I’m a plumber and here are four tips to heat your home this winter
Now that summer is officially over, if you’re worried about how you’ll stay warm now that the weather has dropped, fear not: you’ve come to the right place.
There’s nothing worse than having a cold night indoors and then feeling like it’s freezing even though you have the heating on full blast, but your radiators are only lukewarm.
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But don’t worry, luckily for you, a plumber has shared four simple tips to heat your home.
Thanks to Zhelyazko Yanchev, a plumber working on behalf of Fantastic Services, a British-based company of experts who help people with home maintenance matters, there are four “very simple” ways to make your radiators feel warmer.
And according to the pro, a cheap purchase from Savers, which you probably already have in your cupboard, could be the secret to keeping your home warm and toasty this winter.
Yanchev explained: “Water heating systems circulate hot water through pipes and radiators throughout the house.
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“There are plenty of ways to make radiators hotter and heat up faster, without buying a new boiler and using expensive or specialist tools.
“Hot water radiator systems are very simple and the problems are probably just as simple.”
Provide clarification
According to Yanchev, one of the first things you should do if you want your radiator to heat your home is to remove any objects on or under the radiators.
Yanchev said: ‘Radiators work on the principle that warm air rises by natural convection.
“Any objects placed on or under them will almost certainly disrupt this process, so make sure you keep your radiators tidy.”
Dust it off
Not only is tidying up essential, but you also need to dust.
It turns out that large clumps of dust and lint can clog the fins and reduce the efficiency of the radiator.
5 ways to keep your house warm in winter
Real estate expert Joshua Houston shared his tips.
1. Curtains
“Windows are a common place for the cold from outside to enter your home, this is due to small openings that can let air in, so always close your curtains as soon as it gets dark,” he said.
This simple method gives you an extra layer of warmth because it can provide a kind of “insulation” between your window and curtain.
2. Rugs
“Your floor is another part of your home where heat can be lost and make your home feel cold,” he continued. “On cold days you may notice that your floor is not pleasant to walk on because your feet are freezing.
“Add rugs to areas that don’t already have carpet. This will provide a layer of insulation between your bare floor and the room above.”
3. Check your insulation
Check your pipes, attic space, crawl spaces and under floorboards.
“Loose insulation is great for this, and it is a more affordable form of insulation, with a large bag being picked up for around £30,” explains Joshua.
4. Keep your interior doors closed
“Household members often congregate in one room in the evening, which is usually the kitchen or living room,” says Joshua.
“This means you only need to heat a small part of your home and closing the doors keeps the heat in and the cold out.”
5. Block drafts
Don’t forget to check cat flaps, chimneys and mailboxes as these can let in cold air if they are not properly secured.
As a result, removing dust with a long, thin duster can quickly remove dirt and turn those lukewarm radiators into real heaters.
If you don’t have a duster you can buy one from various shops and supermarkets, and for those on a budget you’ll be happy to know that Savers has retractable dusters for just £1.19.
Balance them
After you’ve dusted, Yanchev recommended balancing your radiators.
Yanchev said: ‘If a room is always colder or if the radiator takes a long time to warm up, you may need to balance the radiators.
Cheap gadgets to keep you warm
MARTIN Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert shared six gadgets that can help you keep the heating off but still stay warm.
Heating “the person, not the house” means that you heat yourself instead of turning on the heat and heating the whole house.
This allows you to save money on your heating costs and you don’t have to be out in the cold.
- USB Gloves – initial cost £10, cost to use less than 1p per hour
- Heated insoles – initial cost £10, running costs less than 1p per hour
- USB hand warmers – initial cost £15, cost to use less than 1p per hour
- Electric vest – initial cost £50 (including battery pack), running costs less than 1p per hour
- Microwaveable wheat bag – initial cost £4, running cost less than 1p per hour
- Reusable hand warmers – initial cost £5 for a pair, running costs less than 1p per hour
“This ensures that they heat evenly, no matter how close they are to the kettle.”
If you are unsure how to balance a radiator, it is best to call a professional.
Let the fans do the work
In addition, Yanchev explained that radiator fans are small electric fans that sit on top or bottom of the radiator.
Yanchev said: “By drawing air through the vanes of the radiator, they help it release as much heat as possible.”
