lower heating costs Help and information on all topics relating to your central heating, air conditioning and ventilation issues.

[sonya]

Is it correct that the most efficient/cheapest way to use the boiler is to keep the radiator thermostats at full and adjust the temperature on the boiler only. Or to change the thermostats as and when and keep the boiler at a consistant temperature?

[htg engineer]

Use all available controls. Turning the boiler thermostat down will save money as this determines what temperature you want the water/heating etc.

Using TRV's allows you to control each room, for example in the living room and bathrooms most people like it to be warm, so set TRV's quite high. In bedrooms people want to be warm not hot, so set them lower.

Best way of saving gas - do not use gas fires, use central heating.


htg

[sonya]

Thanks a lot. I suppose what I really want to know is if lowering the TVR'S affects the output from the boiler and therefore the amount of energy being used. ie is it a way to save money?

[hearingdog]

I am just a user and not an expert on this subject but I have been doing for many years what htg engineer advises ie/ using boiler temp control and variable settings of TRV's BUT I don't know if it's best or not - in fact I have today posted a question on the subject.
Even if you do follow the advice given, you (and me) still need to know what the optimum settings are for max efficiency. Pls tell us!

[htg engineer]

Not that simple, obviously it depends on the heat input of the boiler, the size of the house, size of radiators, lengths of pipe runs etc etc.

It's all down to personal preference, setting boiler stat to max is probably too hot for most houses.

Balance the radiators so that there's 11 degrees C temperature difference between the flow and return, by closing lockshield valves slightly. If the flow is 50 degrees and the return is 49 degrees there's only 1 degree C being transferred to the room.

Use TRV's - again personal preference. I like a cool bedroom and warm livng and bathroom. I have TRV's in bedrooms set to 2 or 3 and set to max in living room, and I don't have TRV in bathroom.

If you have to add cold water to wash dishes or bathe - the water is too hot. Why not turn it down so it's exactly the right temperature for your needs.

htg

[nitro23456]

HTG Engineer... If a house has a room thermostat, TRVs, hot water cylinder thermostat; what is the best setting for the actual boiler temperature knob?

For example, I have my room thermostat at 21 degrees which is fine for us and I have my TRVs adjusted around the house accordingly. My hot water cylinder is set at 60 degrees, so what is the need for the boiler control knob if these other stats are determining the temperatures?

I have read somewhere, if this is the case as above, have the boiler set to full (or near full) but I dont understand what difference having it to full or say 3/4s would have if the other stats are controlling the various temps?

[htg engineer]

Whatever the boiler stat is set to the room stat and cylinder stat will shut the boiler off when the desired temperature is met. Obviously setting boiler to 1 or 2 the hot water and even the heating may never reach the temperature set on the thermostats. For an average 3 bed house, most people have the boiler stat set to 3 or 4.

"so what is the need for the boiler control knob if these other stats are determining the temperatures?" it is a thermostat, parts can fail. If the cylinder stat was to fail the boiler stat would control the temperature if there was no boiler stat and the cylinder stat failed, the tank would boil over and could burst - bedroom beneath ? serious injuries probably death.

htg

[plumbbob]

Don't worry about the boiler temperature.

As Htg says, use TRV's in each of the rooms to control temperature. After all, it is the heat given out by each radiator that we are are paying for, so if a rad is turned off, it costs nothing to run.

Set TRV's in unused rooms to off or 1. Bedrooms and kitchen to 2, and living room to max. The hall where most room stats are should not have a TRV so leave alone.

Keep all internal doors shut to prevent heat escaping from one room to the another. This will also prevent all the downstairs heat disappearing upstairs where it is not required.

[Perry525]

From a comfort point of view I find it most pleasant when the radiators are emitting heat. The cosy feeling from that infrared radiation is so much nicer than living with radiators that are cooling down.
Avoiding those up and down swings by regulating from the boiler is the equivalent of sitting in front of a fire.
Having said that. My system, is based on radiators all with thermostatic valves and zoned wireless controlled mobile thermostats.
This means that as I move around the house from room to room, place to place, the appropriate wireless stat comes with me, usually placed on the table in front of me during the day or on the bedside cabinet at night.
This ensures that where I am is 22.5 to 23 C. Perfect.