How do I fit trickle vents to an existing window?
Where a vent can safely be cut, sizing it by equivalent area, and the through-frame or over-frame options that avoid cutting at all.
intermediate1 hr 30 min4 min read
Heating & Energy
Staying warm without heating the street.
130 guides in Home & DIY
How do I look after a smart meter and heating in a power cut?
Central heating stops in a power cut even when the gas is still flowing, because the controls and the pump are electric. Knowing what comes back on its own, and what needs resetting, is most of it.
beginner30 min6 min readShould my heated towel rail be plumbed, electric or dual fuel?
What each option actually gives you — heat in summer, running cost, controllability — and why the answer usually depends on whether the heating is on.
beginner20 min4 min readWhat is weather compensation on a boiler, and is it worth having?
How varying the flow temperature with the outside temperature makes a condensing boiler work as intended, what it needs to be fitted, and the households where it makes a real difference.
intermediate12 min4 min readAre thermal imaging cameras worth it for finding heat loss?
What a thermal image actually shows, the conditions it needs to show anything useful, and where a ten-pound infrared thermometer does the same job better.
intermediate30 min4 min readWhat is a pressure reducing valve and do I need one?
What a PRV does, the symptoms of mains pressure that is too high, and where one is required rather than optional.
intermediate15 min4 min readWhat should I do if my heating oil or LPG runs out in cold weather?
Running out is uncomfortable but manageable. The order is: emergency delivery, safe temporary heat, protect the pipes, and then get the system restarted properly.
beginner30 min6 min readDo radiator reflectors actually work?
A small but real effect on uninsulated external walls, and close to nothing anywhere else.
beginner30 min2 min readWhat is a bypass valve and why does my heating system need one?
The small loop or valve that stops a boiler pumping against a shut system, why it exists, and what happens when TRVs are fitted without one.
intermediate12 min4 min readHow do I look after a heating oil tank in winter?
Oil tanks fail in winter for three reasons — water in the tank, a blocked or waxed filter, and running out. All three are prevented by ten minutes of attention in autumn.
beginner45 min6 min read
Going deeper: MaterialWorld
Material properties, comparisons and suitability — paints, fillers, sealants, timber, tile, insulation.