Very cold flat in a housing association

[JoeyJoeC]

It's a brand new build, and is suppose to be very energy efficient, however I'm not convinced it has been properly insulated.

 

The heater is a "heat exchange unit", so there is no boiler in the property, just a big unit somewhere else which pumps hot water to each flat which is used for hot water from the taps, and heating.

 

The issue is that I would leave the heating on its highest setting (30), for several hours at a time, but the flat never gets warm, it stays below 20 I would imagine. The radiators warm up (can comfortably hold your hands on them), but no where near the temperature I have seen with gas boilers. I am having to use electric heaters along with the central heating to warm the flat.

 

Is there any duty for them to provide me adequate heating?

[silverfox1961]

Hi,

Now that is an interesting topic.

 

Do you know if the heat exchange unit is

 

 

a) Solar powered

b) Ground source heat exchanger

c) Air source heat exchanger

d) separate boiler room

 

b & c are like fridges but in reverse.

 

I would assume that you pay a service charge for this privilege and as such, they should be adequate for everyones' needs.

You should make your HA aware of this just in case the system isn't balanced correctly.

 

As an aside, I live in a flat with a separate boiler room. This supplies 20 properties and all of us can have the place as hot as we want and nobody else goes without hot water.

[citizenB]

Have you spoken to neighbours to see what they think of the heating ?

[Steve__M]

Buy a decent thermometer and record some readings.

 

Check your neighbour's radiator temperatures.

 

It would be easy for the HA guys to check the temperature and flow rate of the water coming out of your system.

 

It is possible for things to go wrong in new-builds. A friend of mine with a similar system found that they had fitted the hot and cold the wrong way around in his heat exchanger, for example.

[Mr.P]

b) Ground source heat exchanger

c) Air source heat exchanger

 

Heat source pumps do not generate high temperature water (typically, 30°) and are generally recommended for use with low temperature radiators and under-floor heating. Most units also have an internal electric heater, so if the thermostat is turned up too high, the heater kicks in and consumes a substantial amount of energy.

[mariner51]

Ask HA for advice and expected room temps.

Not a good idea to set thermostat at 30, report poss fault to HA.

[JoeyJoeC]

Thanks for your replys. I will check with the HA.

 

I do have a temp logger that I've set up in the hallway. Temp was 17.5c before heating was on. Heating is on full for the last 3 hours now and its at a whopping 20.7c

[mariner51]

Move you temp logger to lounge.

If the hallway achieves 20.7c, I guess the lounge reaches an acceptable cosy 22-24c, with fewer draughts and large rads. Anything more is a waste of energy IMO. Temp can be supplemented per room by judicious use of an electric fire/fan heater.

A red glow in room can mentally increase perceived temp by ~ 1 degree with no additional heat input.

[JoeyJoeC]

The logger is oppersite a rad. The living room has 1 rad and is just as cold.

 

I want to feel warm, not to think I'm warm.

[Steve__M]

I assume you have radiator valves that can be set to a particular temperature? And that you've set them high too?

 

Where in the country are you? It's quite warm where I am (south-west) so what you report doesn't sound great.

 

The other thing to check is to see whether one side of your radiators is very cool. There should be a difference in temperature, but not a very noticeable one. If one side is cool it suggests a lack of flow of hot water.

[caledfwlch]

I wish there was legislation forcing Housing Associations to provide adequate heating. the only heating in my flat is a storage heater in the living room which doesn't warm the room up very well, because all storage heaters are useless, and it costs around £4-£5 a day to have on!!

 

There is an electric heater in the living room too, but again, that wipes the meter credit out extremely fast, it's ridiculous.

 

Each flat has the space to put in a gas boiler for example, because the Hot Water is run by ancient boilers controlled by a ticking mechanical box, looks like 1970's technology, and they again cost about £2 a day to have on, so it's not affordable in these flats to have hot water or proper heating with what has been supplied, and the areas where the Water boiler is kept is more than big enough for a Gas Boiler. There is also a very large back yard/garden and they could easily put in a small unit with a communal boiler.

[JoeyJoeC]

http://imglnk.uk/img?i=tNLvPz.jpg (larger)

 

This is my flat temp. The large peaks are when the heating is on full in the evernings, the smaller peaks are when it comes on in the morning.

 

Sorry for the crappy chart, never used excel for charts before.

 

User Information RC-5 Data Logger

Number 1

Interval 0:15:0 H:M:S

Delay Time 0.0 H

Data Sum 206

Temperature Maximum 22.2°C

Temperature Minimum 17.7°C

Temperature Average 19.4°C

Temperature Alarm Upper Limit 60.0°C

Temperature Alarm Lower Limit -30.0°C

Start Time 2015-11-25 19:17:56

End Time 2015-11-27 22:32:56

Date Format yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss

[JoeyJoeC]

I assume you have radiator valves that can be set to a particular temperature? And that you've set them high too?

 

Where in the country are you? It's quite warm where I am (south-west) so what you report doesn't sound great.

 

The other thing to check is to see whether one side of your radiators is very cool. There should be a difference in temperature, but not a very noticeable one. If one side is cool it suggests a lack of flow of hot water.

 

Yes, all the rads are set on full. I am near London.

[stu007]

Hi JoeyJoeC

 

Does the Heat Exchange Unit have any information on it i.e. Make, Model, Serial etc?

 

Now you say a main heat exchange unit somewhere else that provides hot water and heating, by heating could you clarify if the heating is radiators?

 

Do you pay for heating and hot water as part of your rent or is there a separate agreement for this?

[Steve__M]

Interestingly, the flat temperature doesn't seem to go very low.

 

The old, but reasonably well-insulated house I was in over the weekend was down to below 15C when the heating wasn't on, and that was in Torquay (where it is usually warmer - I haven't checked the weather).

 

So it suggests that there are no draught or insulation problems - though it's worth checking the window and doors for leaky seals - especially when it is windy like today.

 

How many hours is the heating on for in the evening?