How do I bleed a whole heating system properly?
Heating off, cold radiators, ground floor first — and topping the pressure back up afterwards.
beginner1 hr2 min read
Heating & Energy
Staying warm without heating the street.
130 guides in Home & DIY
How do I choose insulation material?
Performance per thickness, moisture behaviour and cost — and why breathability decides it in an older house.
intermediate25 min2 min readHow do I get more heat from the same radiators?
Bleeding, balancing, flow temperature and what is in front of them — four free changes before spending anything.
beginner1 hr2 min readHow do I heat one room cheaply?
Which heater type costs least to run, why the answer is usually 'the one heating the smallest space', and the free measures first.
beginner30 min2 min readShould I lower my boiler's flow temperature?
Why a condensing boiler is more efficient at lower flow temperatures, how far to turn it down, and the houses where it does not work.
beginner20 min3 min readWhat do boiler error codes mean?
The common code categories, the two things you can safely check, and when repeated resetting becomes dangerous.
beginner20 min2 min readWhat is the difference between a programmer, a room thermostat and a TRV?
Three controls that each decide something different, why none of them can override the one before, and what that means when a room is cold.
beginner20 min3 min readHow do I insulate a loft hatch?
An uninsulated hatch is a hole in an otherwise insulated ceiling, and it is one of the cheapest gaps in a house to close properly.
beginner1 hr2 min readHow do I reduce draughts?
Where household draughts actually come from, and how to seal them cheaply without blocking the ventilation a house needs.
beginner3 hr2 min readHow do I repressurise a boiler?
Bringing a combi boiler back to the right pressure using the filling loop, and what a repeatedly falling gauge is telling you.
beginner15 min2 min readWhen should I turn the heating on for the winter?
There is no correct date, but there is a correct way to decide. What actually determines when heating becomes necessary, and why holding out has costs beyond comfort.
beginner15 min5 min readHow do I make a cold room warmer?
Why one room is always colder than the rest, and the fixes in order of cost — from free adjustments to insulation.
beginner2 hr3 min readIs a smart thermostat worth it?
Where the saving actually comes from, which households benefit and which do not, and what to check before buying.
beginner20 min2 min readWhy do my upstairs radiators get hot but the downstairs ones stay cold?
Balancing, pump speed and circulation — why heat naturally favours upstairs, and the order to work through it.
beginner1 hr3 min readWhy is my hot water only lukewarm?
Warm-but-not-hot water is a different fault from no hot water at all. The checks that separate a control problem from a cylinder problem from a blending problem.
beginner30 min5 min readWhy must loft insulation stop short at the eaves?
A cold loft is ventilated from the eaves. Stuffing insulation into that gap blocks the airflow that keeps the roof dry, and trades a small heat saving for a condensation problem.
beginner20 min3 min readDo I need planning permission for solar panels or a heat pump?
Both are usually permitted development on houses in England subject to conditions — and the conditions, the certification and the building regulations side are where the real answers are.
beginner20 min4 min readHow do I draught-proof a door?
Sealing the four gaps around a door — bottom, sides, letterbox and keyhole — with the right product for each.
beginner45 min2 min readHow do I heat my home more cheaply?
Control settings, zoning and the behaviour changes that reduce heating cost without living cold.
beginner45 min2 min readHow do I insulate pipes and a tank in a loft?
Insulating the ceiling makes the loft colder, so pipes and tanks up there need protecting or they freeze. The rule for a tank is the opposite of the rule for a ceiling.
beginner1 hr 30 min2 min readHow do I read an appliance energy label?
What each field means, why an old A-plus-plus machine now rates D, and the one number on the label that turns into money on your own bill.
beginner15 min6 min readHow do I stop a floor being cold underfoot?
Seal the gaps first, insulate if you can, and use rugs and underlay for everything else.
beginner1 hr2 min readHow do I stop heat escaping through doors and the letterbox?
The cheapest heating improvement available, and the one place you must not draught-proof.
beginner1 hr 30 min2 min readHow much does a dehumidifier cost to run?
Worked out from your machine's own wattage and your own unit rate, with the duty cycle that almost every published estimate leaves out — which is why quoted figures are usually two or three times too high.
beginner15 min5 min read
Going deeper: MaterialWorld
Material properties, comparisons and suitability — paints, fillers, sealants, timber, tile, insulation.