Saving on heating bills

[Bob Spiers]

In England single-storey homes were unusual and so the name bungalow became a generic term for single-storey homes, whether or not they had a verandah. In Australia, where single-storey homes were more common, the term 'bungalow' seems only to have been used for specific types of single-storey home, eg those with verandahs.

If you want to learn more see Australian residential architectural styles at Wikipedia.

Yes that makes sense and I found the the Wikipedia link most interesting.

I visited Australia twice when my sister lived in rural Victoria situated (in true Tolkien style) in "The Shire". For many years before our visit my sister and brother-in-law ran a Drive-in Store, serving provisions, petrol and take-away food. The Store was located at the end of the town on one side of a dual 3-lane wide carriageway. The sold up and moved a few kilometres away into the 'bush' and bought a sizeable single storey wooden house (I shall refrain from using the term Bungalow from now on). It had grounds and stables (for a time they also had horses which they hired out). They also part owned a nearby wood from which they obtained logs and kindling.

I was most taken with the 'mish-mash' of house styles which seemed to owe nothing to architectural design and more to the person who built the property way back in some sort of quasi-Colonial style. Their one common denominator was wooden built, corrugated iron roofs and (sadly) many incorporated asbestos in their build. All had wood burning stoves and air conditioners, and the other given essential was a rain water tank either built into the roof, or supported on timber poles. Likewise, a good many had white painted wicket fencing to the front elevations which I thought very Australian,

Perhaps another time I will tell of the practice of hanging balloons filled with water from the roof guttering when they get intense heat warnings, and the visit from the Shire Fire Brigade to warn of 'actions to take' when such warnings are imminent: one of which occurred whilst we were visiting.

On the plus side everyone -apart from houses in and close to the town - enjoys considerable grounds and distance between properties. Also there were a few brick built houses, and we paid a visit to one such a friend of my sister and brother in law. Unusual for the area it was a two-storey property, and clearly up-market. (My sister told he had earned money training 'Trotting' horses - again could only be in Australia). Closer to home family wise and geographically, her son (my nephew) had almost finished a self build brick house with a drive way and garden which would not have looked out of place in the UK. It was within the sight line of his parents house, about a kilometre distant.

It was also fascinating to discover the different 'town' housing styles between Melbourne and Sydney and much of this is covered in the Wikipedia article and shows how different states have different styles. But I have given up on querying why the terms Bungalow is not more abundantly used in Australia.

 

[Margery]

Bungalow is not more abundantly used in Australia.

The only time I would refer to a Bungalow would be if it was a Californian Bungalow. They were quite distinctive, with a deep front verandah that was (usually) only accessable from the interior of the house and often partially glassed-in. The "front" door was at the side of the house. My memory is that they were built of dark, liver coloured brick.

wooden built,

We would call it weatherboard.

earned money training 'Trotting' horses - again could only be in Australia)

You don't have the "Trots" in England??

 

[At home in NZ]

The only time I would refer to a Bungalow would be if it was a Californian Bungalow. They were quite distinctive, with a deep front verandah that was (usually) only accessable from the interior of the house and often partially glassed-in. The "front" door was at the side of the house. My memory is that they were built of dark, liver coloured brick.

We would call it weatherboard.

You don't have the "Trots" in England??

We call also it weatherboard in NZ, although it is becoming less common.
There was nothing like 'the trots' in England when I left and I doubt if there is now. We have it here in NZ too. For Bob's info, it is like racing a horse and buggy and officially called Harness Racing. Try this link

'The trots' also has other connotations in this part of the world.

 

[Margery]

'The trots' also has other connotations in this part of the world

Yep, I know...

 

[Bob Spiers]

And in England also ... and thanks athNZ my sister and brother-in-law went to great depths to explain 'Trotting Races' (I have no memory of them calling it Harness Racing) and the visited friend friend referred to had Buggies (and of course Horses) within his grounds (although we did go to see them). But there was no need as he had scores of photos showing them in their finery in the house.

As far as I know we do not have 'the trots' in England but I believe the late Duke of Edinburgh loved four-horse buggy racing but have no idea how (or if) there is any similarity with the Australian version.

 

[Bob Spiers]

We would call it weatherboard.

As I worked in the Timber (and later Joinery) trade in the UK for many years, I can confirm the term Weatherboard as a collective name for both sawn and planed boards used to clad buildings. In its sawn state sold as Weatherboard (usually 'feather-edged') or planed as Shiplap (with a sculptured finish) and TGV (Tongued and Grooved incorporating a decorative 'V' groove).
In the UK weatherboarding is mostly used to clad Sheds and Summer Houses, as well as House Fascias, Gable boards and Soffites, but these days uPVC has mainly replaced timber, just as it has done in the manufacture of Window Frames.

 

[jorghes]

Agreed, but don't forget migration to Australia as 'free settlers' even late 19th Century and lasting well into the 20th Century culminating in the "ten-pound pom' era, was more than enough time for many British words to take hold in Australia.

I'm one of those poor people who can't claim a single convict ancestor - only free settlers. (South Australia is where most of my ancestors headed, and they didn't accept a single convict.) And some ten-pound poms, too.

I wish I could tell you why we called everything a house, Bob, but I can't. Or how our usage of bungalow narrowed to the extremely restrictive meaning that we have for it. (And in Australia, a bungalow doesn't necessarily need a veranda.)

But yes, Australians have houses - some are single story, or two story, but they are houses. There are also flats or apartments (and more of and more of them it seems in squat 3-4 story blocks in the suburbs). But we also have terraces (particularly in Melbourne, which has worked to maintain it's historical housing). I would refer to most of them as "Federation", some of them are single story and others are wonderful two story terraces with filigreed ironed detailing.

But the majority of houses in Australia, other than the really new ones (which rely mostly on air-conditioning) have verandas. One of my particular favourites styles of house in Australia (other than a Queenslander, of course) is the traditional farm house, with a massive wrap around veranda.

You can own a unit (rather than a house) - these are freestanding houses which usually share a block with another house (often after subdivision). They used to be smaller than the original house that they sat behind, but nowadays, they are often three bedrooms! Note - these aren't the same as a bungalow, which generally has a temporary connotation. A unit is an established house, with its own title.

I did hear one, as a piece of interesting but reasonably useless information that outside of the city of Melbourne, the majority of older houses in Victoria were weatherboard, while in Sydney most of the older houses were brick. Unfortunately Sydney has not maintained as many of it's older houses as Melbourne has managed.

 

[peter]

the late Duke of Edinburgh loved four-horse buggy racing

He may have done, but the sport he participated in was carriage driving (see this article).

 

[Bob Spiers]

He may have done, but the sport he participated in was carriage driving (see this article).

Yes I bow to the fact he was into Carriage Driving, but my reference to 'Buggy' came about because I discovered images online entitled: 'Prince Philip and buggy racing'. Finding the images again I can see they more likely resemble 'Carriages' but just assumed Carriage to be the British equivalent of Buggy. But apparently not, as I can see they are quite different animals, or rather the conveyances are different and the number of horses involved is also different.

Further research discovers we do have Trotting Races in the UK -and indeed Pacing Races. Both coming under the heading of Harness Racing. (On the continent apparently they only have Trotting Races -as in Australia). There are many venues but the 3 most popular are: York Racecourse (England) , Corbiewood (Bannockburn) (Scotland) and Towyn (Wales) - the latter including an Amusement Park making it the most family friendly racing venue.

I have no interest in taking this further or showing how Trotting varies from Pacing, but there is information on the web for those interested. I merely include the information to answer the question of whether we have Trotting Racing in the UK. (I doubt very much they are called 'Trots' but you never know!)

 

[Pauline]

There is a new house being built just across the way from where we live, and we noticed today that there is now a heat pump installed outside what we think is the kitchen. It's sited on the ground and appears to be an air source heat pump with two fans. The unit is pretty big even though the house itself seems quite small - two beds, I think. It's the first new build I've seen with a heat pump, but it's a one off rather than part of a development, so maybe it has been individually designed by the future occupant.

 

[peter]

There is a new house being built just across the way from where we live, and we noticed today that there is now a heat pump installed outside what we think is the kitchen. It's sited on the ground and appears to be an air source heat pump with two fans. The unit is pretty big even though the house itself seems quite small - two beds, I think. It's the first new build I've seen with a heat pump, but it's a one off rather than part of a development, so maybe it has been individually designed by the future occupant.

We look forward to learning more after the occupants move in!

 

[At home in NZ]

There is a new house being built just across the way from where we live, and we noticed today that there is now a heat pump installed outside what we think is the kitchen. It's sited on the ground and appears to be an air source heat pump with two fans. The unit is pretty big even though the house itself seems quite small - two beds, I think. It's the first new build I've seen with a heat pump, but it's a one off rather than part of a development, so maybe it has been individually designed by the future occupant.

Would love to see a photo or two.

 

[Pauline]

Would love to see a photo or two.

I don't think I'm going to be able to get a photo as we could only see it end on through a small missing section of fence, and had to peer through the fence panels to see the front. I think it was a Hitachi, though, so it may be like one of the ones on this page. The pictures of the 'two fan' models are lower down the page (not the 'one fan' model pictured at the top), and the dimensions (in mm) for these are shown as H1380 W1252 D370, which sounds about right.

It was placed away from the wall by about the same amount as it was deep, with pipes behind. The pipes were not lagged but I presume they will need to be in due course, though its position in a smallish gap between the house and the fence may provide some protection against frost.

 

[At home in NZ]

I don't think I'm going to be able to get a photo as we could only see it end on through a small missing section of fence, and had to peer through the fence panels to see the front. I think it was a Hitachi, though, so it may be like one of the ones on this page. The pictures of the 'two fan' models are lower down the page (not the 'one fan' model pictured at the top), and the dimensions (in mm) for these are shown as H1380 W1252 D370, which sounds about right.

It was placed away from the wall by about the same amount as it was deep, with pipes behind. The pipes were not lagged but I presume they will need to be in due course, though its position in a smallish gap between the house and the fence may provide some protection against frost.

You make it sound like you are a really nosy neighbour or, a peeping Tom

Looking at the link, I saw this
The Yutaki M's wide operating temperature range copes even in extreme weather down to -25c . The system delivers heat via underfloor heating and low and high temperature radiators, and produces hot water, making it an an ideal boiler replacement.

It is not the sort of heat pump I referred to, the ones we have only heat the air in the room where the indoor unit is installed although, depending on make and model, the outside unit is similar to those you can see. There is one outside unit per heat pump.

 

[Bryman]

Would love to see a photo or two.

To save Pauline from confirming her peeping Tom reputation, perhaps this photo of my heat pump unit might be of help to those wishing to know what is being talked about. The photo is not of an Hitachi heat pump. Mine is a Daikin but they all look very similar externally. This two fan unit measures L:142cm, H:132cm, D:32cm and is mounted about 14cm above the concrete slab with buried insulated pipes conveying heated water to the manifold inside the house to which the various room pipes are connected. Smaller heat pump units with a single fan are about half the height.

This outside unit is the heat pump (reverse refrigerator) and any indoor units are just heat exchangers with a fan blowing room air over hot/cold water in pipes/fins. It is possible to have more than one heat exchanger per heat pump depending on unit sizing. I can't find the specs of my unit easily but I think it is rated at 14kw maximum to heat about 250 sq metres of heated floor area and water in the hot tank.

My unit is very quiet (only the noise from the fans) and is located next to the far end wall of a 3-car garage so does not intrude on people inside the house.

 

[Pauline]

You make it sound like you are a really nosy neighbour or, a peeping Tom

I know! But the house is still empty, and heat pumps are still sufficiently unusual here to excuse a bit of nosiness! It’s the first one I’ve seen.

 

[Pauline]

Mine is a Daikin but they all look very similar externally.

I think the fans were bigger on the one we saw, taking up half to two thirds of the width, but otherwise very similar.

 

[Margery]

really nosy neighbour or, a peeping Tom

Here we call it Neighbourhood Watch!

 

[At home in NZ]

I know! But the house is still empty, and heat pumps are still sufficiently unusual here to excuse a bit of nosiness! It’s the first one I’ve seen.

You'll have to get to know the people when they move in so you can see how it all works.

 

[Pauline]

You'll have to get to know the people when they move in so you can see how it all works.

The new people haven’t moved in yet, and there are still various workmen busy on the site, but the heat pump is now working. The fan whirring noise isn’t very loud, but while the fans are working there is also a continuous humming noise which is quite penetrating, and can be heard from some distance away.

Our bedroom window is about 20 yards from the heat pump, with a fence and a hedge in between, and the humming noise disturbed me last night, despite all our windows being shut. I’m not sure if it was that or something else which actually woke me, but I was unable to get back to sleep until the hum paused some 30 minutes later.

This heat pump hum from 20 yards away is louder than our own central heating boiler, which is sited right underneath our bedroom.