Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [heating]

For general questions on heating in your home. Be sure to also include tags describing fuel source (electric-heat or gas), type of components, etc.

See also for a central (one source) home heating system or the following components: . Also include fuel source:

1152 questions
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Why are so many radiators installed beneath a window (at least in Germany)?

I live in Germany and I always wondered why the radiators in most apartments are installed right beneath a window. The pictures below show an example (this is an older building, but you see similar installations in new buildings as well). I would…
André
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25
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3 answers

Is it possible for a gas fired boiler to consume more energy when heating intermitently versus having heating at all times?

I have an argument with my dad regarding energy consumption of a gas-fired wall radiator home central heating system. Their current setup involves no thermostat and the boiler deciding when to fire based on some kind of curve calibrated to use an…
KubaFYI
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5 answers

How can I protect a frozen heat pump in cold weather while waiting for service?

Yesterday I noticed that my Carrier heat pump was struggling to keep up with my thermostat settings inside the house. It was around 35°F (2°C) outside, I had the thermostat set at 72°F (22°C), but the internal temperature wasn't rising above 70°F. I…
user3103523
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6 answers

Will window shrink-wrap make a noticeable difference in heating bill in house with single-paned windows?

I'm curious how well the window shrink wrap really works. I moved into an older house (1927) in Lincoln, Nebraska, this summer. It's all single pane windows with a window screen and a storm window, as well. We have about 20 windows, so I'm…
JWB
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20
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4 answers

Why don't programmable thermostats automatically switch between "Cool" and "Heat"?

While I can set my house to be a particular temperature, I still have to manually switch it between "Heat" and "Cool" mode, and this seems to be true of every thermostat (programmable or not) that I've seen. Is there a reason for this?
Adam Robinson
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19
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7 answers

Why is my house energy efficient only in winter?

My electric utility company sent me a graph of my home's electricity usage over time as shown in the picture below. My home beats what the company considers as efficient homes in the neighborhood when the average temperature is below ~50F. As the…
Fijoy Vadakkumpadan
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18
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5 answers

How can I insulate my garage door?

Over the past year I've been converting our integrated garage so that it's a usage space. I've painted the walls, got lighting, power and water connected (To allow for a washing machine to be installed) plus floor is now carpeted using tiles. Also…
Peter Bridger
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16
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2 answers

What are the pros and cons of installing a roof heating cable?

Had some roof work done last year after mother nature abused my house by way of an errant tree branch. I had always suspected my roof had poor ventilation, most notably when I wound up with a 200 lb chunk of ice going from roof to ground (about 20…
user45
13
votes
6 answers

How can I stop Lego bricks from falling in to a register?

My kids like to play with Lego bricks on the floor, and sometimes a small piece will fall in to a heating register. Sometimes I can pull them out, but usually they fall too far, and there are sharp edges that like to draw blood. Is there something I…
Jay Bazuzi
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12
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5 answers

Why aren't Geothermal heat pumps more common?

Air conditioning and heating are major energy consumers in American buildings - commercial, residential, and industrial. I have been curious for a while as to why it isn't more common to use the practically constant 50-60*F temperature of the earth…
Matt Chambers
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12
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5 answers

Most cost effective thermostat setting: consistent temperature vs. lowest temperature possible

The problem: Our heating bills are about 25% higher than our average neighbors according to our bill, yet our temperature is always as low as we can stand it (mid 50's), we have excellent insulation throughout the house, we don't have drafty…
David
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11
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3 answers

How can I protect my kids' toes from this evil grating in the floor?

The cold air return in this house is in the floor, in the most-trafficked part of the house. It has a heavy grating over it. My kids' toes are small enough to fit in the gaps, which is very painful when it happens. In the summer I cover the grating…
Jay Bazuzi
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11
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7 answers

How can I heat my home further when circuit breakers are already tripping?

I live in a 70-something year old home that has temperature control issues. It has baseboard heating powered by natural gas through most of the house, but on a day like today with external temperatures around 34F/1C I am lucky if I can get it up to…
Hack-R
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11
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6 answers

Does this setup for controlling heating make sense?

I am tasked with optimizing the heating system of a quite large building (a cooperatively run house where four families live together in separated living areas). It currently has two gas boilers working on four separate circuits (all joined together…
Benjamin Márkus
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11
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5 answers

Is it possible to use a dryer vent as a heat source in the winter?

Is it possible to attach a diverter to an electric clothes dryer vent so it can help heat my house in the winter? Seems like such a waste to blow it all outside. I imagine you'd need some sort of filter or maybe a radiant heating option.
dotjoe
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