Are north facing bay windows generally a nightmare to heat?

[DIYRalph]

I am in the process of buying a house that faces north, well north-east really, and I am getting more concerned that I might be buying an ice-box duting the winter.
I have only recently found out that north facing rooms can be colder and darker (yep I know but its my first time buying a house).
There is a single through-lounge in the house with a bay window, like below:

https://ibb.co/VqHBZCL

When I go on suncalc.org I can see that the bay window never gets any direct sunlight, only occasionally a bit into the side during the end of the day in summer months. In addition there is a 3 storey townhouse opposite the house which I'd assume blocks more light.
Two other red flags are:

1. The upstairs small bedroom/box room at the front of the house has that thermal film over the window which must means its getting cold even though its a tiny room; too tiny for a bed even - though it has a baby's cot in it and they're maybe trying to keep the room very warm.
2. The living room blinds seem closed most of the time even during the day...and when you go on street view seems to have been that way for years. Is this desperation to try and keep a bit more heat in?
3. Probably less relevant but I can see via street view and going back in time that the PVC windows are at least 17 years old, who knows they could be 30 years old (house is an old house built mid-30's).

...and if anyone wonders why this matters so much, my joints dont do well in the cold so I couldn't spend months in a cold house. The houses EPC rating is D60.
Anyone any experience of a north facing bay window like this, especially living in North England where its a bit colder?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I am in the process of buying a house that faces north, well north-east really,

When I go on suncalc.org I can see that the bay window never gets any direct sunlight, only occasionally a bit into the side during the end of the day in summer months.

That does not compute! North/east, means it would get the morning sun. South/west, late evening.

 

[Old Salt]

I have a bedroom with a north facing bay and 2 external walls. I would say its the external walls rather than the bay that makes it slightly colder. The wind does whistle up that side of the house. My grand daughter is staying with us at the moment so the room only sees daylight when we go in and open the blinds .

I live in the south and get frostbite anywhere north of Watford.

 

[DIYRalph]

That does not compute! North/east, means it would get the morning sun. South/west, late evening.

Sorry, I am an idiot. I meant north/west - so it basically never gets direct sun.

 

[DIYRalph]

I have a bedroom with a north facing bay and 2 external walls. I would say its the external walls rather than the bay that makes it slightly colder. The wind does whistle up that side of the house. My grand daughter is staying with us at the moment so the room only sees daylight when we go in and open the blinds .

I live in the south and get frostbite anywhere north of Watford.

Yes I was thinking the external wall would add to the problem - cold northern wind blowing down the external wall and the big bay window.

 

[helplessowner]

Our last house had a kitchen that faced almost directly North, and it still got afternoon sun. North-West will get afternoon sun. The downside was that both bedrooms faced almost due South, and although we really like a warm home, both bedrooms were unbearably hot during the Summer months - made sleeping very hard.
The living room blinds may be closed for privacy; all very well being modern with blinds and shutters, but in urban settings common old net curtains can still be very useful for letting light in and eyes out.

 

[JohnD]

Bays are often cold. As well as multiple windows, which have heat loss from glass and multiple draughts (often the window frames are not foamed to the wall) if they have a little roof, it often has no insulation, and they often have a frail wall above the ground floor, a wooden frame covered on the outside with tiles or rendered lathing, and inside, plaster, with no insulation in the void.

draughts can blow between the floor and ceiling in the gaps between the joists

You can often improve it a lot by packing mineral wool, especially around the edges of the room, into the gaps.

Also, a lined, fill-length curtain to isolate the cold window from the room.

Plastic window film is an effective way to cut glass loss and some draughts, especially in older houses.

Do not put a radiator under the window or behind curtains. Although it is the coldest spot, most of the heat will disappear outside to warm the birds without ever reaching the room. It used to be done in the old days when heat was free.

 

[DIYRalph]

Do not put a radiator under the window or behind curtains. Although it is the coldest spot, most of the heat will disappear outside to warm the birds without ever reaching the room. It used to be done in the old days when heat was free.

Hmm....the room has two radiators as far as I can see, at the far ends and under each window...here's the bay one:

rad hosted at ImgBB

Image rad hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

 

[DIYRalph]

Discussion on radiators under windows:

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskUK/comments/10ff9yh/why_on_earth_are_radiators_built_underneath

"It’s more efficient. Hot air rises and causes a circular convection up one side of the room and down the other side. If you heat by the window; you are directly transforming the cold air into warm air for rising and circulating around the room. If you heat away from the window, then the cold air is swept downwards and around the room by the convection."

 

[JohnD]

Depends if you think throwing heat out of the window is more efficient than using it to heat the room.

If energy was free, fine.

If you must have it under the window, use a half-height lined curtain touching a shelf or wide window board to try to hold a pocket of still air against the glass. Not a full length curtain, which is much better if the radiator is not under the window.

 

[Jurassicspark]

In the days of single glazed windows, placing radiators under windows were a common practice.

Not important to do now with double glazed ones.