Help with boiler and ch settings please

sparklewing

Hi there,

We have just had new central heating installed, it's an ideal isar condensing combi boiler if that makes any difference.

I've just been programming the thermostat bit(is that what it's called?)

At the moment me and bloke are off work until January, lucky us so the settings I have gone for are:

7.30am-9.30am- kicks in if it falls under 18 degrees
9.30am-4.30pm- 13 degrees
4.30pm-9.30pm- 18 degrees
overnight- 10 degrees

then I have adjusted the TVRs- hall is the non adjustable radiator, living room at 2, kitchen 2, bathroom 1(very small room and heats up fast), 2 spare rooms 1, main bedroom 2(I can't sleep if it's warm)

Does this sound ok? I'm tempted to turn the overnight temp down to 5 or even lower as don't really need the heating on overnight but not sure if that's the best idea or not.

Also I have no concept of temperature is 18 a normal level to have it at or would 16 be better, we both are fairly warm and have never had heating before so are used to freezing cold.

Also we have the water dial on boiler at 4(out of 6 increments) and the heating at 6, is this right? the water seems really hot at this level.

Thanks for any help anyone can give or examples of how their heating/water is set up.

The boiler man did a test and so had all the radiators on full for about an hour earlier at 20 degrees and I'm totally roasting now, uncomfortably so if that gives an idea of our heating needs. Thanks

Farway

I would settle for 17 DEg, you can always increase it if you feel a bit chilly [or put MSE jumper on:rotfl: ]

10 overnight is fine, it will never kck in & if it does you will be glad it did

The boiler settings, can't advise, but most have sort of guides where the optimum setting is, has yours, or look in user guide

Now comes the tricky bit, you will need to "balance" the system

This means setting the non TVR end of the rad to adjust flow to achievbe warmth in that room without detriment to others

Do a Google on balancing central heating system

It is not a ten minute job, a room thermometer is also best, as is patience, luckily you are of work till Jan, so should be time enough

sparklewing

Farway wrote: »

I would settle for 17 DEg, you can always increase it if you feel a bit chilly [or put MSE jumper on:rotfl: ]

10 overnight is fine, it will never kck in & if it does you will be glad it did

The boiler settings, can't advise, but most have sort of guides where the optimum setting is, has yours, or look in user guide

Now comes the tricky bit, you will need to "balance" the system

This means setting the non TVR end of the rad to adjust flow to achievbe warmth in that room without detriment to others

Do a Google on balancing central heating system

It is not a ten minute job, a room thermometer is also best, as is patience, luckily you are of work till Jan, so should be time enough

Hi and thank you for your help. The enginer balanced the system this afternoon before he left so luckily I don't need to attempt that, seems quite confusing to me .

I guess it's just a case of trial and error really, I have now changed the overnight temperature to off, although I may change my mind about that again :rolleyes:

Annoying thing is we'll trial and error and get it set just perfect and then in 3 weeks we are having our amazingly draughty single glazed windows and doors replaced with all singing all dancing double glazed ones so the trial and error with the heating will start all over again :mad:

Hoping our bills will be cheaper with the new heating and windows though, this is our first month in this house and Scottish Hydro have set our direct debits at £50 a month for gas and £30 for electric until the end of the first quarter when we can adjust them accordingly, hoping by then that we can significantly drop them.

Cardew

The important factor is where is your room thermostat situated?

As stated in the post above, turning the thermostat to 10C effectively means your heating is turned off(unless your house is very badly insulated) I doubt if it will even come on at 13C during the day.

There really is no 'standard' method of setting up CH. It depends opn the charachteristics of your house and the temperature you feel comfortable.

Bear in mind that if the room where the Thermostat is situated is 'up to temperature' the CH will be off and the TRVs will have no effect.

Also if you are "totally roasting" with the temperature set to 20C I suggest that the room you are in is well above 20C as 20C is below the recommended room temperature; which according to this link is 21C:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Room_temperature

This is the dilemma we all have with the situating of the Room thermostat. Set to 20C in a cool hall and it will be effectively demanding heat all the time. Have it in a living room and the whole house temperature is governed by that room. e.g. the radiators in the bedroom and all other rooms will be 'off' regardless of the setting on the TRV, if the living room is up to temperature.

I could never get it correct for all situations. So when I am in all day I have the CH on all day(off at night) with the room temperature thermostat up high. I control the temperature of individual rooms with the TRVs on an 'as required' basis. Bedrooms off during the day etc.

Some people do not even have a room thermostat in their system.

sparklewing

Cardew wrote: »

The important factor is where is your room thermostat situated?

As stated in the post above, turning the thermostat to 10C effectively means your heating is turned off(unless your house is very badly insulated) I doubt if it will even come on at 13C during the day.

There really is no 'standard' method of setting up CH. It depends opn the charachteristics of your house and the temperature you feel comfortable.

Bear in mind that if the room where the Thermostat is situated is 'up to temperature' the CH will be off and the TRVs will have no effect.

Also if you are "totally roasting" with the temperature set to 20C I suggest that the room you are in is well above 20C as 20C is below the recommended room temperature; which according to this link is 21C:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Room_temperature

This is the dilemma we all have with the situating of the Room thermostat. Set to 20C in a cool hall and it will be effectively demanding heat all the time. Have it in a living room and the whole house temperature is governed by that room. e.g. the radiators in the bedroom and all other rooms will be 'off' regardless of the setting on the TRV, if the living room is up to temperature.

I could never get it correct for all situations. So when I am in all day I have the CH on all day(off at night) with the room temperature thermostat up high. I control the temperature of individual rooms with the TRVs on an 'as required' basis. Bedrooms off during the day etc.

Some people do not even have a room thermostat in their system.

Thanks, the thermostat is in the hall. The house is a mid terrace so in theory should benefit from a bit of heating from either side. At the moment the windows and doors are really draughty but those will be replaced in a few weeks. The house does seem to retain heat quite well even with our old central heating system.

Not sure about loft and wall insulation, that's on my list to investigate. (Been in the house over a month and I haven't ventured into the loft yet )

Although I was roasting at 20 degrees I'm not sure that anyone else would be, I think my years of living with no heating have hardened me to the cold. I'm always too hot in other peoples houses and in the office so it's probably just me being a weirdy :rotfl:

I have now turned it off overnight and have raised the kick in temps to 19 and 14 respectively. It hasn't kicked back on though since our hour at 20 this afternoon so I guess the house must retain heat quite well. (Or the new central heating is broken already ). House feels warm to me, except the bathroom but it's always cold at the moment due to having the worlds draughtiest window.

Thanks again it's all a bit confusing and don't want to end up with a massive bill just because I'm unsure what setting is best.

Cardew

sparklewing wrote: »

Thanks, the thermostat is in the hall. The house is a mid terrace so in theory should benefit from a bit of heating from either side. At the moment the windows and doors are really draughty

This illustrates the point about the siting of a room thermostat.

You really don't want the CH system for the whole house to be governed by the temperature of a draughty hall.

I suspect in this weather at 19C it will be virtually on all the time(i.e. demanding heat) and the room temperatures will be governed by the TRVs - which IMO is the correct way.

Initially I would set the TRVs to the temperature at which you feel comfortable(you may want to turn down the bedroom(s) after you get up). That to my mind is far more important than the room temperature thermostat.