Keeping your home warm / heating / energy crisis / insulation etc

Home assistant green

Has anyone fitted plastic to their single glazed windows either internally or externally to create a void?
I'm thinking about screwing plastic into the outside of the windows to help. I'm sure it won't be as good as double glazing but wonder how much it would help.

It's all just Bluetooth, the app refreshes when you open it in range. It can keep a couple of years with of data at a time and you can export it if you want. There's loads of graph options to track stuff.

I just have mine set to a range and to notify me when the temp or humidity falls out of that range. Batteries last about 6 months I reckon and they take aaa's so I just use my rechargeables.

Didn't know anything about home assist until a few posts ago, I've got a raspberry pi in a box somewhere, gonna bust it out I reckon.

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What are you trying to achieve? Reduce heat loss?

Yeah. We have single glazing in bedrooms .Longer term all windows will be replaced. I did consider just cutting some insulation and putting this over windows at night.

There’s like a plastic membrane that you can buy and fit over the inside?

Ive done the cling film and hairdryer stuff on some single glazing between the house and the conservatory. It’s right by where I sit to work, so I feel it a lot and it’s definitely made a difference

I guess that's the as mentioned by @jackbepablo does it go over the whole window? I don't think that would work as I've got old timber frames that are not flat or straight.

I was aware of that but figured something external and thicker would do a better job, maybe not.

I’ve heard good things about gecko glazing. Cut to size “secondary glazing”.

In our last place we bought 8mm glass secondary glazing units from
Clearview and the difference was insane. Appreciate that if you’re getting windows done some time you might not want to pay for something like that.

Have a look at Gecko though!

Ooh don't know, will find out

Cheers that's really helpful

I’ve given them a different one but I’ll try to swap to yours if you find it.

Was that 8mm single pane or 8mm total?

Yeah, having looked at their faq it seems their product isn't far from my initial thought of cutting a perspex sheet.

I've bought some film to try first, was only 6eur. And will go from there.

What are Gecko Panes?
Gecko Panes are made-to-measure clear plastic panes which pop just inside the frame of your existing windows.

By trapping a layer of air, which is a strong insulator, they cut heat loss and emissions by half, which is nearly as good as conventional double glazing but at a fraction of the effort and cost.

I suppose the hard part is getting it air tight. Not doing so will allow water in the air to condense on the glass inside the void and eventually rot the wood

It was an 8mm thick vertically sliding unit that I installed behind the sash and case windows (internally). The windows each had a slight bay (very old solid wall house) so I could leave a 100mm gap between the window and the secondary unit. That kind of gap was also really beneficial.

Never had any issues with condensation in the 2+ years we had them.

Windows will be replaced in 2-4 years max.

Cheers @andos

I mean, there actually gap in the current glass!

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My BiL lived in an former agricultural workers bungalow for a bit. Literally non-existent levels of insulation.

They used the window film and said it helped. If you're replacing the windows just slap it on. If you get it wrong redo it. It's not expensive.

Can you run a bead of silicone caulk around the window frame to fill any gaps?

Yeah I will do that. I didn't realise there were gaps untill just now.

Plastic sheet would be around 60 EUR for the window so not bad. I'll see how the cling film does and upgrade of needed.

Not strictly heating but I think this is the best thread to ask. Dehumidifiers, if I place a 12L Meaco one in my mid terrace Victorian house, is that really enough to draw in moisture from across the house or would 2x 10L, one downstairs, one upstairs, be better?

One upstairs one downstairs would be better for sure. More annoying though so your call

Everyone will laugh at this question, but here goes....

I'm running a dehumidifier and in that time the last number has gone from 2 to 4.

My usage rate is 25.21p/kWh.

Does that mean it's cost me 50p?

Cheers

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(I've been using other stuff so it's not a true test, but is the principal on working out the cost correct?)

Oil filled radiators - what brand for a cold teenagers bedroom? Are those little 800w jobs anygood?