Getting to know your heating system.

How to control your heating system using a programmer:

The programmer is at the heart of your heating and hot water system and understanding your programmer can help you reduce costs on your heating bill as well as helping you to stay comfortable in your home. Most programmers have 4 settings on the heating as well as the hot water:

On- Always on- not the most efficient way to run your heating system.

Off- always off- great for the summer to prevent the boiler firing during hot months.

Auto- Times- This is the best way to save money as it means you only heat your home when you need it.

Once- Timed during the day- This heats your home all day long but turns it off at night.

When your programmer is set to “auto” you will need to set the times. The best way to understand how to do this is to find your manual and have a read of it. You can also search online for your manual.

When your programmer is set to “Once”, your heating will turn on at the first on time and will go off at the last off time.

If you have a combi boiler (no tanks anywhere) then the chances are that you dont have a programmer but a programmable thermostat. Programmable thermostats control different temperatures at different times of the day. Again, the best way to programme these is by taking a look in the manual.

If you need help programming your controls then why not give J & S Plumbing and Heating a call.

How to control your heating system using a thermostat:

Thermostats control your heating by turning the boiler off when the house has reached temperature. Having a thermostat prevents your home from getting too hot and consequently having to open windows to cool yourself down again. There are 2 types of thermostat:

Basic Thermostat- can be turned up and down to control temperature only

Programmable thermostat- set at different temperatures at different times of the day, these are mainly used on combi boilers or smart controls to provide different temperatures at different times of the day.

How to top up the pressure in your heating system:

Topping up the pressure on your boiler is vital to ensure your boiler is running as efficiently as possible. There are many different ways to top up your pressure and you can find many videos online, here are a few examples:

Filling loop- this is usually 2 chrome/ grey valves near your boiler with 2 black/ blue handles on it, you need to turn both handles inline with the pipe and watch the pressure go up to 1-1.5 bar before closing the valves

Internal filling loop- many boilers have a small filling loop underneath the boiler. This looks very similar to normal filling loops with a chrome hose in the middle and 2 valves that you need to open inline with the pipe to top up your pressure.

Keyed filling link- Many worcester boilers have a keyed filling link and so will require the key inserting and locked into place by locking, You will then turn a nob to increase the pressure. Take a look at your manual to understand how to do this properly.

Keyless filling link, Many worcester and baxi boilers have a keyless filling link, with these you just pull the blue lever to start topping up the pressure.

How to control the temperature of your boiler:

All boilers old and new have a temperature dial for controlling the heating temperature. Having your temperature at maximum is like driving a car at 100mph everywhere, You get there faster but you shorten the life of the boiler by running it on maximum. A great way to save money is turning radiators off if the rooms arent being used and turning your boiler down. Imagine you are making a cup of tea, filling the kettle to max and boiling to 100 degrees uses more energy then filling your kettle to half full and only boiling to 60 degrees. It may be a lower heat and take slightly longer to heat your home but the energy saving will be worth it. If you use your programmer and thermostat to set your heating to come on half an hour earlier then you wont even notice the difference in the heat but will definetly notice the difference in your bills. Turn down your boiler by a few degrees at a time, why not try it out and see how low you can go.

How to control the temperature of your hot water:

Not all combi boilers have a hot water temperature but if you take a look at your combi boiler then there may be a tap symbol, above one of the dials. Turn this dial down to save yourself money. Combi boilers do not need to be run at high temperatures as there is no storage of water, all water is replenished when running taps so you can reduce your hot water temperature to prevent having to add cold to baths and showers. When doing dishes, you can increase the temperature to help remove the bacteria from your plates and turn it back down afterwards for showers and baths. This may seem like a pain but this can save you money on your gas bill, every penny counts.

Hot water cylinders do store water so need to be a minimum of 55 degrees, take a look at your cylinder and see if it has temperature control and see what it is set at, many airing cupboards have clothes or shoes that get thrown in and can sometimes adjust your hot water temperature by accident. Dont forget that having hot water over 65 degrees can cause burns and waste energy so why not check your hot water temperature today?

How to control the temperature of your radiators:

Thermostatic radiator valves (TRV’s) are a great way to control your home. A thermostat is usually in one room and so does not control individual rooms. A great way to control rooms is by using Thermostatic radiator valves but what do the numbers mean? The numbers on your TRV’s relate to a set temperature, Turning your TRV’s to 3 is usually around 21 degrees, this means that rooms which warm up quicker will shut down, sending more flow and heat to the other rooms to help them reach temperature quicker. As your TRV’s close down, your volume of heated water is shrinking, meaning that you no longer have to heat a full kettle of water and so your energy usage and running costs will reduce too.

How to turn your heating off when not required:

Turning your boiler off at the power is never a good idea, you may end up turning it off when the boiler is at a high temperature. As many systems are sealed, this means the water will keep heating and can destroy parts inside your system. The best option for turning you heat off is to either turn it off at the programmer or at the programmable thermostat. Some combi boilers do have a “winter” mode which means you will have hot water but no heating, if they do then this is a great wy to ensure the heating is off when you dont want it on any more. Learning how to turn your boiler off properly can save you money on your heating and hot water.

Understanding your heating system

When problems occur, it is often missed due to homeowners not understanding their heating or hot water systems. This can cause further damage and/ or additional costs in energy bills. Take a look at our house below to help understand the components within your home.

3 port, 2 port and divertor valves automatically control where the water goes based on the programmer and thermostat settings. Having an issue with these can cause your radiators or hot water to not be as hot as normal. They can also cause radiators and hot water to continually heat which will cost money and make a very uncomfortable home for living in. If you suspect you have a problem then we strongly recommend getting it replaced.

The pump is at the heart of your heating system, Like a heart, it pumps the water around the system to provide the heat at the right place at the right time. Most pumps have lights on them when running. Loud, noisy pumps can be a sign of a fault within your system so why not have a listen to your heating pump.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog, for some great money saving hint and tips, why not visit our money saving page at: J & S Plumbing and Heating Energy saving tips