Winter Comfort

Winter comfort is influenced by a variety of factors beyond just temperature. While obvious factors like temperature affect comfort, there are also subtler ones that play a role.

For instance, many Australian homes suffer from the "hot head/cold feet" syndrome, which can be exacerbated by several factors. One of the primary culprits is poor insulation in the walls and windows of homes. As cold air sinks, it accumulates on the floor, resulting in a pool of cold air at feet level.

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​This happens because the window loses heat to the outside air (1), causing the air next to the window to get cold and sink to the floor (2). This causes a pool of cold air to collect at your feet (3). If no heat is added and the air isn’t stirred up by a fan, the pool of cold air will gradually thicken (4).

From this we can see that we can reduce this problem by reducing the heat loss through the window with curtains, double glazing, roller shutters or preferably a combination of these. Drafts caused by air leaks under doors can also contribute to this issue. Flued gas room heaters can worsen the problem by dragging cold air across the floor as they take air from the room. (An unflued room gas heater is an even bigger problem, because you need to ensure your home is sufficiently leaky so that carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and other pollutants from the burning gas are kept to a safe level.)

Additionally, radiation from cold windows can make one side of the body cold while the other remains hot. Despite the size of the heater used, these issues can still prevent individuals from achieving optimal comfort.

There are some obvious actions you can take to reduce these issues, for example, install high performance curtains and/or change to double glazing, insulate your walls, install door and window seals etc. If you have an unflued room gas heater, changing it to a reverse cycle air conditioner is generally a priority.

These actions should be supplemented with wearing the right clothes for the season. Wear comfortable but warm clothes. Generally, the thicker the clothes, the warmer they will be. Wearing lots of layers also helps because they stop direct transmission of the heat and allow you to change your clothing level, by say putting on a jumper in the evening.

However, other than the door and window seals (which are unlikely to eliminate the problem by themselves) all these items are expensive. The most effective items may not be obvious. To make sure you are getting the best bang for your buck, it is worthwhile getting an energy assessment by an experienced energy assessor.
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