Our geothermal heating systems rose magnificently to their first major challenges - providing toasty warm houses for holidays during the Christmas and New Year sub zero temperatures.
The underfloor heating in 'Orchard Lee' provides an easy, very pleasant heat with the added attraction of a warm floor for thawing frozen toes after a long walk. The bathrooms have double quantities of underfloor heating loops - everyone hates a cold bathroom, dont they?
Although it seems counterintuitive to drop damp towels on the floor, it's where they dry best!
The heating is so efficient that, although people taking a winter break ask for wood for the Jotul woodburning stove, it hasn't been used since early autumn as the living room gets too hot. We're finding that setting the system at 23 degrees allows people to operate happily in tee shirts even when it's frosty outside. Although it's not a system which responds instantly, like the hideously expensive gas, 8 hours allows it to come up to full warmth, giving enough hot water to cope with large parties of 10 in the house.
It's great for us to hear people who've stayed at 'Orchard Lee' for a winter weekend, say they've been warmer than at home, and nice to see coffee being drunk on the verandah in the winter. After all, the views over the fields are spectacular and the winter bird-watching varied and interesting, even if a long country walk isn't called for.
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