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

It's for using to take the edge off the cold when I'm working from home

If you just want to warm the space a bit when you start the day then electric fan heaters are great. They heat the air quickly so are perfect in a workshop/shed/etc. where you'll then be doing something active. An oil filled rad will act more like a trad rad.

If however you're getting cold as you sit there doing nothing I'd look elsewhere. I have a blanket and a gilet. Other people recommend warming underneath like having a rug and warmer slippers.

Yeah, hot water tank recharge is scheduled once per 24hrs, from 1am (when the 5p/kWh period begins and outdoor temps haven’t dropped too much).

if I want to replace an existing kitchen extractor fan (which vents to the outside) with a heat recovery ventilation / extractor fan, is there a recommended unit?

I read somewhere that the heat generated by cooking (and showers) replaces lost heat anyway so venting straight out isn’t much of a problem

How airtight is your house? If anything other than ‘quite’, then dMVHR (decentralised) prob not the one. Look at dMEV instead (continuous extractor which auto-boosts based on humidity levels).

In either scenario, if you’re looking to switch from a vented extractor to a recirculating one, make sure you don’t cheap out on it. Budget recirculating extractors are loud and ineffective. Also factor in carbon filter replacement costs, and the effort of cleaning the grease filters regularly.

We have a mid-range Miele extractor (bought new-in-box on eBay for £300) in recirculating mode, with cheap third-party carbon filters. It’s very quiet, and very effective. I fitted a silencer/attenuator to it, and it’s even more unobtrusive and refined now.

thanks both. I would rate air tightness at 1/10. I’m just trying to get rid of the current extractor which is basically an open hole to the outside, like having a window open. while maintaining ability to extract smoke, food smells etc while cooking. maybe this isn’t the solution. I’ll do some more digging

since I posted before in this thread, we pulled out the fridge and found a massive hole behind which was letting very cold air into the space (again akin to having a window ajar 24/7). we’ve since sealed that up and that’s gone a significant way to eliminating the thermal discomfort issues we were having due to feeling drafts permanently

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Extractor flue should have a one-way flap type valve to stop back draft while not running

Our extractor has a set of leaves that open when the fan is on. Rather like a camera shutter. Icon I think is the make.

Tell me more about silencer

It’s a 300mm attenuator that I bought from a hydroponic jazz cabbage shop. Reduces the already-quiet Miele extractor to a totally inoffensive background whoosh.

I’ve also got a load of sound deadening foam to line the inside of the ply cabinet with, when I can find the time…

We have the extractor on whenever the hob/oven/toaster are on, so quiet running is essential. Well worth it. MUCH quieter than any downdraft hob I’ve ever experienced.

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Ahhh looks good. Mine is standalone/not in a cabinet so no good I think! Thanks anyway.