Which is cheaper

[kareem100]

Hi,

Could someone tell me, is it cheaper to heat my living room using the gas central heating or a 5kw gas fire?

My living room is 20 ft by 13 ft.

Regards,
Kareem

 

[ecowarm]

it a difficult one to answer, gas fires are not very efficient and the heating it depends on what you have, thermostatic radiator valves
new boiler, etc.

If you have a modern boiler and can regulate the other radiators then the boiler.

 

[kareem100]

Hi,

Just to clarify, the gas fire is 90 per cent efficient. I do have controls on the radiators ( to turn them off and adjust temperature setting ), but I have been told by enginners that they are'nt very good. I have been told that energy is wasted by hot water being sent up to radiators that are turned off, and then the radiator controls rejects the hot water and sends it back.

However sometimes I do wonder if the info the engineers give me is 100 per cent correct.

Regards,
Kareem

 

[ecowarm]

I would say the infomation is 100% wrong

 

[tamz]

If you want to live in the 1 room forever (where the fire is) then a fire (running 90% eff) would definately be cheaper.
But
If like most normal people you use the other parts of the house, unless you plan on keeping a fleece and a hat and glove set at the lounge door, put the heating on.

If a trv closes then that part of the system and all the water it contains is redundant. It is not moving or being heated. Maybe you should speak to some better heating guys.

I am speaking from a bit of experience here as i grew up in a house with 1 coal fire in the lounge (well it was really a living room ). The lounge (living room) was always nice and warm but we used to have fights about who was going to venture into the kitcken to put the kettle on, the bathroom was so cold no ever took in a paper and the bedroom windows were frosted on the inside (in october) :lol:

 

[kareem100]

Hi,

Tamz, we switch on the heating in all the rooms in the late evenings and early mornings. But for the majority of the day we only heat up the living room ( to keep costs down ).

By the way the info about trv's came from British Gas Engineers. I sort of assumed they had some sort of expertise.

 

[diamondgas]

kareem100 .... fires have never been designed to work any more than 70% otherwise what would heat the flue?

However if cost is an issue, which it seems to be considering your other post, buy thicker clothing and duvet's! Make sure your home is well insulated and then consider individual temperature control on your rooms and have a condensing boiler fitted! Otherwise huddle in the room with the fire! Your choice!

 

[tamz]

By the way the info about trv's came from British Gas Engineers. I sort of assumed they had some sort of expertise.

Alledgedly!
They do have a lot of top guys but they are getting thin on the ground these days.

If you haven't already got one, get a room stat fitted. You can get wireless ones so no mess with running wires. Then you have a lot more control over your system than just trv's.
If at the moment the heating came on at say 5pm and off at 10 the boiler would be running for the full 5 hour period with perhaps a few trv's shutting down.
If you fit a room stat with the same timings on the clock, the boler might only run for a 3 hour period as it will shut down when the stat senses the room is wam enough.
It can make quite a saving.

 

[ecowarm]

quote 1 "but I have been told by enginners that they are'nt very good. I have been told that energy is wasted by hot water being sent up to radiators that are turned off, and then the radiator controls rejects the hot water and sends it back.

However sometimes I do wonder if the info the engineers give me is 100 per cent correct."

Quote 2 "By the way the info about trv's came from British Gas Engineers. I sort of assumed they had some sort of expertise."


If British Gas said it then who are we to question it, back to school for me, now just google "British gas male cow droppings course in how a TRV works"

 

[fuzzy]

Hi,

Could someone tell me, is it cheaper to heat my living room using the gas central heating or a 5kw gas fire?

My living room is 20 ft by 13 ft.

Regards,
Kareem

depends on a lot

the type and efficiency of the fire, the size of the house, the type of heating, the size of the room etc etc

in most cases if your only heating 1 room the fire should be cheaper, until you open a door and loose all the heat

 

[fuzzy]

Hi,

Just to clarify, the gas fire is 90 per cent efficient. I do have controls on the radiators ( to turn them off and adjust temperature setting ), but I have been told by enginners that they are'nt very good. I have been told that energy is wasted by hot water being sent up to radiators that are turned off, and then the radiator controls rejects the hot water and sends it back.

However sometimes I do wonder if the info the engineers give me is 100 per cent correct.

Regards,
Kareem

the water will only circulate around the pipes and will miss the rads turned off. fir trvs and good ones, turn them down in the day, or all times, the heat will concentrate into the living room. the warmer other rooms will reduce heat loss from lounge

the ehat returning to the boiler is sent round again, not magically disappear

 

[dontknowitall]

Remember with a portable type heater heated with a cylinder there is the cost of replacing the empty cylinder (petrol/delivery or whatever method you use).

 

[kareem100]

Hi,

I, surprised that diamond gas is saying gas fires have never been more than 70 per cent efficient. I've seen lot of gas fires advertised with 80 per cent efficiency and some at 90 per cent. Are you saying that the manufacturers are not telling the whole truth ?

 

[stevetheplumber]

ah the good old days 4 of us huddled round a gas fire drawing lots to see who would brave the freezing kitchen to make the tea