Gas CH bill sky high - Help is needed...

HappyMJ

becksfaz wrote: »

Well heating was off last night from 9pm when we went to bed and came on at 6am this morning - didn't notice a thing snuggled up in the duvet (or really a significant difference when baby got up at 3am).
However, I feel that I now have another problem.... Oh dear. Rads have never really got hot when had heating on 18 on constant yet this morning they were all RED hot.
Heating came on at 6am and when I got up at 7.15am, house was absolutely scorching. Now on some rads we have trv's - in our room set to 2 (my understanding 18) but it was roasting - I guesss this is broken??? Along with the one in my en-suite thats turned right down and also still gets red hot??
All other rads just have a dial with a + and - on (they look quite old) and all these are set below half, yet they were all roasting too! House is like a sauna. Boiler was still going so I to knock thermostat down and I didn't want anymore heat. Advice?
I've just looked on ebay to see if I can get trv's so I can put them on my + and - and can get 5 for £40 - is this about right?

They are £5.49 each at Screwfix. That's just a quick search but a bit cheaper than £8 each. 2 doesn't mean 18 it's just a number if the room is too warm they need to be set lower.

jalexa

becksfaz wrote: »

I've just looked on ebay to see if I can get trv's so I can put them on my + and - and can get 5 for £40 - is this about right?

Steady on. Fitting TRVs to radiators without one aready is a plumber or competent DIYer task. If the radiator has a TRV valve but not a TRV head be aware fitting compatibility varies.

If you are prepared to spend to save, for not much more you could get a programmable thermostat or a useful backup oil-filled radiator for the baby's room or for when the heating system is faulty. WILL HAPPEN.

Regarding the heating being "scorchio", just guessing but if you followed advice to set all TRVs to max, excercising the valve may have cleaned out crud in the valve. Now just go round reducing the numbers one at at time until you are happy with the room temp. Another thing is that initial heating from cold always gives that effect as it takes time for the air temperature to respond to a hot radiator and then for the TRV to respond.

Be aware that HOT radiators means HIGH consumption.

becksfaz

HappyMJ wrote: »

. 2 doesn't mean 18 it's just a number if the room is too warm they need to be set lower.

Cardew explained last week that roughly 1 = 16 degrees, 2 = 18, 3 = 20 and so on. I will turn it down to 1 then but still think it's broken, like the one in ensuite that's set to 0 and still gets red hot.

HappyMJ

becksfaz wrote: »

Cardew explained last week that roughly 1 = 16 degrees, 2 = 18, 3 = 20 and so on. I will turn it down to 1 then but still think it's broken, like the one in ensuite that's set to 0 and still gets red hot.

That's very rough the one on Screwfix goes from 6 degrees (*) to 28 degrees (5). 1, 2, 3 and 4 could be anything.

becksfaz

jalexa wrote: »

Regarding the heating being "scorchio", just guessing but if you followed advice to set all TRVs to max, excercising the valve may have cleaned out crud in the valve. Now just go round reducing the numbers one at at time until you are happy with the room temp. Another thing is that initial heating from cold always gives that effect as it takes time for the air temperature to respond to a hot radiator and then for the TRV to respond.

Be aware that HOT radiators means HIGH consumption.

Oh I know - hot = high and I'm trying to reduce the booming consumption so you can see why I'm still baffled. I know what you mean about reducing the numbers but all the rads that are roasting don't have numbers - just a + and -. They aren't TRVs so how do I reduce their heat. They have previously been set to full but then I reduced them to half (counted how many rotations it was from off to full and then rotated back to the middle) but still get roasting. Do you suggest I turn them down another rotation?

becksfaz

jalexa wrote: »

Steady on. Fitting TRVs to radiators without one aready is a plumber or competent DIYer task. If the radiator has a TRV valve but not a TRV head be aware fitting compatibility varies.

If you are prepared to spend to save, for not much more you could get a programmable thermostat or a useful backup oil-filled radiator for the baby's room or for when the heating system is faulty. WILL HAPPEN.

This is where I get confused... advice on here has suggested getting TRVs. I discover I don't have them on all my rads so plan to and then kind of get told not to!
Programmable thermostat? How's that work?
I don't understand why I would need an oil-filled rad - room is too hot not too cold. Plus if heating gets faulty - don't you just get it fixed, not use alternative methods?

jalexa

becksfaz wrote: »

Do you suggest I turn them down another rotation?

Yes yes yes (sorry a single "yes" was too short a message for MSE:D)

HappyMJ

becksfaz wrote: »

This is where I get confused... advice on here has suggested getting TRVs. I discover I don't have them on all my rads so plan to and then kind of get told not to!
Programmable thermostat? How's that work?
I don't understand why I would need an oil-filled rad - room is too hot not too cold. Plus if heating gets faulty - don't you just get it fixed, not use alternative methods?

Fixed...Yes next day response on a weekday only between 9 and 5 but only if you call before 10am the day before. It will be out of action for at least 24 hours. You need a backup. If you call on a Friday at 1pm don't expect anyone until Monday.

becksfaz

HappyMJ wrote: »

Fixed...Yes next day response on a weekday only between 9 and 5 but only if you call before 10am the day before. It will be out of action for at least 24 hours. You need a backup. If you call on a Friday at 1pm don't expect anyone until Monday.

Our landlord has homecare cover with British Gas. Boiler faulty 3 times recently (all sorted now thankfully). I rang at 8.35pm Sat evening, engineer knocked on door 9.30pm. We are considered priority cos of the baby. Might not always be the case but my parents have a heater so would just borrow theirs if needed.
We have gone a bit off track here - trying to sort heating out now and at the moment, we have too much heat, not not enough.

becksfaz

jalexa wrote: »

Yes yes yes (sorry a single "yes" was too short a message for MSE:D)

Ha ha. Ok - Will do, will do, will do... I'm onto it now!