Underfloor heating high running costs

[jonnydonaghy]

I moved into a newly built house last October with Underfloor heating. The problem is it is using 1000 litres of oil on average every 6 weeks. The house is approx 2000 sq ft. I have had the boiler checked out (commissioned and serviced) but no joy. I have the temp at the boiler set to the lowest setting (dial reads 0 to 5 not temp so don't know exactly what temp this is). Each room has own REHAU stat and these are set around 20 - 22 degrees. Only prob is the control doesn't seem to be great - some rooms warm some colder. I was thinking of changing the room stats to see if I could get better control and better efficiency. I have also had a UFH installer check out the system. He says it should be ok. Any ideas out there??

[[news]]

do you know what the sub underfloor heating insulation consists of ?

if the house is well insulated and everything else is within spec, the last 'known unknown' would be the insulation under the heating system. if that was installed incorrectly or it's insubstantial you could be heating mother earth instead of our house ?

RT

[nospam]

Subscribe to the uk selfbuild group on yahoo for an authoritative answer - loads of ufh expertise there

[Grunff]

Whereas around here we're all a bunch of know-nothing morons?

[RedOnRed]

1000 litres of oil every 6 weeks does seem highly excessive.

Don't want to alarm you but is it possible you might have an oil leak some where and an undetected oil slick building up on the scale of the Exxon Valdez?

[Andrew McKay]

Doesn't apply to everyone, but one or two candidates (okay, one candidate) would step up to volunteer :)

Andrew

Please note that the email address used for posting usenet messages is configured such that my antispam filter will automatically update itself so that the senders email address is flagged as spam. If you do need to contact me please visit my web site and submit an enquiry -

[The Natural Philosopher]

Not particularly, in a big house in a cold late winter.

I'd say you have less than ideal insulation somwehere.

Or a wife who opens the windows when shee feels too hot, rather than turning down the heating..;-)

[Dave]

Its unusual in a new house though, 2000sq ft is larger than average but not huge, ours is the same size, built 10 yrs ago and we use about

2500ltr per yr, we don't have UFH though.

[John]

Bear in mind that a new house will take some time for all water in the fabric to dry out but your usage does seem very high. Are you sure you need the same temperatures all over the house?

everything and a legend in his own mind? (Perhaps he will go there to share his contributions?)

I know of one really big old house 5 bedroom house, built around 200 years ago so the only insulation was in the loft, which used that sort of quantity but I'd hate to think that anything built new would use fuel at that rate.

Easy to check if you have a sight tube type gauge, turn off the boiler, turn off the fuel tank outlet, turn on the gauge isolator if there is one and observe over a day or so if there is any lowering of the gauge. If there is a significant fall it will need urgent attention. If it is a small fall try to ensure its not just thermal contraction effects

Quite!

[Mary Fisher]

Advice to husband: if she does that simply close the windows and turn down the heating.

Advice to wife: if husband does that close the windows, turn down heating and make him put another layer on. Nothing's simple with husbands.

[Lee]

I've got one of those...Must be a common species. :)

Lee

[Nospam]

Yes.

Next

[Huge]

[29 lines snipped]

Piffle.

We have a big, exposed house and get through about 1300 litres a *year*.

[Mary Fisher]

Including you?

Mary

[Alan]

Could someone be stealing it?

[The Natural Philosopher]

Big and exposed are relative terms.

Most peole I know in similar sized houses (about the size of 3 or 4 so called 'family' 4 bed houses) burn the same sort of fuel rates as I do.

[nick smith]

Agree - Fathers house has 6 bedrooms, is an irregular shape (big wall area for the accommodation, old house, poor insulation, no wall insulation, Aga on for 6 months, and he uses about 1200 litres a year. Its generally comfortable, though not "hot" inside. Nick

[Mike]

I think the irregular item is actually the shape of those inside. A divorced friend got remarried and usage jumped by 200 %.

[Lobster]

And you are reading uk.d-i-y because............?

David

[Lobster]

With husbands??!

David