What temp do you set your heating at.

kazd

I just wondered what the average temp people set their heating at.

Ours goes up and down like a yo yo, when we go to bed we set it for 20 degrees, but in the day its on at about 22 - 24 and at night I would quite often add the fire to that.

Cardew

Kadz,
What do you mean by "set your temperature at?" What CH system do you have - radiators? warm air? Night storage?

If you are setting the room thermostat(wall) it depends where in the house it is situated; and is only an indication of the temperature at that spot. They are also often inaccurate - not that it matters as all you do is turn them to a point on the scale where you are comfortable.

Assuming you have radiators, all these thermostats do is switch the CH pump on/off. The best way to control your heating is to have thermostatic valves fitted to each radiator and then you can set each room to the desired temperature.

kazd

Sorry its just a general interest query, we have gas central heating with radiators and a living flame gas fire in the sitting room. All but two or three of the radiators have thermostatic valves.

My husband complains that our house is like an oven, but I have always felt the cold at the same time though I can't stand jumpers etc. I just wondered whether the temp we set our thermostat at (situated in the hall) is excessive or whether we are the norm.

Currently the temp is set at 22, the rads are off but it sounds like the heating has just kicked in. However, I am still wandering round in my dressing gown tidying up, putting washing on etc

Also by turning down the individual rads, does this have a knock on effect to cost ie, does it work out cheaper to have your rads turned down or is the amount of gas governed by the temp that is set on the wall.

Also we have a kick heater in the kitchen but it only works when the heating is on. Call me stupid but I don't want to use it when the heating is on, I occassionally want to use it when the heating is off but sometimes the kitchen feels a bit chilly.

Fran

You might find this thread useful.

kazd

Fran, Thanks for that, it was an interesting thread, I am now going to see if we have instructions for our rads and see if temp are shown.

Kazd

Cardew

Kadz,
The point is that it doesn't matter what temperature you set on the wall thermostat. All that does is switch on and off the CH pump when the temperature in the hall reaches the temperature you have set.

To get down to first principles on CH, you pay for the amount of gas you use to heat water. Hot water flowing through radiators cools down and you have to pay to reheat this water as the boiler uses gas to do so. The boiler shuts itself down when the temperature of the water flowing through the system reaches a certain point; and fires up again when the water temperature drops.

If you turn down the radiator thermostatic valves, or turn off those without valves, less(or no) hot water flows through the radiator. So the water doesn't cool down as much and thus the boiler doesn't need to operate as much. So, to answer your question, it is cheaper as you use less gas.

I have a thermostat in the hall which is set near maximum and I control the temp in each room by the thermostatic valves on the radiators.

Galtizz

If you don't have thermostatic valves on your radiators you might be able to turn it down on the boiler.

I don't have valves on all radiators so I use a combination. The rad in the bedroom has a valve so it is set to II (don't know the temp) but the others don't so they are all effectively on medium. I alter the temp. on the boiler depending on the weather. It doesn't have a temperature on it but has been at 25past all winter but I have just turned it down to 1/4 past because it has got a bit warmer here this week. I guess it was about 24c downstairs but I have turned it down to about 21c now. It must be about 18c in the bedroom. We also have the fire on as well if it gets cold at night.

If I had a themo on the radiator in the bathroom the boiler temp would be set a bit lower (with the bathroom rad set on IIII, because I like it really warm when I have a shower)
HTH