Are you trying to figure out how to make your large home warmer?

If you’re constantly feeling like you need to put on a jumper in your large house – especially in winter – it’s never fun, is it? As a heating engineer, I’m often approached about this problem in Edinburgh. Especially as there are quite a lot of older builds around, with original windows and high ceilings!

However, fear not, as I’m here to help! Below, I’m going to tell you some ways you can potentially make your large home warmer. But first…

Why is my large home not getting warm enough?

There could be numerous reasons why your large home just isn’t keeping you warm enough. If you have an older build with less insulation, it could easily be a big factor. Add to that large, original single-glazed windows, or large rooms with high ceilings, and you probably find your radiators just aren’t doing enough of a good job.

In larger homes, placement of your radiators can also be an issue. And if you’ve replaced your radiators for tall, vertical ones (for style), you might find they aren’t providing as much heat as a wider, double panel convector radiator.

Finally, if your home was designed back in the ’70s, it’s possible your bedrooms were designed to be a lower temperature than your lounge and living area. This is because at the time, most people mainly used their bedrooms for sleeping. Nowadays, times have changed, with many wanting to play video games, watch movies or sit on their iPads.

TIP: For more information and ideas, read my blog post ‘5 Reasons Why Your House Isn’t Getting Warm Enough’.

So. what can you do to help make your large home warmer? Let’s take a look, below:

1. Fit larger radiators for extra warmth

If you’re feeling the cold, despite your radiators getting very hot, I’d recommend fitting larger radiators. You could even add additional radiators for extra comfort (especially if your radiators are vertical and not supplying as much output as traditional radiators). However, always check with your engineer that your boiler can cope with the extra outputs.

Recently I had a client who wanted to change her radiators. She had a very large drawing room, and wanted to switch out her big radiators to much slimmer, vertical ones. I tried to explain to her that the heat they’d give would only be about 60% of what she was getting at present, so she’d find the room a lot colder.

In the end, we came to a decision to fit three new radiators, rather than two, so that she would get around the same heat that she was used to. Vertical radiators will never give the same output as traditional ones. They just don’t have the same convection abilities.

2. Fit a programmable room thermostat

Programmable room thermostats and smart controls not only allow you to have more control over your home’s heating, they can also allow you to set individual zones – perfect for a larger home. You can decide on a set back temperature so that your house never falls below that temperature, rather than just switching your heating on and off.

Zones are particularly helpful for keeping the cost down in large homes. For instance, one of my customers worked from home, and spent the majority of their time in one part of the house. They were scared to turn the heating on, because the cost of heating the whole house would be expensive. We installed a zoning system, and they were able to cut their fuel bills by over 53%! And of course, they’re now not scared to use their heating.

Programmable thermostats and controls are relatively simple to install, too. Here’s an overview of some of the controls available from Worcester Bosch.

3. Check your boiler’s output is fit for purpose

If your property has at some point had an extension, conservatory or attic conversion fitted, but the boiler hasn’t been updated since, it could be that it’s undersized and struggling to deal with the extra output required.

The solution? A higher output, high efficiency boiler should make your home roasty toasty again.

4. Check your radiators are working efficiently

Are your radiators not quite getting hot enough? If they’re not getting too hot to touch despite your boiler’s thermostat sets to maximum, or they’re only getting hot at the top, your problem may be sludge build-up or a circulation problem with your central heating system. I’d recommend contacting an engineer to check it out,

TIP: You can also view my blog post, ‘5 Symptoms and Fixes for Boilers Failing to Heat Properly’.

5. Search for any drafts and insulation

If you have a large, older home, there may be more drafts and insulation issues than you’d normally find in newer builds. You could be losing heat through large original windows, or from ill-fitting windows and doors.

In which case, I’d recommend looking carefully at your home’s insulation levels and measuring your heat loss to see if more insulation and sealing up drafts could help. This is a far better solution than simply spending more on fuel!

If you have access underneath your floor, and in your attic, it could also be a good idea to fit additional insulation there.

Advice from an experienced heating engineer

Don’t know why your large home isn’t getting hot enough? The best thing to do is contact a professional heating engineer. They should be able to visit and assess your property before advising on potential solutions. And don’t forget to ask for a fixed price quote before agreeing to any work!

Conclusion

I hope this blog has helped pinpoint some ways you could make your large home warmer. I’d recommend calling in an engineer to take a proper look, and perhaps mention some of the tips above to see which he’d agree with.

Looking for more advice on how to make your large home  warmer? Let me know in the comments’ section, or get in touch with me directly.