Controlling Gas Heating

allencat3

Registered User
Messages
52
Our 3-bed house has gas central heating since 2007, and the programme controller has 3 time periods, with one-hour booster button. Getting fed up of coming into a cold house in the evenings at various times and switch on boiler for the system to come on. Was informed that if the system is left on through the day at a lower temperature, this would mean a warm house and more efficient for the boiler. Is there some truth in that - terrified of receiving a huge bill if the system is left on 24/7!? Pity the programme controller doesn't have hourly slots, so that the system would come on/off every hour through the day. Advice would be very much appreciated, thanks. Allencat3
 
Running at lower temperatures could see your boiler cycling on/off frequently which will shorten the lifespan considerably, it's also far from the most efficient approach to heating a home that isn't constantly occupied.

You'd be much better off getting a new controller fitted that gives the flexibility you want. There are also options that would allow you control the system remotely from a smart phone / web browser.
 
It will really depend on the gas boiler you have. Most gas boilers modulate so running them at lower temperatures is usually not a problem. If it is an older non-modulating boiler, then short cycling is a big issue as Leo describes and I agree, a better control would be best option.

Something like the Google Nest is a clever option, you can see the temperature in your home from an app and you do not set on/off times as such, but rather time zones with set desired temperature. So the boiler will only fire when a desired temoerature is not maintained.

Be careful of leaving a boiler on all day as the heating will only be as good as your insulation levels in the house. Poorly insulated houses will cost a fortune to heat if on all day. But a well insulated air tight house will do extremely well with a constant temperature.
 
HI I AM HAVING VOKERA MYNUTE 20E GAS BOILER, NOW ITS CREATING TROUBLES, WHEN TURN HEATING ON, BOILER GETS FLAME FOR 10 MINUTES THEN IT GOES ON AND OFF AND WATER IS NOT HOT, RADS CAN HEAT UP BUT NOT SATISFACORY, FOR ME IT LOOKS PROBLEM IN SETTING,,,,,ANY ADVISE????
 
Could be a number of things. Could be a circulation issue, blockage, weak circulating pump or a NTC thermistor fault.

Best option would be to call in a decent RGI to fault find and resolve the issue.
 
Back
Top