there’s always tomorrow

Image courtesy of http://www.copyblogger.com

I have written many blog posts over the past 6 months…..all in my head, but never on paper, or to be accurate on my PC!  If any doctor needs a locum, my handwriting should certainly qualify me for the position! Although I am not a “writer”, I think I had writer’s block, or again for accuracy, “blogger’s block”

The problem was that some of the ramblings in my brain had nothing to do with my “living comfortably” blog. I asked the experts on #BlogChatIE, a twitter forum for bloggers.

The advice I got was keep blogging, but separate the posts into two categories, so here I am!

I found the key and I have unlocked me!

How often will I post? I don’t know, but when you see a new post you will know that I’m probably supposed to be doing something else! You see, I’ve got a great friend called procrastination, but I’ll tell you about that later!

In one sense this will also relate to my business, because after all, people buy from people, and this blog should give an insight into the complicated being that is me! On second thoughts this might be a disadvantage, but it’s a chance I will have to take!

So what’s today’s topic? New beginnings.

Cure for morning Grump

When I awoke this morning, I had my morning cuppa, brought to me, as always, by Gilbert, my beloved husband.

He doesn’t cook, so our deal is that he brings me coffee and toast to bed every morning, and I provide the rest of the meals. I feel I am getting the better end of the bargain, because I don’t like mornings.

But there’s method in his madness. This way he gets a “fairly” pleasant wife every day!

As usual I checked into Twitter, and someone tweeted:

“What a beautiful day to start the rest of your life”

And it was ….. A beautiful day; sun shining, blue sky and tulips and daffodils waving gaily in the gentle April breeze. I love my garden.

And it was…. The start of the rest of my life, so I made a resolution:

Every day I will try do at least 50% of the things I have to do, and at least 50% of the things  I want to do. Note the word “TRY”.  I also made a resolution in January not to do guilt anymore, so I try, and if I don’t get there, as my great friend procrastination always says, there is always tomorrow!

2012 in review…. a reason to start blogging again!

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The new Boeing 787 Dreamliner can carry about 250 passengers. This blog was viewed about 1,800 times in 2012. If it were a Dreamliner, it would take about 7 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Wellys and Wood in Wexford!

On Wednesday I attended the National Ploughing Championships in New Ross in Wexford. Wet gear, jeans, wellys, and a big smile on my face all I needed for the day.

What can I say about the ploughing that hasn’t already been said or written?, except that every man woman and child in this country should be given a pair of wellys, a rain poncho and a ticket for a day at the ploughing championships. We would have an energised, happy proud nation of people ready for whatever comes our way!

The official reason for my visit was in my capacity of Chair of the  WFQA Oversight Committee, a title I carry with pride.

The occasion?

The Minister of State for Forestry at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Shane McEntee, TD attended to present certificates to the latest wood fuel producers to secure membership of the Wood Fuel Quality Assurance (WFQA) scheme for Ireland.

See Press Release from Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

So what is the WFQA?

Wood Fuel Quality Assurance scheme for Ireland

The full title is the Wood Fuel Quality Assurance (WFQA) scheme for Ireland.

Mainland Europe has never moved away from using wood fuel for heating, but here in Ireland we embraced the idea of automatic oil and gas central heating systems in the late 50’s /early 60’s. Wood was relegated to the open fire along with turf and coal.

However, early in the new millennium, with fears over the long term availability of oil and gas, using wood fuel for heating started to make a comeback, but in modernised, more automated systems, using wood chip and wood pellet.

And as is usual, when new technology hits the marketplace, it brings its fair share of “ne’er do wells!” The wood fuel sector was no exception to the rule!

Shoddy equipment appeared on the shelves, the cowboy army came marching through the land and some very dubious “Wood Fuels” made their way in to stoves and boilers.

During this time a great deal of damage was done to the reputation of wood fuel industry.

It is important moving forward that we base the growth of the wood fuel sector firmly on quality – this is what WFQA is all about. Our plan is to make our bright flame logo something that customers will increasingly look for when buying wood pellets, wood chip, wood briquettes or indeed firewood.

In 2011 the firewood market alone was worth over €30 million euro to our economy.

In January 2009, a voluntary working group was assembled to produce a quality assurance scheme for wood fuels. The group consisted of industry and consumer representatives and delegates from public bodies and associations such at WIT; SEAI; IrBEA; Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and NSAI

WFQA Working Group

Over two years we met, we worked, considered, discarded, argued and agreed!  My role in the working group was to represent the consumer, the end-user of wood fuels. I got to know some great people, had the opportunity to work with some amazing minds, and the working group finally produced National Workshop Agreement (NWA4) Agreement, the fourth such agreement in place in this country.

The agreement forms the basis of a quality assurance scheme for wood fuels, using very strict criteria to ensure that wood fuel that carries the WFQA and NSAI labels are

• Carbon Neutral
• Sourced from Sustainably Managed  Forests
• Compliant with relevant Irish and EU standards
• Independently tested and certified in Ireland.

So what happens in this process?

There are various Irish and European standards in place for Wood Pellet, Wood Chip, Wood Briquettes, and indeed Firewood.

These standards mean little to the end user, who just wants to know that the wood fuel they are purchasing is suitable for the heating appliance.

The WFQA doesn’t set the standard that the fuels ascribe to, but rather test the fuel on a random basis to ensure that whatever standard the producer claims to have, is in fact correct. In other words: “That it does what it says on the tin!”

The fuel is collected from site, as per European Testing Standards, and tested in a state of the art test and research facility for wood fuels in Waterford Institute of Technology.

In the meantime the quality processes of the company are audited by NSAI inspectors. This includes tax,  insurance and safety compliance, felling licences, chain of custody documentation, delivery and storage procedures etc. to name but a few.

When all of this is in place the NSAI certifies the company to carry both the WFQA and the NSAI labels on their packaging and documentation.

It is quite a robust process, and reflects very positively on companies attaining certification under the scheme.

There are now 6 companies certified under the scheme, with several more in the pipeline, who will complete the certification process over the coming months.

Full details of the scheme are available at http://www.wfqa.org

So what’s next for the WFQA? The scheme is now known throughout the industry. It’s now the turn of you, the reader, the consumer, the end user to look for the label.

Ask your wood fuel retailer if they stock WFQA fuels. Ask your wood fuel supplier if they are certified by WFQA? Ask why not?

You deserve to have quality assured wood fuel to heat your home.

Look for the label….

Tidy Town Award 2012 Ireland

Reblogged from Emeralds:

• 

Abbeyshrule Village in Longford has been given the very highly coveted title of Ireland's Tidiest Town . That's no mean feat considering it battled it out with giants like Westport, Ennis, Sligo,  and another 850 cities, towns and villages across the nation.

I love this photograph of the Abbeyshrule Tidy Town Committe that is featured in The Irish Times article…

Read more… 117 more words

Lovely post about Abbeyshrule #TidyTowns #Longford

…to the burning question?

Scared by the rising cost of home heating oil? You are not alone.

More and more people are becoming concerned about the cost of heating their homes. And no wonder. The chart shows how the cost of heating oil has almost doubled in 3 years.

In fact I have receipts from 15/12/2001 (yes, I’m a hoarder!) showing the price of Kerosene at 35.65 cent per litre.

                 So, what’s the answer to the burning question?

 Where do we turn for heat?

 The answer is forward to the past………

We can heat our homes with wood, but using new technology to increase efficiency and take the hard work out of the process by using a wood gasification boiler.

I hear you ask? a what? a wood what? Well, here’s the science bit!

Wood gasification boilers provide a convenient, safe, and environmentally responsible way to heat your home and hot water. Wood gasification boiler owners are ensured of high heating efficiency, low heating costs, and use of an abundant, locally available, renewable fuel. The wood gasification combustion technology is the most efficient way to burn firewood.  Additionally, this high efficiency burn technology produces little or no creosote, virtually eliminating the risk of a chimney fire and greatly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

In conventional wood fired boilers, after the initial burning of the fuel, a large amount of combustible gas is released.  This gas accounts for an amazing 50% of the wood fuel energy.
Unfortunately, due to inefficient combustion, conventional wood boilers fail to capitalize on this abundant fuel energy; in fact most of it is lost up the flue!

A Wood gasification boiler utilizes a combustion technology called ‘Gasification’ to capture, extract and transfer this energy that standard wood boilers simply waste.

The gasification process..As the wood is burned in the firebox, fresh air is blown through the logs.  As this hot smoke and air mixture is forced into the combustion chamber, it is mixed with a second jet of super-heated air.
This results in a torch like combustion of the retained gases, at spectacular temperatures exceeding 1800 degrees.

The result: almost all the gases are burned, with little residual soot or creosote, and the extra energy extracted is transferred to a full jacket heat exchanger. This extraordinary process allows wood gasification boilers to achieve overall thermal efficiencies of greater than 90%!

This translates quite simply into more hot water for heating and domestic use, almost complete fuel efficiency, and significant savings in your annual fuel bill.

The right choice of the accumulator (or buffer) tank plays an important role when heating with wood. Every heating system must be large enough to cope with the coldest days of the year. During most of the heating period, however, only part of the heat produced is required immediately. Accumulator tanks ensure that no valuable energy is lost by storing the excess heat and releasing it back into the heating system or the hot-water tank as required.

As a result, you can get through the day with fewer heating intervals, and will benefit from heating in the optimum operating condition for longer. Another advantage of using the buffer tank is the cozy warmth which is still there early in the morning, without having to re-stoke the boiler.

Wood gasification heating system

A wood gasification boiler can only operate with high efficiency and low emissions if your wood has the right moisture content. Properly seasoned firewood should have a moisture content of less than 20 per cent (maximum 25%)

Burning wet wood will result in poor performance and is one of the top barriers to pleasurable, efficient wood burning. It is also very important to split the wood to the proper size for your burner chamber, in order to stack it correctly for efficient combustion.

My post “wood …the natural answer”  has all the information on how to choose and season the wood fuel for your boiler.

And remember always look for the label

The Wood Fuel Quality Assurance (WFQA) scheme for Ireland provides a simple but reliable way for consumers to purchase quality wood fuels that are accurately described and meet the supplier’s stated product specifications.

….all I need is the air that I breathe

One of my favourite songs is “The air that I Breathe” by the Hollies.  Showing my age, I know, but like the song, I’m a classic! For those of you too young to know it and for the rest of us that recall the “slow sets” of the 70’s here it is http://youtu.be/7duPNQCp-w4

Fresh air

We can manage without food for a length of time and even without water, but without air our body closes down, fast.

So it stands to reason that the quality of the air that we breathe is important.

Fresh air is full of negative ions, which cleans your lungs giving you more energy and a sharper mind; improved digestion; improved blood pressure and heart rate and a strengthened immune system.

And best of all ….It makes you happier 

The amount of serotonin is affected by the amount of oxygen you inhale.

Serotonin can significantly lighten your mood and promote a sense of happiness and well-being.

Fresh air will leave you feeling more refreshed and relaxed.

The air that we breathe inside is not as fresh as we need it to be. Dust is a fact of everyday life. It collects on every surface, and we breathe it in.

The Dust Mite

And then, there’s the dust mite. They are not parasitic and do not bite. The concern about dust mites is people are allergic to them. The dust mite allergen is their tiny feces and body fragments which are components of dust. These particles are so small they can become airborne and inhaled when dust is disturbed. Allergy symptoms  include sneezing, itchy, watery eyes, nasal stuffiness, runny nose, stuffy ears, respiratory problems, eczema and (in severe cases) asthma. Many people notice these symptoms when they stir dust during cleaning activities.

Indoor air is also polluted by combustion gases from cooking appliances, fires and stoves. Also, chemicals from furniture, cleaning products, paints, smog, pollen, mildew and cooking fumes, to name but a few. 

Natural ventilation such as trickle vents, wall vents are often closed to prevent heat loss, but even while open will only give about 1-2 air changes per day. Opening windows offers a similar result, and in good weather allow pollen to enter the home.

The result of this poor ventilation often manifests itself in the form of excess condensation mildew and mould.

With the rising cost of heating fuel and our growing awareness of energy conservation, we are  sealing our homes to prevent heat loss, to enhance our comfort and reduce fuel bills.

However this is having a detrimental effect on the quality of our indoor air and subsequently our health. When air is breathed several times a day it becomes stale and lacks oxygen, causing headaches, dizziness, colds, infections and unexplainable fatigue.

Stale air is the number one cause of asthmatic and allergy conditions, and repeated exposure to polluted air over the years can result in such conditions as heart disease, cancer, and respiratory illness.

What to do?

Fresh indoor air

Installing a Positive Input Ventilation unit, will provide up to twelve air changes per day.

DRIMASTER  Positive Input Ventilation units provide a continuous supply of fresh filtered air into your home by way of positive pressurisation. A gradual pressure is built up forcing moisture and indoor air pollutants out through natural leakage points found in every home, in turn creating an atmosphere in which condensation and mould growth cannot exist.

The unit is fitted in your attic and will operate at an almost imperceptible noise level. You will hardly know it’s there. The input air enters your home at ceiling level, either hallway or landing. This method re-circulates the warm air that rises and collects there and re-distributes it throughout the home thus collecting and removing old contaminated air from stagnant corners, wardrobes, storage areas etc.

The only maintenance required is the replacement of filters every 5 years (under normal conditions)

A Drimaster Positive Input Ventilation is the most cost effective way of creating a healthy living environment in your home.  It will reduce the air moisture content to a healthy 50%-60% leading to improved air quality, and providesolutions to condensation, mildew and poor air quality problems in both new and existing properties.  Drimaster will also help reducing any build-up of poisonous gases such as carbon monoxide and will reduce radon gas.

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas which is both colourless and odourless which can enter buildings from the ground and can expose occupants to doses of radiation. High concentrations of radon particles, once ingested, increase the possibility of damage to tissues and in extreme cases the risk of lung cancer. It is estimated that 100,000 homes have higher than average concentrations of radon above the safe levels of 200 Becquerel per m2.  See http://www.rpii.ie/  for more information and check the map to see if your home is in a High Radon Area.

Positive input ventilation is a recognized method of Radon control, increasing the internal air pressure will reduce radon entry into a dwelling and increase dilution of indoor radon (because of increased ventilation).

In short installing a Drimaster in your home will

• Continuously creates a healthier indoor environment.
• Protect the fabric of a dwelling from damage caused by mould and condensation
• Reduce the maintenance costs of the property.
• Prevent external pollutants from entering a dwelling and suppress unwanted draughts.
• Minimise the loss of heat in a loft space by recirculating the air, providing a significant net energy gain.

Last but not least, I can attest to two of the most positive results of having a Drimaster Positive Input Ventilation unit fitted in your home.

Dust is reduced ……Therefore dusting is reduced

And ………..DRUM ROLL ……… Improved air quality can also improve the problem of Snoring

 Restoring harmony, and perhaps stirring up romance like when you danced to your song…

……all I need is the air that I breathe…..

Note: This article uses 10-point Century Gothic font to reduce your ink footprint should you wish to print it.

cold women need warm hearths

In my last post, I mentioned that I need heat. I am a cold woman! So, if asked what is my favourite item in my home, I will reply, without hesitation “Monica”!

Monica Pellet Stove by Ravelli

 

Monica is my Italian pellet stove by Ravelli. She sits quietly in the corner of my kitchen and keeps me warm through cold winters, miserable Irish weather and chilly summer evenings. She is elegant and her flickering flame offers visual comfort and a warm welcome to those who visit our home.

Monica has been  keeping our family warm since 2005.

 

 

Modern wood pellet stoves offer the warmth and comfort of wood heating but are highly efficient, clean burning and totally automatic, saving you time and money.

 

Wood Pellet

Wood pellets are a clean, dry fuel made from a mixture of sawdust and wood shavings. Wood pellets are a high energy, smoke free fuel. Unlike other solid fuels, they are easy to handle and create almost no ash.

carbon cycle

Wood pellets are a renewable source of energy and do not contribute to climate change.The carbon dioxide that is released when pellets are burned is equal to the amount the tree consumed when it was growing. Wood pellets are manufactured with wood from sustainable forests. Only buy pellets with a quality mark and a complete fuel analysis printed on the bags. Look for the Wood Fuel Quality Assurance (WFQA) label

 

How a Pellet Stove Works

How a pellet stove works

1. Front/rear air switching lever

2. Rear air output pipe

3. Pellet hopper

4. Smoke flue

5. Tube heat exchanger

6. Smoke extractor  

7. Graphic Display 

8. Majolica top

9. Humidifier tray

10. Front hot air exit grate

11.Glass-cleaning air duct

12. Steel flame guard 

13.Glass-ceramic window, heat resistance 750°C

14. Firex 600

15. Stainless steel burner

16. Primary air intake

17. Ash pan

18. Majolica sides

 

When the stove is switched on, the flame lights following the combined action of three elements:

1.  Air that enters the stove via a primary air input duct (19) and reaches the burner (17)

2.  The pellet that is taken from the hopper (3) and dropped into the burner (17) via the screw

3.  The resistance, that activates combustion as it heats up

Combustion generates smoke which, coming into contact with the exchanger (5), releases all its heat. The released heat is then conveyed to the room through the hot air output front grill (10). The combustion smoke then continues to circulate through the smoke duct (4), before being expelled by the extractor (6).

The whole mechanism is monitored by an electronic board fitted with a microprocessor which, by means of the various sensors and probes inside the stove, regulates the air flow and feed so as to optimise combustion.

In this case, the stove is ducted, the hot air also passes through the rear (2) before been conveyed to adjacent rooms. The quantity of front & rear air is regulated by lever (1)

Quality is of paramount importance when choosing a pellet stove and sourcing pellets. Pellet stoves can either be free standing or fireplace inserts. Wood pellet stoves are also available with a back boiler to feed into your central heating A simple control panel on the appliance or on an adjacent wall allows you to set the temperature required in the room. The latest innovation allows remote control by mobile phone. By simply making a short call on your way home, you can return to a warm living room.

If you would like more information on pellet stoves just visit our stove website  

enough… about me

There is some debate whether the old adage ‘Ne’er cast a clout till May be out’  refers to the end of May or the blooming of the hawthorn “May” blossom. Since neither have arrived yet, I wrap up well, and sit on my garden bench to enjoy the glorious sunshine.

Simpson’s sky

I sit here under a “Simpson’s” sky, listening to the hoarse coo coo of the pigeons, the trilling of the birds and the vaguely irritating hum of a mower in the background,  compensated by the sweet smell of cut grass, and I think about what is enough.

Enough is different for all of us. As I have grown older; I refuse to don the title “middle aged”, I realise what is important to me.

The obvious suspects, of course, my family. Hubby, daughters and grand-daughters. Healthy, and most importantly very happy. Some good friends, and one great friend. Always there.

Taylor

My puppy, Taylor, my early birthday gift, runs in idiotic circles around the garden. She is 3 months old, named after the boxer “Katy”.  She also answers readily to gobshite! No prizes for guessing why.

The chestnut trees accross the road that give our home it’s name, “Chestnut View”. During the boom time a developer (one who develops his/her pockets) wanted to build 250 yellow boxes here. Unneeded, unwanted and unsustainable. And the Chestnut trees? Would have stood in the way of progress.

Chestnut View

Hubby and I fought all the way to An Bord Pleanala and back for 5 stressful  years. Lost the battle on a few occasions, lost a few “friends????” along the way,  but won the war. “Our” chestnut trees stand tall and proud and the countryside  is minus another ghost estate. A very proud achievement in my life!

The plants that I have nurtured from babies. I keep singing “see the tree how big it’s grown” as my hubby rolls his eyes to heaven, but I am proud of them. I love planting seeds and seeing the results.

apple blossom

” if I win the lotto I will buy a farm with a stream  and plant trees, flowers and windmills”     

 

 My greenhouse. A rescue, bent and broken, that my Dad repaired and put together for me the spring before he died. I can carry on his tradition of supplying the family with fresh tomatoes every summer.

HEAT. the one thing I cannot survive without. Be it from the sun or from a stove, fire or central heating. I cannot cope with being cold. I know that I am not the only heat junkie out there, hence my business, Smartheat sells heat.

And shoes, red black tan green nude , high low suede leather, strappy, boots……. in fact they deserve a post all by themselves!

Everthing else is a bonus.

Nice clothes? I’ve probably accumulated enough to last two lifetimes. New shoes will give them new life! Designer bags? Prefer this one, it says a lot more about me! and it cost € 3!

Holidays? would be nice, but having spent the past 7 years building a business and surviving a recession, I realize that they are not necessities!

Everything else? surplus to enough.

a warm home

Why use Insulation?

The first statement of the 2nd law of thermodynamics – heat flows spontaneously from a hot to a cold body

         In winter, the colder it is outside, the faster heat from your home will escape into the surrounding air. It is therefore vital that as much as possible is done to prevent this. Insulation makes it much more difficult for heat to pass through your house exterior by filling up the exterior walls, roof and ground floor with a material with lots of air pockets in it. These pockets greatly reduce what is known as your walls’ U value. The lower the U value, the slower heat is lost – and the less energy you need to keep your home warm. It is therefore imperative that considerable time is devoted to ensuring the new build is insulated to the highest possible standard.

Insulation Types

Insulation is generally categorised into two types, bulk insulation and reflective insulation.

Types of Bulk Insulation

Bulk insulation traps millions of tiny pockets of still air or other gases within its structure. These air pockets provide the resistance to heat flow. Bulk insulation reduces radiant, convective and conducted heat flow.

Blanket Insulation

Blanket Insulation is generally the most common and widely available type of insulation available and comes in the form of batts or rolls. It consists of flexible fibres, most commonly fibreglass. It is made from mineral wool, plastic fibres, and natural fibres, such as cotton and sheep’s wool.

Foam Board Insulation

Foam boards or rigid panels of insulation can be used to insulate almost any part of your home, from the roof down to the foundation. They provide good thermal resistance and often add structural strength to your home. Foam board insulation sheathing reduces heat conduction through structural elements, like wood and steel studs. The most common types of materials used in making foam board include polystyrene  polyisocyanurate or polyiso, and polyurethane.

Loose-Fill Insulation

Loose-fill insulation consists of small particles of fiber, foam, or other materials. These small particles form an insulation material that can conform to any space without disturbing any structures or finishes. The most common types of materials used for loose-fill insulation include cellulose, fibreglass, and mineral wool. All of these materials are produced using recycled waste materials. Most fibre glass contains 20%–30% recycled glass. Mineral wool is usually produced from 75% post-industrial recycled content.

Sprayed Foam

Liquid foam insulation materials can be sprayed, foamed-in-place, injected, or poured. Their ability to fill even the smallest cavities gives them a considerably better U-value than traditional batt insulation. Most foam insulation consists of materials similar to those found in pillows and mattresses and can now be used with foaming agents that don’t use chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) or hydrochlorofluoro carbons (HCFCs), which are harmful to the earth’s ozone layer. Some types of available liquid foam insulation materials include these cementitious, phenolic, polyisocyanurate and polyurethane. Spraying expanding insulation foam.

Types of Reflective Insulation

Reflective insulation systems are fabricated from aluminium foils with a variety of backings, such as kraft paper, plastic film, polyethylene bubbles, or cardboard. The resistance to heat flow depends on the heat flow direction. Reflective insulation is most effective at reducing downward heat flow.

Foil Foam Foil

Foil Foam Foil consists of two layers of polyethylene backed foil with a centre layer of polyethylene foam. Foil Foam Foil has a greater insulation value than 100mm of common mass insulation. It has become very popular in Ireland as a method of achieving the recommended Uvalues without increasing the cavity depth.

Foil Bubble Foil

Foil Bubble Foil consists of two layers of polyethylene backed foil with a  polyethylene bubble layer in between. Both Foil Foam Foil and Foil Bubble Foil reflect radiant heat, act as a barrier to convective and conductive heat transfer, are vapour-proof, and are unaffected by humidity. They are used in roofs, attics, ceilings, walls, floors and metal buildings.

Foil Foil

Foil Foil consists of two layers of aluminium foil backed by woven polyolefin. It is used to reflect radiant energy as a house wrap, under the roof, in the attic, and with under floor heating.

Sustainable Insulation 

There are a number of sustainable solutions to insulation available on the market, although generally more expensive they tend to perform as good as or even better than their counterparts.

Sheep’s Wool

Sheep's wool insulation

Sheep’s wool is a superb insulator, having a slightly better U value than standard fibreglass. Wool’s unique advantage is its breathability. One of wool’s greatest benefits is that it insulates when wet. Wool is naturally flame resistant, too. Although wool can be damaged by moths, it contains lanolin, a naturally occurring oil that protects it from insects. From an environmental standpoint, sheep’s wool  is a sustainable product.

Blown Cellulose

Cellulose is composed of recycled newspaper and small quantities of shredded cardboard. This is a loose material that is installed with professional air blowers through injection holes – usually into walls or attic from the building exterior. It carries less health risk than fibre glass, but can condense as it settles and take on moisture, which will significantly degrade its resistance value and potentially grow mould if it stays wet.

Straw

Straw bales or loose straw can be installed in ceilings and walls to provide very effective resistance to convective heat transfer. Straw bales are inexpensive and readily available. Loose straw is lighter than bales and reduces the need to fortify roof framing. To reduce fire potential, straw is treated with natural flame retardants such as boric acid or clay slip.

Grants for home insulation, subject to Terms and Conditions,  are available from SEAI http://www.seai.ie

 

 

 

you are in control

Thermostats

Room Thermostat

A temperature sensing device used to maintain the air temperature within a room to a set level whenever the heating circuit is timed to be on.The best location is in a room which is always heated and is the slowest to heat up, lounge or master bedroom when the heating is split into two zones. It should be set to the desired temperature for that room and TRVs in any other rooms should be set to prevent local overheating. Room thermostats should not be fitted in rooms with secondary forms of heating, such as open fire or stove.

Since room thermostats operate by sensing the air temperature, it is important that they are in a clear flow of air that is representative of the room temperature. Do not locate in areas such as corners, behind furniture units or curtains and in areas where the air-flow will pick up extraneous heat such as close to TVs, computers, wall lights and other heat generating devices, or direct sunlight. Also avoid any cooling position such as outside walls and ensure that no draughts are directed on to or into the thermostat from any direction.Room thermostats should be fitted in an area where they can easily be read and adjusted. Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs) should not be installed in the same room as the room thermostat.

Programmable Room Thermostats operate in the same manner as room thermostats and the same positioning rules etc. apply. They have the additional feature of being able to provide different temperatures at different times of the day or night.Some models have a remote temperature sensing availability to overcome any conflict between the ideal temperature sensing and accessibility locations.

 Cylinder Thermostat

A temperature sensing device used to control the temperature of the stored hot water within the cylinder whenever the hot water circuit is timed to be on.They should be fitted between a quarter and a third of the way up the cylinder unless otherwise directed by the manufacturer. It is important to have a good, clean contact with the metal cylinder wall when fitting a strap-on thermostat.The recommended temperature for storage of domestic hot water is between 60oC and 65oC, being high enough to kill off the harmful bacteria in the water, yet low enough to deter the production of scale.Since storage cylinders are quite likely to be located within a hotpress, it is important to make the Cylinder Thermostat as accessible as possible. 

Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs)

Thermostatic valves to control the flow of water through individual radiators.They should be installed together with a room thermostat to provide boiler interlock.

For detailed information on Heating Controls link to:http://www.homeenergysaving.ie