That seems an unlucky run of winter sits @DianeS . We’ve done quite a lot of UK winter sits, and only one was cold. They were upfront about the temperature they set their heating to, and it was similar to my own home (usually 18 degrees c). The difference was that my house is relatively modern and theirs was a couple of hundred years older and larger, so it did feel quite a bit colder. A learning experience, and at least the bedroom above the kitchen with Aga was toasty! We’d do it again but bring a few more blankets.
Most other sits have been similar to our own home, and one or two have been warmer.
I guess if I gad my own heating a few degrees higher I’d think most winter UK sits were cold too, but I’m at the age where I often can’t cope with it being too warm!
Funnily, 2 of the cold sits were in new properties, both where the thermostats were set at around 22 which is higher than I have at home (18 to 19). Unfortunately the heating system (both air source heat pump, with underfloor heating) weren’t up to the job and I wore a thick fleece and a woolly hat all the time. The very warm house was also modern, with the same type of heating, but the walls were very thick (possible straw bales, but I’m not sure). I am thinking about asking HOs what temperature their living areas achieve, rather than what thermostats are set at. Agas are certainly very efficient although I’d rather not have to sit in the kitchen unless there is a comfy chair.
@DianeS You are right. The type of heating definitely makes a difference. We have underfloor heating in our conservatory and that is set at a higher temperature than our regular central heating in the redt of the house. I think it relies on you wslking around in your socks so the floor is warm, but the air temperature is a bit colder.
We’ve done a sit with an air source heat pump, but not in winter. The owner said the system had been installed by the previous owner of their house, and neither they, or the engineer who had serviced it for them, fully understood how it worked! One to bear in mind if they ever ask us to sit in winter as it is also an older home.
We also did a weekend sit where they had a ground source heat pump. We quite liked that the water came out of the tap at just the right temperature, not scalding hot, so there was no need to add cold water when washing. The living areas of the house were warm, and one of the bedrooms was nice and warm, the others were a bit chilly. I had forgotten that one as it only affected part of the house, maybe the part furthest from the heating system.
My sons school are currently installing a ground source heat pump. Its a very big school, so it will be interesting to see how that works out. I love the idea of these more sustainable forms of heating, but I think I prefer to stick to trying them out in other people’s houses for now!
As a Canadian who has faced this issue in European winters, I’ve come to learn one of the easiest ways to get a quick understanding of what to expect is to learn about the heating system.
If the house uses, for example, a single wood-fire stove, you can assume it may be on the cooler side and you’ll want to pack sweaters.
You can also ask the HO what temperature they tend to keep the house at in the winter. This too is pretty telling of what to expect.
I’ve just done a sit in a home that has a heat pump and underfloor heating and was nice and warm. It was a new passifhouse though, so that type of heating was designed in from the start. Perhaps it’s not as effective if added retrospectively?
Being a pasivhaus makes a huge difference. I agree about retrofitting not always being successful, but in my experience, even a new-build with underfloor heating (with or without an air source heat pump) can struggle to keep warm if it’s not the appropriate heating system.
