Sudden leap in electricity use, seemingly after power cut

Carrot007

victor2 wrote: »

Since 2013, EU regulations have been that such equipment in standby must not use more than 0.5W.
Last time I worked it out, my TV cost about 25p in standby per YEAR! As I said, these things can become a bit obsessive.

Which is why a lot of things have a standby mode you have to choose in initial setup. The actual standby mode with the requirements you say, and another named something else (quick start? already ready? who knows) that you are encoureged to use that is not a real standby mode.


Or course which you want is up to you but they never make it clear why they are doing that.

Talldave

BooJewels wrote: »

....
But I want to look at replacing the thermostat that controls the CH - it's a very old one that still actually works, just not very efficiently - I think modern ones are much more efficient and flexible - so that's my next project.

I've used Honeywell programmable thermostats for many many years and have been really happy with them. Their optimum start algorithm adapts well to your home's heating characteristics despite not having any outside temperature sensing. Their "day off" and "holiday " features are brilliant too.

I never pay full retail price for them as there's always a bargain to be had on ebay. They might seem expensive but compare the cost to an everdyday expense like filling the car's fuel tank and they're a reasonable investment to get your heating working sensibly.

BooJewels

Talldave wrote: »

I've used Honeywell programmable thermostats for many many years and have been really happy with them. Their optimum start algorithm adapts well to your home's heating characteristics despite not having any outside temperature sensing. Their "day off" and "holiday " features are brilliant too.

I never pay full retail price for them as there's always a bargain to be had on ebay. They might seem expensive but compare the cost to an everdyday expense like filling the car's fuel tank and they're a reasonable investment to get your heating working sensibly.

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll look them out - that sounds like just the sort of thing we'd be after. A quick look at them in catalogues suggested that the functionality we'd like would take us towards the top of the ranges, so we had an idea of price. Although this morning I'd settle for one that actually responded to temperature, ours just seems to shrug its shoulders and declare "I don't think it's that cold, I'm okay" or "what, you're now too warm, make your mind up, I feel just right".

Is this something you can install yourself, or would it need an electrician/heating engineer to install?

My son has just had a new one in his rented flat, but his landlord just happens to be a heating engineer, so he did it. His has a unit wired into the boiler - about the size of a light switch box on the wall below it - and a mobile control unit he can put where he wants and it seems to work really well for him. I suspect the wiring aspect and de-commissioning the existing one may be beyond our skills.

Talldave

BooJewels wrote: »

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll look them out - that sounds like just the sort of thing we'd be after. A quick look at them in catalogues suggested that the functionality we'd like would take us towards the top of the ranges, so we had an idea of price. Although this morning I'd settle for one that actually responded to temperature, ours just seems to shrug its shoulders and declare "I don't think it's that cold, I'm okay" or "what, you're now too warm, make your mind up, I feel just right".

Is this something you can install yourself, or would it need an electrician/heating engineer to install?

My son has just had a new one in his rented flat, but his landlord just happens to be a heating engineer, so he did it. His has a unit wired into the boiler - about the size of a light switch box on the wall below it - and a mobile control unit he can put where he wants and it seems to work really well for him. I suspect the wiring aspect and de-commissioning the existing one may be beyond our skills.

I would suggest getting a pro to do it unless you're an experienced DIYer familiar with mains wiring. You need to know how to isolate the mains from the boiler and know your lives & neutrals!

If you have a wired thermostat in a sensible location, you can simply replace the clunky old thermostat with a wired programmable one. If you go wireless it's probably best to fit the receiver back near the boiler and that requires a full understanding of wiring centres in order to install the receiver in place of the thermostat wiring at the boiler end.

I've had both, but even with the wireless unit, it stayed in the same place (near the radiator without a TRV). Wherever it ends up, you will need a phase of tweaking to get the settings right.

A programmable thermostat won't solve problems of cold rooms - that's down to balancing of the flow through the system. Conversly, if some rooms get too warm, fit TRVs to all but the radiator closest to the thermostat, then you can set lower temperatures in those rooms.

If you go wireless, don't take the receiver into a room with a TRV turned down because your boiler will stay on struggling to get the thermostat up to a temperature the TRV won't allow (and it'll screw up the thermostat's optimum start learning algorithm).

Personally I think wireless is pointless except to allow the installation of the thermostat in a location you can't easily get wiring to. A static system (where the thermostat doesn't move) properly configured will do everything you want. Toasty warm during the evening and slightly cooler, but not freezing, at night.

BooJewels

Thanks very much Talldave for the further information, it's really helpful.

I don't actually want a wireless one, if my husband's possession of the TV remote is any guide, that wouldn't be a good idea.:)

I think we've reached the stage over the years where the radiators are well balanced and the temperature throughout is pretty even, so I don't want to mess with that (and woe betide anyone who messes with my rad valves, changing one messes the rest up). The current thermostat is in the hall at the end furthest from the door, at the bottom of the stairs and I'm happy to have it remain there.

My father's thermostat is a very simple, digital version of ours - it has two digital vertical marks on separate rows - the top one is the actual temp and the bottom one is the temp at which the boiler fires up. The rotating dial simply moves that bottom dash left and right. If you want to fire the heating up, you simply move the bottom dash to the right of the top one and vice versa. So, as such, I'd be happy with one like that - because it actually works well and keeps the house at the temp you choose, by firing on and off to do so. Thermostatic control 101, you'd think.

Mine, on the other hand, takes its own sweet time to respond, in both directions and the house temp fluctuates too much as a result and we find ourselves constantly over-riding it and turning it manually. Or waking to a cold house, as yesterday morning.

If we can simply change the wall part of the unit, leaving the boiler end gubbins alone, then that would suit us and may well be do-able.