Lockable Heater

Samuel T. Cogley

Does anyone know of (I know they exist but can't find them) a heater with a lockable timer and thermostat? A pluggy in one rather than one that needs to be installed?

We have lodgers and the wife has no worries about the telly being nicked or us ending up with a sex pest, but like all true Irish landlords the thought of a single joule of heat being wasted fills her with dread and gives her nightmares! :pac:

I thought about maybe getting a 0.5Kw yoke and thought if that was left on all the time it wouldn't be the end of the world? To be fair the room we rent is in a part of the house with three exposed walls so it does get colder than the rest of the house and I don't really want to run the central heating when it's only one room.

Any info on all that or other suggestions most welcome. Thanks in advance!

davindub

one of these
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Plug-In-HEATING-ONLY-Hydroponic-Thermostat-With-Digital-Display-T33-/200891258710

plugged into one of these
https://www.powercity.ie/?par=80-20-808675

and get a lockable box to store it in.

But much neater to do a installed job, and put a on/off switch for the tenant as well, some people don't like the heat on at night etc.

Mrs OBumble

Your lodgers have a right to control when their heating is on or off.

gizmo81

I despair for tenants in this country!

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

Does anyone know of (I know they exist but can't find them) a heater with a lockable timer and thermostat? A pluggy in one rather than one that needs to be installed?

We have lodgers and the wife has no worries about the telly being nicked or us ending up with a sex pest, but like all true Irish landlords the thought of a single joule of heat being wasted fills her with dread and gives her nightmares! :pac:

I thought about maybe getting a 0.5Kw yoke and thought if that was left on all the time it wouldn't be the end of the world? To be fair the room we rent is in a part of the house with three exposed walls so it does get colder than the rest of the house and I don't really want to run the central heating when it's only one room.

Any info on all that or other suggestions most welcome. Thanks in advance!

Baby01032012

gizmo81 wrote: »

I despair for tenants in this country!

They are not tenants but licensee if they were tenants they'd have right to control their heating.

gctest50

Maybe there is newer stuff , but it used to be :

7. (1) Every room used, or intended for use, by the tenant of the house as a habitable room shall contain:


(a) a permanently fixed appliance or appliances capable of providing effective heating,


(b) suitable and adequate facilities for the safe and effective removal of fumes and other products of combustion to the external air.


(2) The operation of any appliance referred to in sub-article (1)(a) shall be capable of being independently manageable by the tenant.

Statutory Instrument 534 2008



http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2008/si/534/made/en/print

infogiver

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

Does anyone know of (I know they exist but can't find them) a heater with a lockable timer and thermostat? A pluggy in one rather than one that needs to be installed?

We have lodgers and the wife has no worries about the telly being nicked or us ending up with a sex pest, but like all true Irish landlords the thought of a single joule of heat being wasted fills her with dread and gives her nightmares! :pac:

I thought about maybe getting a 0.5Kw yoke and thought if that was left on all the time it wouldn't be the end of the world? To be fair the room we rent is in a part of the house with three exposed walls so it does get colder than the rest of the house and I don't really want to run the central heating when it's only one room.

Any info on all that or other suggestions most welcome. Thanks in advance!

Did you not discuss heating before they moved in?
There's nothing to stop them from buying a portable heater themselves and plugging it in as and how they feel.

gizmo81

A miserable act by any other name is still a miserable act.

Baby01032012 wrote: »

They are not tenants but licensee if they were tenants they'd have right to control their heating.

Samuel T. Cogley

Ah calm down please people. It's a lodger so a licencee agreement and if you could come down off the high horses for a bit I'm about the only person in this forum who forwards a licencees right to reasonable notice.

Furthermore it's a to prevent heating being left on in the room when no one is there, as this will be an ADDITIONAL device, to simply walking into the kitchen, pressing a button and switching the gas on. We're looking to have something in the room to keep it warm through the night basically, but don't want someone getting up in the morning running out the door and leaving it on all day.

I'm sorry that my posts are a bit tongue in cheek, I prefer to keep things light. He's not living in a feckin' gulag.

Samuel T. Cogley

infogiver wrote: »

Did you not discuss heating before they moved in?
There's nothing to stop them from buying a portable heater themselves and plugging it in as and how they feel.

We discuss it and set it for them (as it's a whole house system) once they move in. What we're trying to do here is control the temprature differential and not pass that cost on to the lodger bcuase he didn't build the house they way it's built.

The timer let's use set it for when he's there and not, and the thermostat let's us set the temprature at a level that the rest of the house is. Then if needed we have a discussion on turning the central heating on for the whole house so everything is on a level playing field.

gizmo81

I'm sorry I stand by my point, it sounds completely miserable to lock a heat source. Just because you consider yourself 'progressive' giving someone reasonable notice, sorry I can't even finish the sentence it's so laughable.

Samuel T. Cogley

gizmo81 wrote: »

I'm sorry I stand by my point, it sounds completely miserable to lock a heat source. Just because you consider yourself 'progressive' giving someone reasonable notice, sorry I can't even finish the sentence it's so laughable.

Take chill* pill, have a read of whats been wirtten again, and point out where we're controlling the heat source?

*badum tish

gizmo81

A lockable timer.

Would you not just get the heater and buy a Belkin plug that can read the usage and also can be turned off via the app, both you and the tenant can then turn it off and on. I have one of these plugs and I recommend it.

Plus, it fosters a better relationship with the lodger cause you're not lording it over her with your lockable timer

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/b6t/Insight-Switch-Control-Lights-Appliances-Manage-Energy/B00H51XYLY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1491208210&sr=8-3&keywords=belkin+wemo+switch

Samuel T. Cogley

Thanks for the suggestion.

There's no lording it over anyone, the wife just wants control over the heating we pay for exclusively. The lodger has access to the gas and can boost that at anytime. It seems a bit pointless to just heat their room if they're in the livingroom or kitchen, and we split that bill so they can fire it on whenever they want.

magicray

Would a storage heater work ?

They are quite economical to run as far as I know, the in laws have one that stays warm all night

ted1

Is there a radiator in the room?
Also rooms take a while to heat up, so yes it makes sense to have the heating on while he is in the living room.

It cold cost more to cycle the temperature than maintaining it at a desired temperature.

ted1

magicray wrote: »

Would a storage heater work ?

They are quite economical to run as far as I know, the in laws have one that stays warm all night

The op would need to be on a night rate

Samuel T. Cogley

magicray wrote: »

Would a storage heater work ?

They are quite economical to run as far as I know, the in laws have one that stays warm all night

Thanks Magicray - we had them in the apartment and they were great. I think they have to have night rate electricity to be economical though? Open to correction there. That raises a good point, what types of heater that you can get and plug in are best does anyone know?

estee11

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

Thanks Magicray - we had them in the apartment and they were great. I think they have to have night rate electricity to be economical though? Open to correction there. That raises a good point, what types of heater that you can get and plug in are best does anyone know?

Ideally you might look into improving insulation in the room and option to replace the window. Triple glazing? to bring it current standards. Then any 1kW - 1.5kW heater will work as it is intended to work.

i have this convector heater and it works perfectly:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Electrical-KW-Convector-Heater-Standing/dp/B00755MBH8/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1491214085&sr=1-3&keywords=heater+with+thermostat

Mine is almost always set to 0.75kW and i only sometimes use other button to turn 1.25kW.

If you are concerned with costs then this (below) 0.8kW unit will provide sufficient heat to heat up a room (it will just take longer than larger unit - but it will work):

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Convector-Adjustable-Thermostat-Standing-Mounted/dp/B00GC4Y6LW/ref=sr_1_8?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1491214233&sr=1-8&keywords=heater+with+thermostat+1kW

In fact any unit 0.5kW to 0.8kW will limit the lodger from overspending (when compared to giving them 2kW-3kW unit). - Just assume that it will be left ON most of the time.

Perhaps your original idea to install any 0.5kW (or thereabout) unit would be a good start. I would try that and choose cheaper heater on amazon.co.uk (with delivery to Ireland)

davindub

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

Thanks Magicray - we had them in the apartment and they were great. I think they have to have night rate electricity to be economical though? Open to correction there. That raises a good point, what types of heater that you can get and plug in are best does anyone know?

Yep they need night rate and prob more expensive to run when you consider you are possibly heating when not needed (e.g. weather is warm the next day). Also the storage part does not heat up straight away so they are not suitable for a boost, might as well just have an electric heater when someone works during the day.

That being said if there is gas there, there are new wireless controls that will attach to the radiator, so you can control the temperature in each room if needed. One radiator should be more than sufficient to heat a room, if not get a new one, Heiton buckley have them under 100 euros for 4 foot single (loads of different sizes)

Also, I have just completed internally lining the upstairs, one room had 2 exposed walls and it has made a huge difference. If you are handy you can complete yourself, you lose about 3 inches on each wall, but just hammer the pins into the wall and plaster over. You can paint over if you don't want to plaster but I would distrust the finish.

davindub

estee11 wrote: »

Ideally you might look into improving insulation in the room and option to replace the window. Triple glazing? to bring it current standards. Then any 1kW - 1.5kW heater will work as it is intended to work.

i have this convector heater and it works perfectly:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Electrical-KW-Convector-Heater-Standing/dp/B00755MBH8/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1491214085&sr=1-3&keywords=heater+with+thermostat

Mine is almost always set to 0.75kW and i only sometimes use other button to turn 1.25kW.

If you are concerned with costs then this (below) 0.8kW unit will provide sufficient heat to heat up a room (it will just take longer than larger unit - but it will work):

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Convector-Adjustable-Thermostat-Standing-Mounted/dp/B00GC4Y6LW/ref=sr_1_8?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1491214233&sr=1-8&keywords=heater+with+thermostat+1kW

I actually enquired into the triple glazing, a couple of installers said that they are suitable for passive houses, but for most houses new double glazing is as good as you should install, you lose more heat elsewhere.

Samuel T. Cogley

Thanks all! Some very helpful suggestions.

The house was built in 2002 as a one off and this is the only problem room. The insulation is a great suggestion as we need to do up the room. I think the problem stems from it has 2 fully exposed walls and it's own roof. It's not baltic, but it does get that bit colder at night. The hinges on the windows were recently replaced.

The heating system wrecks my head - it's a binary, on or off. My plumber even suggested that the rads might be in arseways, so even putting values on and turning off some of the rads seems to be an issue - the pump gets noticably louder. TBH I want to rip it out and start again.

Thanks also for the costings on leaving the heater on TBH I'm not even that arsed (although I don't want to be wasteful either) but the wife is one of these people that thinks an immersion left on will cost €1500 per week.

Samuel T. Cogley

Okay incredibly stupid question but is it just the Kw of the heater * the rate (KWh)?

So 0.8*17.94c = 14.35c per hour to run?

If it is she can just get over it! :pac:

loyatemu

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

Okay incredibly stupid question but is it just the Kw of the heater * the rate (KWh)?

So 0.8*17.94c = 14.35c per hour to run?

If it is she can just get over it! :pac:

yep.

(17.94c is pretty expensive juice btw - I'm paying 13.98c)

estee11

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

Okay incredibly stupid question but is it just the Kw of the heater * the rate (KWh)?

So 0.8*17.94c = 14.35c per hour to run?

If it is she can just get over it! :pac:

14.35 * 10h = 1.43euros to run for 10 hours non stop *30 its 42.90 an average month if i am not mistaken

ED E

0.8 would be piddly little thing. Its more like 1.5, but still not shocker expensive for a single room.


Day rate mains voltage is still the most expensive option though, per unit heat you get a lot more for your money with gas/oil.

Samuel T. Cogley

I was thinking of a 0.45Kw it's litterally just to bring the temp up at night in a 3.3 x 3.6m room (10'10 x 11'10). Just as a reminder this is in addition to central heating.

@EDE - would it be better just to heat the whole house do you think? It's litterally just one room that needs it usually and only about 5C or so.

Lumen

My experience of storage heaters is terrible. We have them in our serviced office. You need to check the weather forecast every evening to set it right the next day, or else you roast/freeze. The clue is in the word storage :-)

Samuel T. Cogley

Found a 600w yoke on Amazon with a thermostat and timer. That should do the trick and not break the bank if it's left on. Thanks for all the help folks!

ted1

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

Okay incredibly stupid question but is it just the Kw of the heater * the rate (KWh)?

So 0.8*17.94c = 14.35c per hour to run?

If it is she can just get over it! :pac:

More or less. But it might be cheaper as it'll kick in and out when it reaches temperature.
oil filled plug in radiator are good to.

TBH a 0.8 kWh won't have much heat

bs2014

I totally empathise with you. I'm in a Mon-Fri rent where I pay extra to stay weekends. Owners without fail religiously go in on a Friday to turn off the radiator for the weekend and go back in "most of the time" on a Sunday to turn back on. God I'd hate to end up like that! Anyhow I bought a wee heater like the below but its a waste of time, as soon as you turn it off, the room goes cold, its fine for the morning sticking on when you wake. But I'm now paranoid that the humming it makes will be heard, hense I keep it zipped up in a sports bag when I'm away so only way they will see it is by physically opening my bag!

http://www.argos.co.uk/product/4153032

ED E

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

@EDE - would it be better just to heat the whole house do you think? It's litterally just one room that needs it usually and only about 5C or so.

Controlled use of the radiators would be ideal, but sounds like that may not be possible.