Do insulated radiator panels save money? - I'm testing them now

grahamc2003

BlueBook wrote: »

The point is that the less time the burner is on, the less fuel it uses, regardless of whether it's a condensing boiler or not!



The pump will be running, but the burner will not be operating (not using fuel!), the hot water in the system will be recirculated until the boiler senses the return temperature is below it's preset.



It does use less fuel if you're not wasting the input energy heating the outside atmosphere.

Yeah, if the boilers not burning, it'll cost less. But of course there's another consideration - that you are running a heating system and want to generate heat. Otherwise just leave the thing off, and use no gas.

If the radaitor is maintaining the correct room temperature and you do something to make it produce less heat (therefore saving a bit of gas), then the room temperature will drop and will be too cool (since it was previously at the required temperature).

Not sure about your last sentence. For better boiler efficiency, you want a lower return temperature (thus heating the outside less with a lower flue gas temperature). And you get a lower return temp if the radiators are dissipating more heat, not less.

2010

Some turkey tin foil and some blue tack is all you need.
Cheap, simple and effective.

Herongull

The effect is very small and only potentially worthwhile for rads on external walls, so why is this topic still being discussed anyway?

Cardew

BlueBook wrote: »

The point is that the less time the burner is on, the less fuel it uses, regardless of whether it's a condensing boiler or not!



The pump will be running, but the burner will not be operating (not using fuel!), the hot water in the system will be recirculated until the boiler senses the return temperature is below it's preset.



It does use less fuel if you're not wasting the input energy heating the outside atmosphere.



A condensing boiler will always be more efficient in any like-for-like operating condition than a non-condensing boiler, however any boiler not burning fuel is more efficient than a boiler burning fuel, period.

I am even more puzzled now.

Of course the less time the boiler is running the less gas it will use. Switch it off completely and it will use no gas.

As I said above - you need a specific amount of heat(BTU or kW) to overcome heat losses and keep the room at the set temperature; that heat has to come from the boiler. So why do you feel that a hotter water return will enable the boiler to use less gas to supply those BTu/kW?

Surely you can see that if the water return is hotter, then the radiators are disipating less heat.

rogerblack

Herongull wrote: »

The effect is very small and only potentially worthwhile for rads on external walls, so why is this topic still being discussed anyway?

The above effect will work best with a non heat reflective rough surface.
Bubble wrap, for example. (Bubbles towards radiator)
A couple of layers would be best. Or a thin sheet of polystyrene, fixed to the wall.