Heating/Boiler settings

hamer

Heating/Boiler settings

Hi heating engineers/plumbers,
Is it best to set the boiler temperature to low to maintain a more constant heat albeit slowly building the heat up or, set high to reach room temperature quicker, with the room stat switching off sooner when the required temperature is met.
I would like views both on cost effectiveness and maintaining a more constant heat.

Cheers,
Hamer.

rogerblack

Lower boiler temperatures may be more efficient from a purely boiler point of view, but they may be less efficient in practice.
If the boiler has to run for longer on periods, any poorly insulated pipework in attics, or under floors is heated for longer, increasing loss.

Lower boiler temperatures may mean lower output, if the system does not have enough flow rate, and the radiators are not designed for low flow temperatures. This will mean that the system has to run constantly, and will not cope when it's cold.

It may also - if the boiler temperature is not significantly above the hot water set temperature and you have a hot water tank - that it takes ages to heat this, and does so inefficiently.

In practice, the only way to see which is more efficient is to measure it.
Over the course of 8 days, on every even day, take a reading, set temperature to high. On every odd day, set it to low.
Now, sum the readings for the high and the low days, and see what the answer is.

macman

It makes no difference whatsoever to the economy. It take a fixed amount of energy to raise the temp from A to B.
The only factor is that with a low input it will take longer to raise the temp.