just checking my reasoning re: thermostat

Wantakitchen

Hi all,
I just wanted to check my reasoning on a central heating issue. Our thermostat is in the hall where we have a massive (about 7 foot long!) radiator. In fact the biggest rad in the house. We have double glazed front door so it is not drafty. Therefore the hall tends to be the hottest part of the house when the rad is on.
I've had the thermostat turned to 16 (and wear lots of layers)as we are trying to cut down on gas. But am I right in thinking that if I actually want the other rooms (with small radiators) to be at 16 degrees I should perhaps set the thermostat to a bit higher say 17 or 18? Then the gas will switch off when the temp in the hall gets to 17/18 and hopefully that means the other rooms will at least reach 16?
For further info there is a TRV on one of the bedroom rads but not in the hall or other rooms.
Thanks

rogerblack

If you turn the TRVs all the way up, do the radiators get equally as hot all over?
If the radiators are not properly balanced - and the large radiator is getting most of the water, with the others set very low, then their output may be quite low.

I'd first try turning off the hall radiator, and see if the heating works adequately.

Wantakitchen

rogerblack wrote: »

If you turn the TRVs all the way up, do the radiators get equally as hot all over?
If the radiators are not properly balanced - and the large radiator is getting most of the water, with the others set very low, then their output may be quite low.

I'd first try turning off the hall radiator, and see if the heating works adequately.

Thanks for replying
They all rads warm up so to be hot to the touch (except the one bedroom rad with the trv which we set on low so that only gets warm as we don't use that room much). The bathroom gets nice and warm as it is a small room with a big heated towel rail. The other rooms are quite chilly but I can't be sure if it is due to the radiator size: room size or because of the thermostat temperature I've set.

jalexa

Wantakitchen wrote: »

But am I right in thinking that if I actually want the other rooms (with small radiators) to be at 16 degrees I should perhaps set the thermostat to a bit higher say 17 or 18?

If that is what you want but why would you want the living room at 16deg and the hall at 18 deg?

Technically what you need to do is to "balance" your system. In simple terms turn the living room radiator valves fully open (anti-clockwise) and turn the hall lock-shield valve down (clockwise) half a turn at a time until the living room ends up at a comfortable temperature when the hall is at 16deg.

macman

You cannot (or should not) have a TRV in the same zone as a room 'stat.

Wantakitchen

jalexa wrote: »

If that is what you want but why would you want the living room at 16deg and the hall at 18 deg?

Technically what you need to do is to "balance" your system. In simple terms turn the living room radiator valves fully open (anti-clockwise) and turn the hall lock-shield valve down (clockwise) half a turn at a time until the living room ends up at a comfortable temperature when the hall is at 16deg.

thanks for your reply, no I don't ideally want the hall warmer than everywhere else, just trying to compensate for the big hall rad without a) changing it for a smaller one or b) putting a trv on it as I understand there shouldn't be a trv in the room with the thermostat.

oldskoo1

The hall rad where the thermostat is should always be fully open. Also dont put a TRV on it. If you didnt want to have it too hot you would have to change it.

If it's oversized you will be using less gas as it is now because the stat is tripped off early and the rest of the house is cold.

I would turn up the thermostat and set the TRV's to 2 so the bedroom rads click off at around 17-19c themselves. It might be a case of opening the doors to the hall too.

We have the opposite problem, big wide hall thats quite cold due to the kitchen. The stat is right opposite the kitchen door. 16c on the stat = 20c-21c in the living room and sitting room and the bedrooms are around 18c-19c but controlled by TRV's setting 2 which is about 17-19c according to the manual.

Cardew

macman wrote: »

You cannot (or should not) have a TRV in the same zone as a room 'stat.

This has come up many times. I have a TRV on every radiator and towel rail and an Automatic Bypass Valve(ABV). Without repeating the discussions in these threads below, wherever you have a wall thermostat sited is just a compromise. Why should my hall or a living room determine the heating in other rooms? e.g. my living room is up to the set temperature on the wall stat, there is no heat in other rooms if I go and switch on the radiators.

Why should my large hall(where my stat is situated) determine etc etc
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3059128


https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/38684538#Comment_38684538




This is from the latest Myson website: http://www.myson.co.uk/products/1207_1625_ENU_HTML.htm

Automatic Bypass Valve
What is an automatic by-pass valve?
An automatic by-pass valve is designed for use in domestic central heating systems. Its purpose is to maintain constant pump pressure within the system.
Back to top
What are the advantages of an automatic by-pass valve?
An automatic by-pass valve ensures minimum water flow rates through the boiler. It reduces system noise associated with high pressure pumps. It eliminates the need to fit an uncontrolled radiator to act as a system by-pass and it also increases system efficiency.(my bold) The automatic by-pass valve also aids the operation of thermostatic radiator valves.

rogerblack

oldskoo1 wrote: »

The hall rad where the thermostat is should always be fully open. Also dont put a TRV on it. If you didnt want to have it too hot you would have to change it.

On what basis should it always be fully open?
Clearly, closing it, if there is no other non-TRV active in the system is bad.
Partially closing it has much the same effect as reducing its size.

A silly suggestion would be to place a plank of wood on top of it, so that it is effectively a smaller radiator.