Running Central Heating Efficiently

irri_tant

Morning,

We have a new condensing boiler with a mobile thermostat

We have 9 radiators & no radiator thermostats, 5 down & 4 up
On the boiler we can set water & heating temps separately.

What’s the best way to run this system?

The water heating temp is set on the boiler so the rads get nice and hot. The mobile thermostat is in a south facing downstairs room. Presently we just switch on & off as required and change the thermostat to say 18c to and wait for temp to rise and the thermostat to kick in and out to maintain the temperature.

I’ve tried to convince her indoors that is better to have rad valves also. Would need eight I guess and leave the thermostat in the room without a rad valve.

Any advice appreciated

HappyMJ

TRV's would help a bit but would the cost be worth it? In rooms in which you don't need heat such as bedrooms, now that is warmer, you could just turn them off. Keep the doors open at night and any heat from the living areas should keep the bedrooms from being very cold. That doesn't work when it's really cold as the heat will be lost too quickly to the outside through walls and windows.

irri_tant

HappyMJ wrote: »

Keep the doors open at night and any heat from the living areas should keep the bedrooms from being very cold.

We've been advised by the Fire Brigade when they fitted free smoke alarms that closing doors at night could prevent a fire spreading. But his is another topic I guess

Mobile thermostat is a Honeywell Wireless Programmable Thermostat CMT927

http://www.hrhsolutions.co.uk/heating-manufacturers/honeywell-uk-controls/honeywell-wireless-programmable-thermostat-cmt927

diywhynot

irri_tant wrote: »

Morning,

We have a new condensing boiler with a mobile thermostat

We have 9 radiators & no radiator thermostats, 5 down & 4 up
On the boiler we can set water & heating temps separately.

What’s the best way to run this system?

The water heating temp is set on the boiler so the rads get nice and hot. The mobile thermostat is in a south facing downstairs room. Presently we just switch on & off as required and change the thermostat to say 18c to and wait for temp to rise and the thermostat to kick in and out to maintain the temperature.

I’ve tried to convince her indoors that is better to have rad valves also. Would need eight I guess and leave the thermostat in the room without a rad valve.

Any advice appreciated

Fit TRVs. Surprised they weren't part of the spec. More here.

diywhynot

irri_tant wrote: »

Mobile thermostat is a Honeywell Wireless Programmable Thermostat CMT927

Same wireless product we install. Follow the user instructions for best results.

HappyMJ

irri_tant wrote: »

We've been advised by the Fire Brigade when they fitted free smoke alarms that closing doors at night could prevent a fire spreading. But his is another topic I guess

Mobile thermostat is a Honeywell Wireless Programmable Thermostat CMT927

http://www.hrhsolutions.co.uk/heating-manufacturers/honeywell-uk-controls/honeywell-wireless-programmable-thermostat-cmt927

True it's a risk you need to balance. A fire can also grow without being detected when all the doors are closed too and the smoke detector which isn't usually in the kitchen (where most fires start) won't be triggered until the fire is big enough to have the smoke seep through the gaps in the door. Then when you open the door to see what's going on you might find a much bigger fire than if it had been detected earlier.

Closing doors as you escape is in my opinion the better advice which would reduce the risk of the fire spreading before the fire department arrive.

Biggles

All you need to do is to balance the system, if it wasn't done when it was installed.

This involves adjusting the lockshield valves on each radiator until the temperature in the room is as desired (the lockshield valves are the valves under a cap on each radiator at the opposite end to the valve that is used to turn it on or off).

You need to keep all doors shut for best results, also to make the adjustments during cold weather!

Mr_Ted

:eek:Here we go again, a system NOT installed to regulation and time to get the balls of string out again:(

OP if you search you will find numerous posts/suggestion to this matter, but most will involve TRV's which SHOULD have been fitted as part of install;)

irri_tant

Mr_Ted wrote: »

OP if you search you will find numerous posts/suggestion to this matter, but most will involve TRV's which SHOULD have been fitted as part of install;)

The combi replaced an old Baxi Bermuda Back Boiler which ran the hot water & radiators. Should the installer have offered to fit them or told us they had to be fitted to meet the regs?

I should maybe have said this new boiler was fitted some years back, not sure of the date but will check and report back.

irri_tant

Biggles wrote: »

All you need to do is to balance the system, if it wasn't done when it was installed.

Can't recall now as it was some years back. She has a habit of wanting the heating on 'full' blast as she says to dry the washing when needed.

I'll look at adjusting the lockshield valves on each radiator then she won't know what's going on :rotfl:

I just need to find a happy medium to convince her it's more efficient to run it from say 07:30 till 19:30 on temp & timer control. All she see's is the thermo in auto and thinks the heating is on all the time using gas & electric.

irri_tant

diywhynot wrote: »

Fit TRVs. Surprised they weren't part of the spec. More here.

Boiler was fitted in 2008 and link says 2010 so guess TRV's not required at the time.

Maybe my first post was a bit misleading in saying 'new'