Pilou

We will stay in the Algarve also during the winter. A lot of houses we have seen don't have any form of heating or chimney.

What would a central heating system (on wood) cost with 7 radiators? Including all the pipes, work etc. Any experience?

A reversible aircon is not the best in the winter, because I think the heat comes out at the ceiliing and won't come down.

coleio

Hi,

You'll not get a sensible price/quote unless someone visits and assesses the project for things like how well your house is insulated, correct radiator size for the rooms, how and where to site the burner/boiler and where to run the flue pipe etc. The aircon heat pump works well in individual rooms with the heated air blown by fan so it does heat the whole room but I've not seen any whole house installations.

Pilou

Is there any subsidy from the government for some kind of heating system or insulation like double glazed windows?

EMR

No .
But all properties when sold have to have an energy rating.
For most of the winter in a villa with double glazing, wall insulation we managed with a single wood burning fire.

Pilou

I love a wood burner!
The house we have seen in the Algarve has the living on the 1st floor, so not handy to have a wood burner there.
The real estate agent told me "this is the Algarve, you don't need heating in the winter" ......

Pulaski

We have forced air based heating, which in some rooms comes out of the ceiling - but it really doesn't make much difference whether it comes out of the floor or the ceiling, it still ends up near the ceiling soon after it comes out of a floor vent. .... Sooo, that is why our ceiling fans are reversible. In the summer they blow downwards to help keep us cool, but in the winter they are reversed to draw air upwards to the ceiling, forcing the warm air near the ceiling outward and down the walls, thereby bringing it into contact with us without making us feel like there is a draft. We use the fans in winter in all rooms, whether the air vents are in the floor or ceiling.

We are not in Portugal.

Pilou

That is a very good idea, reversible fans!

EMR

Ignore the estate agent, in fact tell them that they are talking out of their rear orifice.
They obviously know as much about living in the Algarve as they do about selling property.

chislenko

There is some UK government advice about reversible fans and gas appliances if you have them, apparently they don't mix well.

Pulaski

Reversible fans, or reversible heating/AC systems?

chislenko

If you search reversible fans and gas appliances it comes up with a UK government download all about it. Sorry no idea how to link to it from a phone.

Pulaski

Google provides local results and therefore when I try searching for reversible fans and gas appliances Google doesn't give anything relevant in three pages of hits, nor even when tweaked with references to "uk", "government", "report", and/or "safety".

Please an you give me a clue as to whether the report is about a reversible ceiling fan or something else such as a reversible heating/ AC system, or a reversible extractor/ ventilated system? Or something else?

Sunseeker1st

I agree. We are in the Algarve and we have these fans in all rooms for this very purpose. We have 5 meter ceilings, a log burner and a/c heating units. They are invaluable summer and winter.

chislenko

It refers to reversible ceiling fans as that was what was originally mentioned "Sooo, that is why our ceiling fans are reversible" Anyway I have done that seldom done thing of logging the pc on and here is the link

https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...appliances.pdf

AliceCaroline

Estate Agents will tell you anything they think will help with a sale.
It gets cold at night during the winter in the Algarve.