Tag Archives: heating
Planning your bathroom? Here are 7 top tips!
There are 7 key areas that you must address before starting your bathroom renovation. By planning ahead, you can save yourself both time and prevent many costly mistakes that may occur in the long run.
- Get the location perfect – Where is your bathroom currently located? Is it in the best place for the rest of the home? If not, now may be the best time to relocate. For example, it may be beneficial to move the bathroom from downstairs to upstairs or vice versa. Remember, this is your bathroom, so design the space to fit the features you want it to have, such as a walk-in shower enclosure or whirlpool bath.
- Is that the best price? – If you’re working with a limited budget, you don’t have to buy all your sanitaryware from the same supplier, or with the same brand. It’s useful to stick with the colour white as this will broaden your options, and be sure to check out your local bathroom discount warehouses and online retailers. Mix and match different installations to achieve the look you’re after at the best possible cost.
- Check your water supply – The performance of your water system will determine the outcome of water pressure within your new bathroom installation. There is no point in upgrading your bathroom without first checking that your water system will be up to the task. If your home currently has a gravity fed system, it may be an idea to check with your plumber to see if a pressurised system can be installed, so that you’re meeting a standard demand of 3 BAR (measure of water pressure). If an upgrade isn’t an option, then look towards electrical pump installations to give you that extra boost in pressure.
- Turn on the lights! - Imaginative lighting can make a big difference to your finished look – Don’t just settle for a single centre mounted light bulb. Experiment with spot lights on key features, such as the bath, with dimmer controls to create a real relaxing atmosphere. Low-voltage down-lights with directional fittings can provide clean bright lighting to create a spacious feel within your bathroom. Avoid pointing lights onto mirrors, and be sure to check that all your lights meet building regulations (IPX ratings etc).
- Consider your heating – The ideal option for bathrooms is underfloor heating, as it’s concealed and it can make a tiled or stone floor a lot more comfortable. Alternatively, you could incorporate hot water pipes between joists which can be added to your current central heating system (you will need a mixer valve to control the extra flow). Electric UFH mats laid within the tile adhesive are also another option. Towel rails are a no brainer – easy installation with maximum benefit both practically and cosmetically.
- Enough ventilation? – If you don’t consider ventilation properly in the early stages of development, your newly installed bathroom will quickly become victim to mould, and unavoidable musty smells. An electric powered extractor fan mounted into a top corner is the best option, and and can be vented straight outside or up through a ceiling. Some fans can be activated by movement or humidity level, but the common method of operation is incorporating it into your light switch.
- Optimise your layout – Having a shower, wash basin and WC is fine for a second bathroom or en suite, but a family bathroom needs to have a bath. Don’t try to cram too much into your new layout and try and stick to minimum practical working distances around each facility. WC’s for instance, require 45cm either side of the centre. Without spending too much cash, try using a computer program to help you decide on a layout. Google SketchUp (sketchup.google.com) is a great place to start.
So what are you waiting for? Get planning!
Source: Real Homes Magazine – June 2009
The River Thames can heat your home!
A couple based in Oxford have found a novel use for the River Thames, running just opposite their newly built home. Water from the free flowing river provides the raw material required for a water based heat pump which is being utilised to heat the water in their home. The principle is the same as a ground source heat pump, which extracts heat from the local environment, which in this case is the River Thames.
Combined with high insulation, and correctly glazed windows the demand for heating is less here than in the average home. The combination of the Thames heat pump and solar panels provides enough energy to warm both their home and hot water supply. Taking advantage of these new ecosaving energy sources could mean that we are getting ever closer to that cost-free shower first thing each morning!
So what’s the science behind it? Both air and water source heat pumps are enviromentally efficient ways of transforming natural heat sources to benefit our homes. Air heat pumps can be utilised for heating the home, whereas water based heat pumps can take advantage of the heat in a lake or from the ground. This technology can easily be explained when looking at your fridge at home. A small heat pump located on the back of the fridge works to move any heat from inside the fridge to the outside, thus cooling down the inside. For more information on heat pumps please visit the following link: http://www.ecoheatpumps.co.uk/heat_pumps.htm
Source: Grand Design Magazine – July 2009
The Sun can heat your home.
There is not a lot out there that can match a piping hot shower – unless of course it doesn’t cost a penny. The way to do this is to take full advantage of widely available solar thermal panels. Fitting a system is straight forward and can be carried out on any home, whether it is an existing property or new build.
It is important not to confuse solar thermal panels with photovoltaic panels, which utilise the suns energy to produce electricity. Solar thermal panels use the suns energy to heat water stored in glass pipes on the surface of the panels. The heated water is then circulated into the homes water supply where it can be used for washing up, showering, and in some cases heating the home. The beauty of it all is that it doesn’t cost you anything.
Leading solar thermal providers state that full solar thermal systems will provide 50 – 70% of the hot water in your home. With a 50% growth on solar thermal installations across the UK in comparison to last year, it seems that the general public are beginning to catch on.
With systems starting from as little as £1500.00 you’ll soon realise the system will begin to pay itself off before you know it.
For more information visit the suppliers: www.velux.co.uk, www.meisterstueck.co.uk, www.baxi.co.uk, www.kingspansolar.co.uk
IPHE moves to Royal Charter
Upgrading our homes heating systems, or installing new bathroom suites we all know is a task best left to the professionals. There is a sense of weariness about bringing a trader into the equation with popular TV shows such as ‘Rogue Traders‘ teaching us to be aware of the fallacious con men that crawl our communities. Finding a trustworthy, qualified individual can sometimes be a difficult task, but thanks to the CIPHE it’s a little easier for the rest of us.
Chartered status has been awarded to the CIPHE, the professional body for plumbing and heating, by the Privy council for their contribution to the health and safety of the public and the environment. Their website www.ciphe.org.uk provides an invaluable service in which members of the public can type in their postcode to find their nearest qualified engineer.
So if your planning to change your water system, or even install a new shower, consider finding a trader one less thing to do on your list.