Gas on constantly or on and off...?

Andy_WSM

Chrysalis wrote: »

so why arent mine frozen?

Maybe you're not in one of the areas that has seen -10C and below, but a HUGE number of people are, so to make a blanket statement that because your pipes haven't frozen, no ones should worry about it, is simply fool hardy.

You only have to look at the news sites to see that it does happen!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/7813419.stm

200 homes in Roath & Penylan (Cardiff) hit by frozen pipes: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/8447314.stm

northwest1965

We've been turning the heating off at night, about 9.30. We have frozen pipes, just cold water in the kitchen, nothing anywhere else. I'm in Stockport

SuzieSue

northwest1965 wrote: »

We've been turning the heating off at night, about 9.30. We have frozen pipes, just cold water in the kitchen, nothing anywhere else. I'm in Stockport

Sorry to hear that. This doesn't apply to you now, but just for information, if your heating ever breaks down, and you have pipes in your loft, it is advisable to open the loft hatch slightly so that any hot air in the house can reach the roof area.

Dreamnine

Pipes freezing is far less common these days due to the general heat houses throw out/better efficiency etc. compared with 81/82, 62/63 etc.

But it can and does still happpen.

aelitaman

Lizzybop wrote: »

I just wanted to ask a question about the amount of gas you are using. I've been keeping an eye on the gas meter recently, but don't know if what I'm using is considered high!!

So how much do you all use in this cold weather??

I have a 5 yr old combi boiler in a 3 bed detached and use all the rooms. I too have no thermostat, I can control the temp that the boiler heats the water to, and I do have controls on my radiators.

Also I always turn off the heating at night, and it comes on again in the morning - should I be worried about freezing pipes? I live in a suburban area not the highlands of scotland.

Would appreciate any thoughts/comments

Thanks :j

I am in the South West so cold but in the -4C range not -20C.

I have my heating on constantly for 13 hours a day and I am using 13m^3 a day i.e 1M^3 and hour or about 34p per hour.

nickj_2

i have left my boiler running all the time for the last 3-4 days , once the house warmed up it doesn't have to work hard just maintaining the temp ,

Cardew

This subject comes up several times a year and always drifts away from the 'exam question' (which is cheapest, keep at a constant temperature or timed?) to post after post explaining how people run their CH systems.

How we each run our CH system depends on individual circumstances and individual preferences and is totally our prerogative

HOWEVER the answer to the exam question is that timed is cheaper than constant!!!

Chrysalis

Andy_WSM wrote: »

Maybe you're not in one of the areas that has seen -10C and below, but a HUGE number of people are, so to make a blanket statement that because your pipes haven't frozen, no ones should worry about it, is simply fool hardy.

You only have to look at the news sites to see that it does happen!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/7813419.stm

200 homes in Roath & Penylan (Cardiff) hit by frozen pipes: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/8447314.stm

-12C last night so wrong.

The answer is outdoor temperatures dont equate to inner pipe temperatures. I will however acknowledge there is some risk maybe depending on pipe location after reading that article. I would probably if worried have the heating on for 30 mins or so during the night but not all night. Water once heated doesn't instantly freeze so it would maintain some heat and only slowly lose temperature not go to freezing the second the heating is turned off. In addition some pipes will keep cold water regardless of heating.

Lizzybop

Thanks aelitaman for your answer to my question. I don't have my heating on overnight - but find a half hour on high in the morning warms all the house. Then turn it down to maintain a decent comfortable temp. Oh and get the kids to put on a jumper helps .

Also we went out to run around in the snow earlier - left heating on v low - house felt really toasty when we got home. :j

Chrysalis

JennyR68 wrote: »

I had friends who left their boiler on low when they went away the week before Christmas and they came back to chunks of ice in their system and that was with it on!

cold water pipes?

to get ice with the boiler on clearly there is a problem, but of course the pipes feeding to taps only circulate water when the taps are in use and as such they could freeze regardless of the boiler been on or off.