

My DH has run a tiny piece of trunking along the skirting and door frame. It is white and blends in well. You wouldn't need a fixed radiator tanith there are some fantastic portable heaters that you could have on a timer.

Thanks gillybob trouble is the only place it could be done is in a corner right where the front door opens so no room to put the radiator without running the cable along the lip of the front door. The front door and the inside door into the house are at right angles to each other its a really awkward space..

Hi tanith is it not possible for an electrician to pick up a socket on the other side of the wall? We have outside sockets which my DH picked up from the dining room supply?

Our insulation was stuck on the inside , it is like plasterboard with a furry bit on the side stuck to the wall

Under floor heating would still mean pipes through the outside wall of the house.
I will investigate having a power point run from the light supply and if there is someway we could have insulation put on the walls its only single skinned brick so it would have to be stuck on.
Thanks for the suggestions

First of all make sure you have it well insulated . we had to turn the utility room into a kitchen and the builder said it would be impossible to heat without insulation , so a layer of stuff was stuck on the walls , even without the heater on it is warmer already. I would say if you have wiring for a light it should be possible to get a power point

Would you be able to take the floor up and have underfloor heating?