Hello!

[GLPinxit]

Hi, I thought I'd aim for an original title for my first post but couldn't think of one! (Sorry.)

I'm a long time lurker on the Renewable Energy board and now that I've finally registered I just popped in here before heading back over there.

From the age of 5 to 9 I grew up in one of the first houses to be built on a big new estate. In the school holidays I watched the builders at work and asked them a constant stream of questions- I must have been a delight (especially in the era before sites were fenced off- we used to play on the scaffolding in the evenings and at weekends). This left me with an interest in the various building trades and a basic idea what their work entailed. As a teenager in the 1970s I was glued to Granada TV's 'A House for the Future' and this left me with a lifelong interest in sustainable housing.

http://www.hevac-heritage.org/electronic_books/M&NW_anniversary/Section-13_Houseforthefuture.pdf 

In the meantime I worked as a bureaucrat and lived as an 'ambitious DIYer' in a succession of conventional houses where I've knocked down walls, replasterd walls and ceilings, built chimney breasts, built conservatories, designed and installed central heating from scratch, plumbed and installed bathrooms, tiled walls and floors and some fairly serious landscape gardening. I've also taken over various extension projects at second fix stage (but not the electrics).

Scroll forward 50 years and I've just retired- now we're going to move into a house that is enough of a project to keep me occupied for a few years but not to the extent that we can't live in it while I do the work. It was built in 2003 so it should be well insulated- making it ideal for a heat pump to replace the current oil-fired system and enough potential inside and out to keep me out of trouble.  

[markc]

Good afternoon and welcome, I wouldn’t count on the insulation and air tightness being too great, and definitely allow for a good deal of improvement in these areas.

that aside, good luck, have fun and keep us posted

[Big Jimbo]

Go luck, and have fun. I would say that 2003 standards, even if they were met would allow you loads of chances to improve. I think standards, and the checking of those standards were quite low at that time. A cheap thermal camera might be a good first buy.

Edited October 5, 2021 by Big Jimbo
missed a bit

[SteamyTea]

1 hour ago, Big Jimbo said:

A cheap thermal camera might be a good first buy.

After making an energy and temperature logger.

[GLPinxit]

On 05/10/2021 at 14:18, SteamyTea said:

After making an energy and temperature logger.

Like this...?

Serious point- I'd welcome any recommendations with the proviso that they should play nicely with iPads (definitely not PCs).

[ProDave]

Hi and welcome.

 

My guess is a 2003 house might not be bad on insulation, but will probably be pretty poor on air tightness.  If you like experimenting, make yourself a blower door and go looking for air leaks.  you will find plenty i am sure. Getting at them to seal them may be more of a challenge.

[GLPinxit]

17 hours ago, ProDave said:

Hi and welcome.

 

My guess is a 2003 house might not be bad on insulation, but will probably be pretty poor on air tightness.  If you like experimenting, make yourself a blower door and go looking for air leaks.  you will find plenty i am sure. Getting at them to seal them may be more of a challenge.

 

Thanks, that sounds right up my street. For now I'm waiting for solicitors to get on with it and using the down time to make a 'to do' list- I haven't been able to spend much time at the place but the solid wood front door clearly needs more attention than just a heavy curtain- daylight shows round the edges. I am sure that there will be numerous other areas to attend to and keep me busy.