Heating on all the time?

jackyann

Cardew wrote: »

I have a pretty accurate thermostat in my Oven, so should I leave it switched on 24/7?;)

Only if you are cooking at 180 degrees (or whatever) 24/7 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

grahamc2003

I'm on a water meter, and a mate told me leaving the tap running all the time uses less water than keeping turning the tap on and off when I have a glass of water. Can't be right can it? Please answer quickly, kitchen flooded.

I_luv_cats

Why don't people try it for themselves instead of asking here??

Day 1: 8am take meter reading / set thermostat to desired temperature and leave for 24hrs


Day 2: 8am take meter reading / adjust thermostat only when it feels chilly


Day 3: 8am take meter reading

Compare the two days......

grahamc2003

I_luv_cats wrote: »

Why don't people try it for themselves instead of asking here??

Day 1: 8am take meter reading / set thermostat to desired temperature and leave for 24hrs


Day 2: 8am take meter reading / adjust thermostat only when it feels chilly


Day 3: 8am take meter reading

Compare the two days......

because there's no need, and anyhow your method is flawed and wouldn't tell you anything due to a lack of control.

It's a little like saying in order to know whether chopping your head off kills you you have to try it.

jackyann

OK, there are some idiots & know-it-alls here. I am happy to share 40 years of experience in lots of different homes & situations in MSE spirit for anyone interested.
Of course you can never do a proper trial, just keep as good records as you can.
A lot will depend on insulation & individual geography as well as the necessity for warmth.

Moderately insulated house, only heating electric, 2 fit people: bills high, comfort low.
Badly insulated flat, only heating an open fire. People doing shift & irregular work, very cold winter. We bought slow-burning fuel, made up the fire twice a day, kept it low: bills moderate, comfort high.
Well insulated house, mostly fit people at home much of the day, central heating switched off at night, bills low.
Very well insulated house, individual room thermostats (see below) system on all the time, we used the thermostats to control on/off, bills mostly low - moderate if a boost was needed for someone.
One one occasion, gas supply was cut off for 2 weeks, with a frail elderly person in the house. We used a calor gas heater in the hall, kept doors open to all occupied rooms. After 48 hours we were able to turn it down to low, and the house kept comfortably warm despite it being -5 C outside.

Maybe I need to point out the difference between a thermostat such as those on a hot water system or radiator that controls the temperature of the water, and a system that uses room thermostats set at the desired room temperature. The latter turns the energy supply on & off as needed. It can be switched off or set to low in unoccupied rooms, or set higher where a frail person may need extra warmth.
I'd also point out that in a room with a "cold spot" the comfortable temperature needs to be set higher because of the differential ( so insulate!)

So the answer is: heating on 24 hours will cost more, unless you have good individual thermostats that you control carefully. How much will depend on the home geography, insulation & how much you can control the system. I reckon it will be from 5% up to 100% or more.
So look at your home, look at your needs, insulate as much as poss. and try it out (I have an inside/outside thermometer that I use)
I hope this is helpful

C_Mababejive

Cardew wrote: »

I have a pretty accurate thermostat in my Oven, so should I leave it switched on 24/7?;)

Only if you fancy an early death from CO poisoning...:eek:

closed

Whatever the level of insulation/thermostat settings or geography, in cold weather every bit of heat you put in is going to end up outside, there is no point heating inside and therefore outside if you are out or asleep for long periods of the day, so that's why timers exist.

grahamc2003

jackyann wrote: »

So the answer is: heating on 24 hours will cost more, unless you have good individual thermostats that you control carefully.

I hope this is helpful

No, it's not helpful because it is wrong.

Heating on 24/7 will cost more whether you have thermostats or not and whether you control the heating carefully or not.

The only case where it won't cost more and it will cost the same is the 'null' case of the thermostats being set to below the ambient temperature all the time, which is a nonsense situation which I just include for completeness.

For most people, leaving the heating on 24/7 will cost a lot more than just heating rooms when occupied (making reasonable assumptions). If you alter the thermostat settings to very low when you aren't in rooms (i.e. for frost protection for instance), then the heating can be driven off the thermostats and not a timer, but it will always be more expensive (or at best the same in one theoretical but not pragmatic sense).

Anyhow, very nice to see you sticking to the spirit of mse you mentioned (in irony I assume, judging from other things you said).

jalexa

jackyann wrote: »

Very well insulated house, individual room thermostats (see below)....

and a system that uses room thermostats set at the desired room temperature.

In the case of a "central" heating system I'm not sure that is particularly helpful. Individual (accurate) room thermostats with "central" heating is a far from trivial excercise, even for a "know-it-all" expert.

Most installations have a single stat in an unoccupied room (the hall). An "idiot" design feature.

Mojisola

closed wrote: »

Whatever the level of insulation/thermostat settings or geography, in cold weather every bit of heat you put in is going to end up outside, there is no point heating inside and therefore outside if you are out or asleep for long periods of the day, so that's why timers exist.

Isn't that also why thermostats exist?

We have our heating "on" all the time but the thermostat settings vary throughout the day and night. We have the boiler thermostat in the main living area set to the temperature that we want with TVRs on other radiators so some rooms can be kept cooler. There are people at home all day but, if we're away, the thermostat settings are reduced to frost protection.