I just moved into a rented house. It is a conversion, which was done about 2 years ago. No attic space, so no tank or emersion heater - just a combi boiler (Firebird, Combi 70). It has an integrated timer on the front panel, for the hot water and heating. It also has a temperature adjuster for regulating heating, but this has no actual temperature markings on it in degrees, just lines getting thicker to show the hotter settings. There is no thermostat installed in any room, which I am accustomed to. I am having big trouble trying to get the house at a tolerable temperature - it's either too hot or too cold and is driving me mad. As there are frequent power cuts here, too, the timer is always wrong. As winter sets in I'm anxious to get this sorted so I don't freeze or get extortionate energy bills, and so that my dog doesn't freeze or bake when I'm out!
Someone told me that it is against regulations these days NOT to have a room thermostat. Thus, I have a couple of questions:
- Is that true? If so, does my landlord HAVE to install one?
- If he does, is that going to mean ripping out parts of the kitchen (tiled walls, fitted cupboards) to wire one up? I could really do without the hassle as I moved here for some peace!
- Could a wireless thermostat be the answer? Do they work with any type of boiler and are they a pain to set up?
Just trying to find the best solution. For the rent I pay I took it for granted that the house would have been fitted with all the usual kit, especially as the conversion is only two years old.
Any advice so I can know how to approach my (difficult) landlord would be very much appreciated. The guy who did the installation is insisting that there is a thermostat here, which is absolutely not the case. The landlord is intimating that my partner and I are too stupid to have found it, that it is there, and that is that. (Mind you, when the boiler went wrong recently he suggested we put the emersion heater on in the airing cupboard. There isn't an airing cupboard either!).
Many thanks in advance for any help on this.
Regards, Jane.