Anyone know owt about boilers? – Settle an argument for me

You might have seen from my post yesterday that I’ve recently moved house. The house we’ve moved into has a fairly new boiler given high energy efficiency ratings etc, but oddly, doesn’t have a timer fitted.

I was pricing up for a timer when one of the lads at work says that the best way to run a boiler is to always have it running rather than having it switching on and off all the time.

I told him not to be so daft when a couple of others wade into the argument saying the same thing.

As far as I can see that is just totally barmy. If I want the house to be warm first thing in the morning I can’t see how leaving the boiler running all night on low is more efficient than simply setting it to come on half an hour before the alarm goes off. I’d have dismissed it as a wind-up if there weren’t so many others who have said that leaving them running is better than on and off …

I still don’t see it mesen but can anyone tell me who’s reyt?

 

Not according to this

http://www.nef.org.uk/energyadvice/heatingcontrols.htm

"The electronic timer or programmer decides when the boiler is able to run. It is not true that boilers work best when they are running continuously or that energy is saved by leaving the heating on all day, even if the home is unoccupied. Whenever the boiler is firing it is using energy, and whenever the home is being heated to a temperature above that outside, it will be losing heat to the outside world. In spring and autumn there is no need to keep the heating on all day; a reasonably well insulated home can be left to cool down slowly with the heating timed to come on perhaps an hour or so before people return home from work."

 

Its a load of tosh

Boilers should only run when you need the house to be warm and run for no longer than 8 hours a day even in winter.</p>

They can be assisted by some intelligent controllers which look at the rate of temperature change and efficiently control the boiler accordingly.</p>

 

Cheers for that ...

I can feel smug about being right ... even if it does mean I need to buy a timer!

 

No timer then??

I recently fitted a programmable room thermostat which fitted in the place of the original room thermostat. Put the boiler on constant and the thermnostat is programmed to do the rest.</p>

It was about 35 quid, easy to fit and works a treat.</p>

I will post the details if you like.</p>

 

RE: No timer then??

No room thermostats fitted, just thermostatic valves on all the radiators and on and off on the boiler.

I think that it needs to be a particular unit to fit as it's a floor mounted beast of a boiler with a space on the front for an integrated timer.

 

Correct.

You also need to keep your cooker and lights on 24/7 as it takes more to fire them back up than it does to run them.

Remember also to leave your hot water taps running and your telly on.

 

RE: Correct.

Also leave your front door unlocked at all times as it wears out the lock if you keep locking/unlocking it.

And keep the car engine running even when you've gone to bed.

 

Saves the starter motor on your car that

 

Strangely enough

I agree to a certain extent.</p>

Turning the setting quite low keeps the chill off the house and prevents pipes from freezing in extreme conditions.</p>

A boiler will kick in and out only a few times overnight and for only short periods. </p>

When you turn it up properly it doesn't have to work very hard to get the house up and running and will use far less energy in doing so.</p>

So there!</p>

 

One thing that does work though...............

....shut your eyes when not looking at anything in particular so's not to wear out your glasses.

 

http://www.askjeff.co.uk/index.php

 

I agree actaully, you sarcastic b*stards.

I am sure leaving the boiler on 24/7 in an exceptionally energy efficient building is at least acceptably economic - we leave ours on, set at 21 degrees by thermostat, and we hardly ever even hear the boiler fire up - temperature is effortlessly maintained around the clock with very little fuss.

Obviously in an older less efficient building it would be a recipe for financial ruin, so presumambly the merit or otherwise of the argument depends on how energy efficient the property in question is - something not mentioned so far (?).

 

1) I mean "actually" & 2) My name isn't "tykecymraeg" - it's Vim Fuego.

What has the wife been up to today?

 

Could be the same make as mine...

As mine's a floor standing one, and it came without timer, just 2 switches which can be swapped for one.

 

thatalkinartathiarse

Tha must ev cash to burn..quite literally.</p>

I could do some calcs but I cant be arsed.</p>

A well insulated, triple, glazed modern building will still leak relatively large amounts of thermal energy in the winter when the temperature gradient across the insulating materials is greatest.</p>

I would suggest that limiting the heating to being on when you are in the house and out of bed (quite easy with a programmable thermostat or CH timer) will save you 1/3rd of your annual gas bill.</p>

Try it next winter.</p>

 

RE: thatalkinartathiarse

its right its the same as a flourecent light it uses more power to start one up than it uses if its left on all day

 

but you should always keep your eyes open!

because you can't see with them shut...</p>



cheers dad.</p>



</p>

 

I can assure you it isn't

in laymans terms</p>

gas = money</p>

boiler running uses gas=boiler running costs money</p>

Seen the price of gas these days.</p>

Its not rocket science and a rudimentry web search on saving gas, say on the powergen site or british gas, will yield a more convincing but nevertheless congruent answer to that of my own pityfull effort.</p>

I thank you.</p>

Spartacus</p>

Engineer (pretend).</p>

 

RE: I can assure you it isn't

but these people who let it go cold then keep turning it back on use more gas than one that is kept warm