Controlling my central heating
By introducing heating controls like thermostatic radiator valves and programmable room thermostats help you heat your home efficiently and maintain the desired temperature whilst controlling your heating costs. When used correctly, heating controls allow you to keep your rooms at a comfortable temperature and to choose when to have the heating on, for how long, at what temperature and in which rooms. They will also ensure that your boiler is only turned on when it needs to be, thus helping you reduce your energy consumption and your fuel bills.
Mark’s top tips to help you reduce your energy bills and save the planet!?Here are a couple of suggestions to help increase your central heating energy efficiency in your home:
How old is your boiler? This may sound obvious, but modern SEDBUK A-rated condensing boilers are considerably more efficient than older boilers. In fact, an A-rated condensing boiler with all the modern heating controls can be up to 40% more efficient than a 10 year old boiler. If you have an old boiler it may be time to start thinking about a boiler upgrade.
When did you last have your boiler serviced? ALL boilers should be serviced annually. This not only ensures you boiler is working efficiently but will also increase the life of your boiler. It should also be noted that most warranties are invalidated without the annual service of your boiler.
How old is your hot water cylinder? What lagging does it have, if any? The same thing applies as with your boiler. New modern cylinders maintain a lot more of the heat through improved insulation and a more effective use of coils inside the tank. If your hot water tank is old and without sufficient insulation (perhaps the old jacket type), it may be time to consider upgrading your system.
If you don’t have them already, installing Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRV’s) to all of your radiators will significantly reduce your heating bills. TRVs all you to control the temperature of each individual radiator, increasing your control and reducing your wasted energy.
Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows and check for droughts around windows and doors.
Programmable Room Stats allow you to control when your heating is on or off. By using pre-setting times your boiler can work only when you need it rather than being left on all day. For more information on how maximize the benefit of your programmable room stat, please contact us.
Power-Flushing your system. You power-flush your heating system to remove any dirt or debris that may be stuck in your system. This is an extremely effective way of increasing your heat output from your radiators. To see if you may be in need of a power-flush, see System Power-Flush.
Fitting a Magnetic Filter to your heating system removes debris from your system and increases the longevity of your boiler. After your system has been flushed or on a new installation we strongly recommend fitting a magnetic filter to maintain an effective system.
A dripping hot water tap wastes energy and in one week wastes enough hot water to fill half a bath, so fix leaking taps and make sure you turn you taps completely off.
