Cost of Large Gas Bottles and Central Heating

piglet · Post by **piglet** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 1:39 pm

Just doing some costings on Central Heating...

Please can someone tell me cost of the large bottles and has anyone experience of this form of CH ie usage how long they last in relation to usage.

At the moment I have not the slightest clue

Before our visit in Jan I had not placed much importance on CH, then I discovered it was "B" cold at night. This was made worse by the fact it was so warm during the day by comparison.

Many Thanks

BobT · Post by **BobT** » Sat Jan 22, 2005 10:45 am

Hi piglet

It's b****y expensive to heat a house here period. We pay 58 euros for a 45Kg bottle delivered to our home. If we ran the heating to heatthe whole house to say 20 C we would use a bottle in two days. Yes 15 bottles a month... 900 euros. The house is about 250 sq metres. We live in the cottage ( 70 sq m annex) and to run three radiators in there we were using a bottle in a week. A month ago we installed a big log burner, and now we are as warm as toast for about 10 euros per week in logs.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Jan 22, 2005 12:55 pm

Hi bob, many thanks for your response

You have confirmed my worst fears!!

This wood burning stove does it heat the whole house? ie does it run the radiators?

This is such a mystery to me the Portugues central heating systems...its so cold at night...which I was not expecting. But all the houses we looked at did not have any form of heating except a fireplace.

We are having CH installed radiators, but am just beginning to realise the cost and why people dont have it installed. Unless you own the royal mint, its going to be to expensive to run effectively

I think we are still at a stage we could change the set up...if I knew alternative methods.

Many Thanks

peterm · Post by **peterm** » Sat Jan 22, 2005 1:14 pm

We looked at radiators and decided against. The installation cost was substantial and the running costs high too.
We are having a wood burner in the sitting room. I'm trying to find one with good efficiency otherwise all the heat goes up the chimney. The builder reckons these are good http://www.bullerjan.com/faqs.html , expensive though. We are having the thing free standing rather than in a fireplace, so need one that looks cool.

steve · Post by **steve** » Sat Jan 22, 2005 2:56 pm

It is worth paying for a decent quality woodburner with a good flu regulator to reduce the through draft and help save wood plus giving the ability to modify the heat output levels.

Other alternatives to radiators are air conditioning units which also have the advantage of providing cooling in summer. You can also get a system which uses water heated or cooled by a large heat pump (similar to those used for swimming pools). The water either goes to air con type split units and/or underfloor pipework. Finally some one I know swears by a system of underfloor heating where the water is heated by an oil boiler. These are unusual in Portugal but more economic than gas so I have been told.

piglet · Post by **piglet** » Sat Jan 22, 2005 3:25 pm

Hi Peter

Have looked at that site...they look very strange contraptions

I dont think I am quite that modern or cool

it looks like a steam engine

but I think I am going to definately look into the wood burning stove idea as we are not going to be able to run that CH although our villa is only small

Steve..we have ruled out the idea of air con/heating as they blow cold air out once they come to temperature. We never thought of this until we stayed at a nice guest house in Lagos, last week. We were nice and warm...then we sat in a cold draft when it blew out cold air

while it regulated the room temp. Still the woodburning stove seems a good option and definately worthl investigating further.

If anyone as any ideas on WB stoves...not to modern

Many Thanks for everyones input......much appreciated.

Kind regards
Pigs

digger · Post by **digger** » Sat Jan 22, 2005 4:40 pm

we’ve got a ‘supra turbo’ ….muito bom….. http://www.supra.fr

and my sister-in-law, who has just bought a house near us, is currently having something from http://www.fogo-montanha.com/homepage_uk.htm fitted. They’re in Portimao.

piglet · Post by **piglet** » Sat Jan 22, 2005 5:37 pm

Hi Digger

Interesting sites, I think this CH idea with gas is going to have to be scrapped. We are not going to be able to aford to run it.

I notice one of the sites you mentioned has a UK distributor. Think will drag hubby off to have look...thanks

I suppose what would be ideal is a wood burning stove that drives a small central heating system.hmmmm ponderous

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Jan 22, 2005 8:07 pm

We Shivered to death....even with a Woodburner AND radiators....and then were told that up to 80% of the heat was going through the Windows.....Without good windows ..forget it. We installed Triple glazing and now.....Wonderful....Dont need the Rads..just the Woodburner...so whilst everybody quite rightly talks of heating systems...dont waste your money until you fit good Double glazing......

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jan 23, 2005 2:10 pm

Hi Guest...that is a very good point

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 9:37 am

Does anybody know if its possible to keep excisting door/window frames ..which are wooden...and install double glaze without changing the whole lot....ie...can one get double glaze windows and fit in excisting frames with a smaller bead......anybody do this service ??

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 11:43 am

dont forget firm called Lunturbo...made in silves by swedish man for over 15 years now...they have back burner model which powers rads..they are base near modelo...on road out you will see a gym with a road of palms..they are in industrial unit behind

we fotted arrow fire which powered 9 rads...worked well...but every surface in villas here is cold..so its hard to keep warm

BobT · Post by **BobT** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 8:10 pm

Hi Piglet

Our woodburner is free standing, and had a black flue pipe going up throught the roof in sdie the cottage. It gives out tremendous heat (probably three times as much as a built in wood burning fire with a glass door, as ther heat radiates from all sides, plus about 2, metres of 10cm dia pipe. It's about two degrees outside right now, and I msitting in my shorts and T shirt.

Our costtage is about 70 m2, and the woddburnwe keeps it all like toast.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 9:00 pm

Can somebody explain.......what is the advantage of a so called..WOOD BURNER........over a normal UK style fire place...That also burns wood ???...ie why do I have to pay another Grand for one of these Door type fireplaces when I can just build a normal fire place.......Confused !!!!!

Debs G · Post by **Debs G** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 9:15 pm

They give out more heat and the logs burn slower - aparently. We've just got a fireplace. Still, I heat our living room up to 24 degrees and I'm still cold!