# Best option for heating a bedroom



## PaddyW (5 Jan 2010)

Hi, looking for best options for heating up my bedroom. There is a radiator in there, but even with this on the place is very hard to heat up. I was thinking a convection heater maybe, but not sure if that will use a large amount of energy or not. All help welcome, thanks.


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## villa 1 (5 Jan 2010)

Increase the size of your radiator, from a single panel to a double panel type.


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## Eithneangela (5 Jan 2010)

Maybe turn on the electric blanket, get into bed, pull duvet up to chin and get warm as toast.  After all, what else is the bedroom for?  If you want to sit up and read, get a Snugglie and wrap yourself up.  No need for expensive heaters or change of rad.  Works for me.


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## bullworth (5 Jan 2010)

Eithneangela said:


> Maybe turn on the electric blanket, get into bed, pull duvet up to chin and get warm as toast.  After all, what else is the bedroom for?  If you want to sit up and read, get a Snugglie and wrap yourself up.  No need for expensive heaters or change of rad.  Works for me.



I love my electric blanket but I've often fallen asleep with it on and had the best sleep ever. Is this expensive ?


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## Eithneangela (5 Jan 2010)

Isn't it worth a lot to get a good, warm night's sleep - and I don't think the cost is prohibitive.  We left ours on accidentally for almost a month while we were away, at the lowest setting, and it didn't add too much to the leckie bill.  So, enjoy the comfort!


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## Complainer (5 Jan 2010)

My electric blanket has a timer option, so you can leave it on for approx an hour while you are falling asleep, and then it cuts itself off automatically.


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## PaddyW (5 Jan 2010)

Hey, thanks for the suggestions! Can't change the rad as the house isn't mine.. The electric blanket may be a runner!


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## Eithneangela (5 Jan 2010)

Must look into that when mine stops working - it's 12 years old at the moment and still going strong!  Just have to remind hubby to check next time - the control is on his side.


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## PaddyW (5 Jan 2010)

Just purchased a nice electric blanket from powercity online there. I feel warmer already!!


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## MAJJ (5 Jan 2010)

Glad you found a nice easy solution  Paddy!

The 3 things we did to our house were : 1) well insulated attic, 2) dry lined the external walls (internal insulation) and 3) replaced our boiler. These 3 things have made our house much much warmer.  We also added controls to make the heating more efficient.


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## justsally (5 Jan 2010)

Treated myself to an electric blanket after listening to relatives (much younger than me) saying how much they loved their electric blanket.  I didn't realise how much better these blankets are compared with the old models.   I bought one that fits onto the mattress like a fitted sheet.    They can be bought with either single or dual control, and with extra heat at the feet area.   Mine allows me to set it for 12 hours or 75 minutes or indefinitely, at heat levels 1 - 9.   Brilliant.     

Keep warm.


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## Complainer (5 Jan 2010)

PaddyW said:


> Just purchased a nice electric blanket from powercity online there. I feel warmer already!!


Make sure you get one with a time and with (the solution to much inter-marital strife) dual controls (unless of course you marry a control freak who want to control the temp on your side as well as her own).


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## Eithneangela (5 Jan 2010)

Well, Complainer - looks like it's time for me to invest in a new leckie blankie!  Dual controls, goes on like a fitted sheet, timer - what next - will it sing lullabyes?


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## rosey (5 Jan 2010)

I would highly recommend a good cheap option- a halogen heater. They are cheap to buy and cheap to run. A 1200watt heater costs approx 1 unit of electricity per hour to run.
You switch it on and it heats up a room instantly- it's surprising how quickly it warms up a room- there is also a nice glow from it and it has a safety switch on the bottom so if it tips over, then it switches off automatically.


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## pudds (5 Jan 2010)

rosey said:


> I would highly recommend a good cheap option- a halogen heater. They are cheap to buy and cheap to run. A 1200watt heater costs approx 1 unit of electricity per hour to run.
> You switch it on and it heats up a room instantly- it's surprising how quickly it warms up a room- there is also a nice glow from it and it has a safety switch on the bottom so if it tips over, then it switches off automatically.



1200W same thing almost as using a one bar 1000W electric fire, might look better but running costs are the same pro rata or do halogen heaters give out more heat per kw than equivelant electric fires?


or is it all in our imagination, I dunno


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## onq (5 Jan 2010)

Install Gurlfwend Model 1.5 with Breakfast Making Upgrade.



ONQ.


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## addob (6 Jan 2010)

After reading this thread I also marched over to Argos yesterday and purchased one.

Slept like a baby last night!

Thanks for the advice all!!


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## bullworth (6 Jan 2010)

rosey said:


> I would highly recommend a good cheap option- a halogen heater. They are cheap to buy and cheap to run. A 1200watt heater costs approx 1 unit of electricity per hour to run.
> You switch it on and it heats up a room instantly- it's surprising how quickly it warms up a room- there is also a nice glow from it and it has a safety switch on the bottom so if it tips over, then it switches off automatically.



I'm curious about the cheapest way to heat a room. 

Can anyone give an insight into how Super Sers fed from a portable gas cylinder compare to Halogen heaters and other options like gas central heating etc in terms of cost?

http://www.lpg-portable-heaters.co.uk/superser-f150-radiant.htm

To have a definitive idea of the cheapest way to heat a room could save people a lot of money on fuel bills. My heating bill this winter has been painful to say the least.


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## Rois (6 Jan 2010)

Thinking of buying an electric blanket - never used one before, buy you guys are tempting me into buying one. 

So looking for recommendations on which one to buy and where to buy?  Can't afford anything too expensive.

Thanks in advance, i've suffered as much of this cold as I can bear!


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## Caveat (6 Jan 2010)

+1 on the halogen heaters.  You can get them for around €20 AFAIK.


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## Leo (6 Jan 2010)

bullworth said:


> Can anyone give an insight into how Super Sers fed from a portable gas cylinder compare to Halogen heaters and other options like gas central heating etc in terms of cost?


 
I don't think these would be the best thing for a bedroom. They burn off a lot of oxygen.
Leo


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## villa 1 (6 Jan 2010)

Would'nt put a superser in a bedroom. Just think of Carbon Monoxide poisoning!! Colourless, tasteless and odourless. Deadly dangerous.


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## pudds (6 Jan 2010)

Caveat said:


> +1 on the halogen heaters.  You can get them for around €20 AFAIK.



I heard there very bright though, are they like those blinding halogen lights on cars......


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## addob (6 Jan 2010)

Rois said:


> Thinking of buying an electric blanket - never used one before, buy you guys are tempting me into buying one.
> 
> So looking for recommendations on which one to buy and where to buy?  Can't afford anything too expensive.
> 
> Thanks in advance, i've suffered as much of this cold as I can bear!



Hi Rois,

I didn't want to spend too much either and picked up one on sale from Argos, the Winterwarm King dual matress, regular €84 down to €56. 

I understand why the timer would be beneficial but didn't want to spend too much for a first go. Did for sure want the dual controls and the argos.co.uk website has good reviews.

hope you keep warm!
addob


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## Caveat (6 Jan 2010)

pudds said:


> I heard there very bright though, are they like those blinding halogen lights on cars......



No not at all - they are bright I suppose, for a _heater_ but you can easily look directly at them even close up, no problem. They give off a kind of atmospheric pale orange glow I guess.


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## Complainer (6 Jan 2010)

villa 1 said:


> Would'nt put a superser in a bedroom. Just think of Carbon Monoxide poisoning!! Colourless, tasteless and odourless. Deadly dangerous.



Didn't do me any harm in my youth - the Super Ser got me through my Inter/Leaving Cert studying (when I wasn't burning magnesium ribbon acquired from the school science lab on the front burners).



addob said:


> After reading this thread I also marched over to Argos yesterday and purchased one.


One what? One electric blanket, or one Gurlfwend Model 1.5 with Breakfast Making Upgrade?


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## Eithneangela (6 Jan 2010)

Having grown up in a 3-bed house, with 11 people (2 parents, 9 kids), I have to recommend the hearty family - two or three to a bed - big coal fire (sorry, Mary Harney) in most of the rooms, and lots of heat generated through normal family disputes!  Hey, are we in a new century?  Cop on, y'all, we're totally spoiled - we don't go around most of the time at home with icicles hanging from our nostrils and all the rest of that stuff - so, what a luxury to have an electric blanket at night in the bedroom!


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## bullworth (7 Jan 2010)

Leo said:


> I don't think these would be the best thing for a bedroom. They burn off a lot of oxygen.
> Leo



I wasnt asking necessarily for bedroom usage but if used sensibly it should be ok. What interests me is whether it is any cheaper than turning a rad on, starting a fossil fuel fire, turning a fireplace gas fire on or using a halogen heater. The great thing about the super ser is portability and convenience. It can be turned on in a few seconds and turned off when the room is warmed up. It can also be moved from room to room. I'm curious about determining whether it is the cheapest form of heat obtainable or whether anything cheaper exists.



Complainer said:


> Didn't do me any harm in my youth - the Super Ser got me through my Inter/Leaving Cert studying (when I wasn't burning magnesium ribbon acquired from the school science lab on the front burners).



I used to have one in my bedroom for my inter/leaving cert studying too. I remember it was pretty cheap to run back then.


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## Brooklyn (7 Jan 2010)

The problem I'm finding with my bedroom is that while it's easy enough to heat it to a comfortable degree to fall asleep in, within a few hours the room is so cold again that I wake up freezing several times during the night. I've tried timing the electric heater to come on for 20 minutes every few hours, but I don't seem to be able to get the timing exactly right. Basically it seems I would have to leave the heat on more or less all night to ensure I stay asleep... which is a bit too expensive.

Any suggestions? I slept on the sofa in the living room (which has storage heating!) last night and got the best sleep I've had in days... but I don't think that's really a long-term solution...


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## IrishRain (7 Jan 2010)

Why not get a timer plug for your electric blanket so that it comes on every hour. 

Have a look at this [broken link removed]

Basically 3.5 hours electric blanket use is the same as boiling a kettle of water.


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## Brooklyn (8 Jan 2010)

This is probably a stupid question but do the modern electric blankets actually give off any heat or do they only warm up the parts of your body actually touching them? The reason I ask is that if it's the latter I don't think it would help in my situation. I'm already bundled up like an eskimo in bed (socks, pyjamas, tracksuit, big jumper, outdoor sleeping bag and two duvets) and I still wake up every couple hours because my _face_ gets too cold.


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## Complainer (8 Jan 2010)

Brooklyn said:


> This is probably a stupid question but do the modern electric blankets actually give off any heat or do they only warm up the parts of your body actually touching them? The reason I ask is that if it's the latter I don't think it would help in my situation. I'm already bundled up like an eskimo in bed (socks, pyjamas, tracksuit, big jumper, outdoor sleeping bag and two duvets) and I still wake up every couple hours because my _face_ gets too cold.


Have you tried a hoody?


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## Caveat (8 Jan 2010)

Brooklyn said:


> This is probably a stupid question but do the modern electric blankets actually give off any heat or do they only warm up the parts of your body actually touching them? The reason I ask is that if it's the latter I don't think it would help in my situation. I'm already bundled up like an eskimo in bed (socks, pyjamas, tracksuit, big jumper, outdoor sleeping bag and two duvets) and I still wake up every couple hours because my _face_ gets too cold.


 

Bloody hell!  I must be superhuman - I only put on pyjamas last night for the first time since I don't know when.  One normal duvet - that's it.


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## addob (8 Jan 2010)

Brooklyn said:


> This is probably a stupid question but do the modern electric blankets actually give off any heat or do they only warm up the parts of your body actually touching them? The reason I ask is that if it's the latter I don't think it would help in my situation. I'm already bundled up like an eskimo in bed (socks, pyjamas, tracksuit, big jumper, outdoor sleeping bag and two duvets) and I still wake up every couple hours because my _face_ gets too cold.


 
Hi Brooklyn,

The blanket warms up the bed, not just where your body is but all of the bedding. It doesn't give off heat to anywhere outside the bed so your face wouldn't be any warmer but the rest of your body would.

Hope that helps!
addob


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## galwaytt (8 Jan 2010)

onq said:


> Install Gurlfwend Model 1.5 with Breakfast Making Upgrade.
> 
> 
> 
> ONQ.


 
Snap !


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## Brooklyn (9 Jan 2010)

Caveat said:


> Bloody hell!  I must be superhuman - I only put on pyjamas last night for the first time since I don't know when.  One normal duvet - that's it.



I'm sure it's me. As the name indicates, I'm not from around here. Where I come from we have 24/7 central heating. I just can't get used to the cold bedroom at night.

Anyway, I think I found a compromise solution. Since it's so cold now I've been putting on the storage heater in the hallway, which I wouldn't normally use, and just leaving my bedroom door open to get some of that heat. The bedroom still isn't quite as warm as I'd like it to be, but it's tolerable.


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## Complainer (10 Jan 2010)

Brooklyn said:


> Where I come from we have 24/7 central heating.


Just curious - was this a domestic house? Who was paying for 24/7 CH?


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## bullworth (10 Jan 2010)

I am in Croatia at the moment for work reasons and the apartment block I am staying in is heated 24 7 with a flat rate for the heating bill split amongst everyone who lives here. This includes unlimited hot water. The most ever paid for heating even during the coldest month for unlimited heat and hot water was 370 Croatian kuna = 50.73171 Euro for  a month. I hear its warmer here than back in Ireland ! When I lived in Finland it wasnt much different. It was the same type of system. The heat and warm water was unlimited and split between all the residents and was very cheap. My apartment is like a sauna its so warm day and night ! Hence my questions earlier in the thread of course apply to when I shortly return to Ireland  !


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## newirishman (10 Jan 2010)

Get yourself a water bed. Best sleep ever, and at least 28 degrees warm!


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## Brooklyn (13 Jan 2010)

Complainer said:


> Just curious - was this a domestic house? Who was paying for 24/7 CH?



Yes, every house or apartment I've ever lived in the US had it (although obviously you can turn it off in the summer), it's standard, I've never known anyone except for _very _poor people who didn't have it. 

Most of the time the owner/renter pays for it on a usage basis, although I did once live in an apartment in upstate NY where it was included in the rent.

It's a lot cheaper there.


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## JoeB (13 Jan 2010)

Brooklyn said:


> This is probably a stupid question but do the modern electric blankets actually give off any heat or do they only warm up the parts of your body actually touching them? The reason I ask is that if it's the latter I don't think it would help in my situation.
> 
> I'm already *bundled up like an eskimo in bed (socks, pyjamas, tracksuit, big jumper, outdoor sleeping bag and two duvets)* and I still wake up every couple hours because my _face_ gets too cold.


emphasis added

I think the problem here is too many clothes, paradoxially.

A good quality duvet with the proper TOG rating should be fine, and sleep naked, with the duvet tucked in at the foot end. (or a second blanket tying in the foot end so no toes poking out).

Or, like Complainer said (was it complainer?),maybe a hoody or a balaclava... or a new house in Brisbane, Oz.


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## Caveat (13 Jan 2010)

A hat is probably the most effective extra item of clothing you can wear indoors/in bed to retain heat.

As for me, pyjamas back off since Friday last until the next -10C (or lower) night.


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## Brooklyn (14 Jan 2010)

JoeBallantin said:


> I think the problem here is too many clothes, paradoxially.
> 
> A good quality duvet with the proper TOG rating should be fine, and sleep naked, with the duvet tucked in at the foot end. (or a second blanket tying in the foot end so no toes poking out).



I'm short enough that toes poking out were never a problem. And I started off with a minimum amount of clothes...I nearly froze to death the first night!!!!  Adding layers did help keep the body warm, just not the face.

Anyway as I've said the problem was more or less taken care of by leaving the bedroom door open to take in the heat from the hallway.


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