Thermostat Temp

charlie792

Im just wondering is there an 'ideal' temperature I should set my thermastat too as me and the OH are always "arguing" about it - he's always cold. Originally we had it set to 21 which was ridiculous as it never got above 19 so the heating was always on, I have set this to 18 now, realistically is it wise to set it any lower?
I don't have the heating on timer, partly because Im home all day and would rather only have it on when its needed, ie when I get cold - which isnt very often -I normally put it on first thing for half hour as overnight the temp drops to around 14 degrees, I normally wack it on just before OH gets home for lunch and then again before he gets home from work but its pretty much on all evening (set at 18).
Realistically the main reason it was on for so long previously was as our lounge was so cold and without the heating on it was unbearable, Ive now bought an electric heater which I put on for 10 mins every so often to warm the room up - so my thinking is its not necessary to have the central heating on for as long. Im just looking at saving a bit of money really, last months gas bill was £60 (albeit it with the stupid price rises), Im switching to a cheaper supplier in Jan and thats going to be £60 DD a month including the electric too so will definitely be making a saving there (whether or not that reflects usage I dont know) The annoying thing is before the winter I used £17 worth of gas over 3 months so I know £60 for one month is a bit excessive...

neilmcl

charlie792 wrote: »

Im just wondering is there an 'ideal' temperature I should set my thermastat too as me and the OH are always "arguing" about it - he's always cold. Originally we had it set to 21 which was ridiculous as it never got above 19 so the heating was always on, I have set this to 18 now, realistically is it wise to set it any lower?.

It's all down to personal preference, you set the thermostat to the lowest temp you both feel comfortable with. If you never reach over 19C then either you don't have the heating on long enough, or your boiler temp isn't high enough, or your thermostat is in the wrong position, ie, in a cold and drafty area with no heating.

Meadows

We all prefer different heats, through out the day mine is mainly set at 18 which is comfortable and I go from a t-shirt to a fleece depending on how chilly it may feel. At night ours is mainly left at 20 but we do bump it up a little if we get cold or I drop it back if it seems too warm.

Andy_WSM

charlie792 wrote: »

so I know £60 for one month is a bit excessive...

It's not IMO. Coldest weather for decades, highest fuel prices on record. £60 for a months heat just isn't a lot of money nowadays.

charlie792

neilmcl wrote: »

It's all down to personal preference, you set the thermostat to the lowest temp you both feel comfortable with. If you never reach over 19C then either you don't have the heating on long enough, or your boiler temp isn't high enough, or your thermostat is in the wrong position, ie, in a cold and drafty area with no heating.

Unfortunately the house is pretty poorly insulated - stone walls etc, with two big bay windows so heat just escapes pretty quick...after advice on MSE boiler is turned up near the max, as for the thermostat I don't really know where it takes the reading - the boiler is in the lounge but the thermostat is in the hall, but the hall is lovely and warm, but the lounge always feels a good few degrees colder than the hall

neilmcl

Well clearly the thermostat gets it reading from the hall if that's where its located. If you set the thermostat to higher value it'll give the lounge and the rest of the house more of a chance to reach a good temp. Do you have TRVs on the rads, is the radiator in the lounge hot? Perhaps the rad in the lounge isn't suitable and you may consider changing it.

whowants2brich

Our radiators in the hall and lounge are off the same pipe from the boiler, and the hall rad gets fed first. Therefore, if the hall rad is on, it'll take the heat and the lounge will be cold. If we want heat in the lounge, we have to turn the rad in the hall down a bit, then less water goes to there and instead can go to the lounge...

Follow the pipes from the boiler, and see if there is a T split through the wall into the lounge, if there is then you have to turn the hall rad down, if you want a warmer lounge...

charlie792

neilmcl wrote: »

Perhaps the rad in the lounge isn't suitable and you may consider changing it.

The house is rented so thats not an option.

whowants2brich wrote: »

Our radiators in the hall and lounge are off the same pipe from the boiler, and the hall rad gets fed first. Therefore, if the hall rad is on, it'll take the heat and the lounge will be cold. If we want heat in the lounge, we have to turn the rad in the hall down a bit, then less water goes to there and instead can go to the lounge...

Follow the pipes from the boiler, and see if there is a T split through the wall into the lounge, if there is then you have to turn the hall rad down, if you want a warmer lounge...

The only issue with my house is that it is not insulated, stone walls etc and big bay windows, in the lounge it is only connected to an adjoining property on one side so heat escapes quickly and the radiator is a bit too small for the room.
To be honest the warmth in the lounge is no longer an issue, the electric heater does a good enough job at keeping it at an acceptable temperature.

I was generally asking on an ideal thermostat temperature for the house but it seems there really isn't one - I was just worried it was set too high etc and wasting money....

ninky_2

if your heating system isn't managing to raise the temperature over 19 degrees then your house is either very badly insulated or the heating sytem needs an overhaul.

i have a timed room thermostat in the lounge which we set to 'warm' mode (we like it around 22 degrees) for a couple of hours weekday mornings and just before we come back from work until just after we go to bed. at weekends it's on warm for the entire day and just goes off at night. the econ mode is 17 degrees for the rest of the time. we both like being warm. when we go on holiday i lower the temperature to around 14 degrees.

when i had the central heating put in we had a good grunty combi boiler put in, i have the radiators on internal walls (not under windows or external walls) and a good amount of loft insulation. also draft excluders on external doors. we could improve further by getting double glazing. i try to close the blinds before it gets dark as this conserves heat.

our combined gas / elec bill comes to around what you are paying for gas alone but then it is a maisonette not a whole house.

i'd be tempted to move if the landlord isn't prepared to improve the property heating / insulation. personally i think rented properties should have to meet minimum energy efficiency levels.

whowants2brich

charlie792 wrote: »

The house is rented so thats not an option.

The only issue with my house is that it is not insulated, stone walls etc and big bay windows, in the lounge it is only connected to an adjoining property on one side so heat escapes quickly and the radiator is a bit too small for the room.
To be honest the warmth in the lounge is no longer an issue, the electric heater does a good enough job at keeping it at an acceptable temperature.

I was generally asking on an ideal thermostat temperature for the house but it seems there really isn't one - I was just worried it was set too high etc and wasting money....

Ok, 1kw of electricity or 3kw of gas - for the same price, the next question is... Is it better to use an electric heater to heat the lounge, just because your central heating isn't powerful or configured enough to provide you the necessary heat?

I'd suggest that if the hall is warm enough, turn the rad down a bit, or off for a while. During the period when the hall rad is off, turn the lounge rad to max, and see if it gets hotter? Hot enough to heat the lounge sufficiently?

If it can heat the lounge then you need to turn up the hall rad slowly until you feel that the lounge gets too cold or the hall gets too warm, and find a balance. If with the hall rad off, you still can't get the lounge warm when max, then you'll need a new rad...

MillicentBystander

Plumbers can be idiots, TBH. They invariably place the thermostat in one of the coldest (and least populated) rooms in the house. You then set your thermostat to, say, 20c, it then heats this coldest, unpopulated room to 20c and then, unless you have thermostatic valves on your radiators in the room you stay in the most (lounge?), you will find the actual temp of that room may be touchiog 25-26%!! You will of course be paying for this when your bill arrives. just something to bear in mind - if you want an even 20C in your lounge and your thermostat is in the hall, set it at say 17C...

Edit: we have friends who are always complaining about how much they pay for fuel but, invariably, when we visit them in Winter the male of the house will be on the sofa in shorts and t-shirt and the heating will be cranked up to keep him toasty! It's a mad old world!