Heat, glorious heat!

This one is about central heating. But it’s also about some facts which could help Moshe trying to unravel the mystery of his central heating fan!

Last year we spent a considerable amount of time renovating our upstairs area – our retreat, if you like – which is an extension to the house. When the house was extended by the previous owner, someone ran two central heating outlets off the main system; one in the bedroom and one in the landing/study area.

We found that those two outlets were actually affecting the efficiency of the system on the ground floor – not enough airflow. It was also pointless as there is only one thermostat in the house, downstairs. So the first floor was never heated properly anyway.

Then there is the dust factor: floor vents stay gaping open for a large part of the year; therefore fluff and dust tend to accumulate in them, which eventually get shot back in the room when the heating comes on.

Then there was the aesthetic factor: newly painted walls and skirts and a new carpet, why spoil it with holes in the floor?

But most of all was the noise… With the heating on, we used to hear an annoying continuous whistle as the air passed through the plastic grille. Not very pleasant at 6:00am.

We decided that we should opt for electric heating upstairs and, instantaneously, agreed for the Nobo brand. I knew of their excellent reputation and Lesley had them fitted in a previous house.

We bought one heater on Monday – rated at 2400W with a built-in timer. Very excited, we installed under our bedroom window last night after work. It took less than half an hour, most of which was spent on measuring and centering. Nobo have a smart and very reliable way of ensuring that the heater is correctly placed and at a specific distance above the floor.

Next was the power-up ceremony. Lesley was nervous about the window blind being close to the top of the heater. I was slightly concerned that our temporary extension cable is rated the same as the heater itself. I would have preferred a bit more tolerance.

These heaters are spectacular. Within half an hour, the room had turned from a pretty cold to very comfortable. The air was not dry, the heater was radiating a reassuring glow and you could feel the natural, gentle air circulation from the floor through the heater and upwards. I set the timer for the week and that was it.

Moshe’s problem came to mind as I started to fret about the next electricity bill, so I turned off the gas central heating, the dishwasher and a couple of other things and I headed for the electricity meter: One revolution in 3.5 seconds. The heater was running at its maximum 2400W.

It may sound a bit scary and potentially expensive. Over the next few days I’ll be watching a bit more closely, as the Nobo heaters are supposed to be consuming a lot less once the room has reached the desired temperature. If I was to think about a new central heating solution I’d probably choose between these heaters (because you can wire them to a control panel and create zones too) or a hydronic system.

But overall, we are happy with the choice. We slept really well and woke up to a warm room. It was just a little hard getting out of bed though!...