Central Heating - on yet?

[N0bodyOfTheGoat]

I'm still no closer to understanding why people are looking to over ride a thermostat on a seemingly randomly chosen date, I suspect I never will.

Heating is sadly far more complex than a thermostat in our rented flat...

We have three storage heaters of differing max Watt inputs/outputs in lounge, back room and bedroom.

Storage heaters are supposed to be wired up to only be on the night rate circuit, when you have separate electric circuits like Economy7, so you set the input level you want to use the electric to "charge" the bricks from 2330/0030.

However, after living here several years, we discovered that all our storage heaters used electric as soon as the input knob was above minimum... That would explain the silly excess bills we got in early spring above our direct debit!

So since that shocking discovery, I've had to remember to move the inputs typically to 66-100% when night rate kicks in at 2330 GMT and turn them off before 0630 GMT.

 

[Dan Lotus]

Heating is sadly far more complex than a thermostat in our rented flat...

We have three storage heaters of differing max Watt inputs/outputs in lounge, back room and bedroom.

Storage heaters are supposed to be wired up to only be on the night rate circuit, when you have separate electric circuits like Economy7, so you set the input level you want to use the electric to "charge" the bricks from 2330/0030.

However, after living here several years, we discovered that all our storage heaters used electric as soon as the input knob was above minimum... That would explain the silly excess bills we got in early spring above our direct debit!

So since that shocking discovery, I've had to remember to move the inputs typically to 66-100% when night rate kicks in at 2330 GMT and turn them off before 0630 GMT.

I can see how you are in a totally different boat, so can see why you have to manage things much more closely.
I've never lived somewhere with storage heaters - I guess I am lucky in having only lived in 3 different houses with my parents, and then as an adult only two properties.
My parents first house didn't have central heating as such, it was a new build in the 60s with a flat roof, a terrace, and the heating was I believe a single vent in the floor - one per floor, that blew out warm air, but it was terrible iirc, or perhaps it was just too expensive, as I do recall ice on the inside of the windows in the depths of winter.

I was more referring to those with a standard boiler, and radiators throughout their property.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I had my GCH on Sunday afternoon for a few hours, yesterday just for a couple of hours, off today, it is warm today.
Why work like a baboon then freeze in your own home?
I don't have my boiler on a timer because my work shifts vary, I just use the thermostat/controller to switch it on or off. Usually I set it at 18/19C when I'm home, off during the night.
Windows open for about an hour every day in winter, all day in summer - if it's hot, which is not a given in Scotland!
I live in a ground floor flat without carpets, because of my fur babies hairballs 😻

My unit does have a good solar sensor however. It's linked to the "I want to go out" app, but only if the temperature levels are acceptable

I've got one of those units, only goes out if she can sun herself
My other unit likes to get wet, but doesn't like to be dried before jumping on my bed.

Failed spectacularly to sort the leaking boiler over the summer

Get the professionals in, before you freeze to death in January, when the inevitable break down will happen but the heating engineers have a long waiting list.
I get my boiler serviced every end of August.

I'd like to bleed the rads (a source I found suggested this was relevant to the leaking boiler issue although I can't see how) however only the heated towel rail in the bathroom actually has an obvious bleed valve; the rest appear blanked or perhaps need to have the whole plug turned to open the system up to atmospheric.

Any thoughts on this would be welcome

Get the professionals to do the bleed and install new valves.

It's only really 'open'* systems that need bleeding, modern 'pressurised' systems don't need it apart from initial commisioning of a new boiler or radiator.

* the old type with an expansion tank in the attic/airing cupboard

Imo this is not correct. I had a new boiler installed 4 years ago, this year I said there were some clunking noises from the radiator, the man bled them.
My boiler is in the kitchen, the tank water only supplies the bathroom.

Also we've both had quotes to fit a 'magnetic filter' to the boiler, mine was £190 and hers is 'in the post' (doesn't like email) so will be interesting to compare them. And actually I don't know yet if a filter is a beneficial thing to fit.

Mine was £100 extra with the new boiler 4 years ago.

 

[raleighnut]

What pressure does your boiler run at, ours runs at 1.7 bar on the gauge, (roughly 20psi) green zone is 1.2 bar to 2.5 bar and won't go any higher due to us being on top of a hill/ridge so the water pressure is very low.

 

[raleighnut]

Imo this is not correct. I had a new boiler installed 4 years ago, this year I said there were some clunking noises from the radiator, the man bled them.
My boiler is in the kitchen, the tank water only supplies the bathroom.

What pressure does your boiler run at, ours runs at 1.7 bar on the gauge, (roughly 20psi) green zone is 1.2 bar to 2.5 bar and won't go any higher due to us being on top of a hill/ridge so the water pressure is very low.

Please note with a condensing/pressurised system you must top up from the 'fill loop' if you bleed radiators.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Please note with a condensing/pressurised system you must top up from the 'fill loop' if you bleed radiators.

Noted, but I'm sure the heating engineer knows.
Certain jobs I'm happy to delegate

What pressure does your boiler run at, ours runs at 1.7 bar on the gauge, (roughly 20psi) green zone is 1.2 bar to 2.5 bar and won't go any higher due to us being on top of a hill/ridge so the water pressure is very low.

Bang in the middle of the fat green bar numbered 1, just checked it now, but the boiler is off at the moment.
I'll monitor when I do the dishes or have the heating on.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Still wearing shorts

 

[mjr]

Still wearing shorts

Lederhosen, as it's Oktoberfest this week or next?

 

[Drago]

Im still in Y fronts, although the 55 year old layer of inch thick residue radiates warmth like a mini compost heap.

 

[Webbo2]

Im still in Y fronts, although the 55 year old layer of inch thick residue radiates warmth like a mini compost heap.

I thought most people gave up on Y fronts when they were old enough to have sexual relationships.

 

[Drago]

I thought most people gave up on Y fronts when they were old enough to have sexual relationships.

I cant get mine off. The doctor cant tell where the Y fronts end and I begin.

 

[Reynard]

I've got one of those units, only goes out if she can sun herself
My other unit likes to get wet, but doesn't like to be dried before jumping on my bed.

Awh xxx At the moment, my unit also has a secondary app running - namely the "Guard the Tomatoes" app.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I cant get mine off. The doctor cant tell where the Y fronts end and I begin.

Effective contaception then

 

[Alex321]

I'm still no closer to understanding why people are looking to over ride a thermostat on a seemingly randomly chosen date, I suspect I never will.

Many of us don't have thermostats which are positioned in the best place and reliable. I don't think I have ever loved in a house where I could really rely on a single, central, thermostat to keep all the house at a comfortable temperature.

Particularly given that almost all modern radiators will have thermostatic valves, so central thermostats aren't always even present at all. We do have ne in our house, but it is near the bottom of the stairs, on the wall between the kitchen and the hallway. I don't even know if it actually works. It is probably set to something high, on the assumption the radiator valves will control the actual temperature, on a room by room basis. Just had a look at iuit, and it is set to about 18. It *might* just be that low in the hallway when the rest of the house is at a comfortable temperature, but I doubt it.

However, if the heating is on, it will be heating *some* water and pumping it round the pipes, even if the radiators aren't actually getting warm. So we turn it off when it is warm enough to not need it, and back on when it starts feeling too cold.

 

[Alex321]

Please note with a condensing/pressurised system you must top up from the 'fill loop' if you bleed radiators.

Yep. We had that in the last house. The fill loop was normally only connected at the inlet end (the other end was so close behind the front panel that you couldn't get the panel on with it connected), and we had to connect it first before opening the valve to top up.