How cold are your rooms?

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ebendl

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So since I've invested in a home automation system and a bunch of Zigbee Temperature sensors, I've come to realize just how cold my house is inside (or perhaps not?).

Reading anything online (e.g. for the American market) illustrates that my house is just "too cold" -- supposed to be 20 - 25, but in winter it is more like 15 - 20.

Was wondering if most people in SA (privileged enough to live in a house) have this problem? E.g. is the old idea that Americans / Europeans suffer in SA because of our cold houses, even though our winters are comparatively mild true or not?

For reference, here's the outside temperature for last night (I live in Pretoria) - came down to about 7 degrees and will be around 18 or so max today:

1658140672279.png

Living room came down to 15.6, I have an aircon running now to boost the temperature up to around 20, 21 degrees (running on PV at least) and at night I use a fireplace.

1658140726320.png

Study where I work 16.3 - 19: warmed up using a small 400w heater or just the PCs running in the room.

1658140809007.png

Music room is the coldest - 13 - 15 or 16 (the piano is there, hence the name) - I monitor this one to check the temperature of the piano.

1658140888163.png

Bathroom (I monitor it for the humidity to trigger an extraction fan) - minimum 16, max above 20 (when somebody showers).
1658141004236.png

Just me?
 
Its not just you.

When I visited Fam in england, their houses inside are MUCH hotter inside than ours. South African houses, at least for the majority of middle class, is insulated like ****. I dont know how the super rich houses are, they look nice an cozy, but mine is cold and we not even in Gauteng.

Last few days here haven't actually been cold.

Screenshot 2022-07-18 at 13.00.17.png

Screenshot 2022-07-18 at 13.00.51.png
 
8ac77143ea30ca078f344689eaa3a681.jpg


Granted it is summer.

I don't have graphs from winter yet, but I can tell you it doesn't go below 20.

You are right, SA houses are generally **** in winter.
 
My bedroom can reach 40C in the morning due to direct sunlight, I put a reflector on the window which helps dramatically
 
My house is generally a little cooler in winter compared to when I was in the UK and US, but it's not cold enough to justify heating it. I'll light a fire in the jetmaster, but that's about it. I haven't even filled the gas bottle for the heater this year.
 
ebendl said:
Was wondering if most people in SA (privileged enough to live in a house) have this problem? E.g. is the old idea that Americans / Europeans suffer in SA because of our cold houses, even though our winters are comparatively mild true or not?
Click to expand...
Every shitty house share I stayed in the UK had central heating & double-glazing so probably is the case for a lot of places that their houses are warmer (and also smaller = easier to keep warm).
 
An American we know who comes across frequently once remarked that a bathroom in a house in Johannesburg during the middle of winter is the coldest place on earth.

Our SA houses aren't well suited for cold days, your temps look the same as what I see
 
Polymathic said:
My bedroom can reach 40C in the morning due to direct sunlight, I put a reflector on the window which helps dramatically
Click to expand...
I'm not actually measuring the bedrooms which actually gets northern sun, so I'm assuming they should be a bit warmer.

I do recall in my previous townhouse, when my kids were still babies, I had a cheap Motorola baby monitor. One winter's night the thing started blaring loudly (woke the baby in the process). Through my sleep I tried to figure out what the hell it was and I eventually realised it was a temperature alarm: as soon as the temperature dropped beneath 15 celcius, it started screaming warnings. Also turns out that there was no actual way to disable it -- other than turn off the monitor completely! Baby was warmly wrapped and sleeping in super cozy winter clothes and blankets - and nice and warm inside.
 
saor said:
Every shitty house share I stayed in the UK had central heating & double-glazing so probably is the case for a lot of places that their houses are warmer (and also smaller = easier to keep warm).
Click to expand...
Our house was old and draughty. We had to settle on heating a room, rather than a wing.
 
ebendl said:
So since I've invested in a home automation system and a bunch of Zigbee Temperature sensors, I've come to realize just how cold my house is inside (or perhaps not?).

Reading anything online (e.g. for the American market) illustrates that my house is just "too cold" -- supposed to be 20 - 25, but in winter it is more like 15 - 20.

Was wondering if most people in SA (privileged enough to live in a house) have this problem? E.g. is the old idea that Americans / Europeans suffer in SA because of our cold houses, even though our winters are comparatively mild true or not?

For reference, here's the outside temperature for last night (I live in Pretoria) - came down to about 7 degrees and will be around 18 or so max today:

View attachment 1348946

Living room came down to 15.6, I have an aircon running now to boost the temperature up to around 20, 21 degrees (running on PV at least) and at night I use a fireplace.

View attachment 1348948

Study where I work 16.3 - 19: warmed up using a small 400w heater or just the PCs running in the room.

View attachment 1348950

Music room is the coldest - 13 - 15 or 16 (the piano is there, hence the name) - I monitor this one to check the temperature of the piano.

View attachment 1348952

Bathroom (I monitor it for the humidity to trigger an extraction fan) - minimum 16, max above 20 (when somebody showers).
View attachment 1348956

Just me?
Click to expand...
A lot of the first world countries have adapted passive home principles and now make use of Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery systems. Although I am sure the entry level homes are still damp, cold and mouldy, but not as bad as couple of decades ago.
 
Mine is between 14 and 18 degrees so far this month.

People in colder counties usually have indoor heating and their homes are a lot better insulated than ours.

Interestingly 10 am was the coldest part of the past 24 hours. Screenshot_20220718-141203_Mi%20Home.jpg

We usually don't do any heating but I do sometimes run a small lp gass heater in our living room.
 
Last edited:
RedViking said:
A lot of the first world countries have adapted passive home principles and now make use of Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery systems. Although I am sure the entry level homes are still damp, cold and mouldy, but not as bad as couple of decades ago.
Click to expand...
Feels to me the closest we've ever come to this is:
- build it to face north with windows (I have some windows facing north-east, but my living area is next to a stoep with its own roof, which gets most of the suntlight, and my study is south-west)
- put in think-pink (which I have)
- aircons / space heaters / fireplaces

I've also looked at sealing drafts around doors / windows but honestly I don't think it made too much of a difference.
 
Ya been montiering mine for some time, without any interferences can drop to 14-15 degress. witht he fire on, goes up 19-20 degress which is comfortable. Kids room set the underfloor heating to turn on around 1am to pick the room up a bit.

Have zero insulation in the roof which is on the list, any ideas how much of a difference this makes?
 
bwana said:
My house is generally a little cooler in winter compared to when I was in the UK and US, but it's not cold enough to justify heating it. I'll light a fire in the jetmaster, but that's about it. I haven't even filled the gas bottle for the heater this year.
Click to expand...
But PE does not get that cold in winter. The highveld, I was never as cold as I was in JHB.
 
cleask said:
An American we know who comes across frequently once remarked that a bathroom in a house in Johannesburg during the middle of winter is the coldest place on earth.

Our SA houses aren't well suited for cold days, your temps look the same as what I see
Click to expand...
When I was in JHB, I bought a cheap Dischem heater and extension cord, just so that I could heat that freezer called a Bathroom.
 
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