Boiler settings, advice please

happyhero

Hi I have a Worcester Bosch Combi boiler and it has two stats on the actual boiler for hot water and heating. I have installed thermostatic valves on each radiator except the one in the bathroom.

I find that as we get towards winter that there is more chance of keeping the house warm if I slowly increase the stat on the boiler for heating, otherwise the rads don't seem to cope. So as it gets colder weather I get closer and closer to the stat maximum on the boiler. I have never reached maximum yet.

What I would like to know is what I should be doing with this stat, i.e., what if I set it to maximum and then played with the stats on the rads to get the house temperature right, or are you not supposed to set the boiler one to max.

So basically what is the best senario, boiloer stat on max and reduce rad stats or keep altering boiler stat through the year? Which is most economical and which is best and why?

Any help appreciated.

Phil_L_2

What you are doing, manually, is compensating for outside air temperature. There are devices on the market which do this automatically but I have yet to see one used in a domestic environment. They are usually found in commercial buildings where the fuel bills justify the cost.

The good news is that by reducing the flow temperature you are reducing the losses in the system and thus reducing the costs. Ideally the flow temperature needs to be just at the point before the last TRV starts operating.

The only issue with raising the flow temperature is the surface temperature of the radiators. If they become too hot there is a scalding risk. The point at which they become too hot is down to you and your risk assessment.