Setting up your heating system
Use the controls on the heating system to get the most out of your heating. Setting the controls correctly will ensure you stay comfortable in all weathers without spending any more than you need. Savings in heating costs are likely to be around 10%.
Setting up the heating system controls is best done early in the heating season when the heating is not struggling to cope with cold weather. Once set correctly, you should only need to adjust the boiler thermostat (to ensure you maintain the same temperature inside irrespective of the weather outside. Using the thermostats correctly will help you achieve this).
Stage 1
Adjust the thermostats on the radiators. Keep each room at the right temperature by switching the radiator in that room off an on as the room gets too hot or cold. If the radiator isn't keeping the room warm enough when the thermostat is on high, you will need to adjust the boiler accordingly, see section 3 below).
Set the wall thermostat high (say at 22 degrees) and begin with the radiator thermostat on low, at about setting 2. Gradually increase until the room temperature feels comfortable. It takes time for the temperature to settle so it may take a couple of days to get this right.
Rooms where most time is spent sitting usually need to be on 3 to 4, bedrooms and the kitchen about 2. Set to 1 in unused rooms to keep fresh without over heating. Once set this should not need to be changed.
Stage 2
The wall thermostat is the one that saves you the most money. It stops the boiler switching on and off when not needed. (This is called cycling and can account for up to 15% of gas consumption.) Don’t worry about what temperature it is set to, this will vary depending on where the wall thermostat is situated. The aim is for the heating to switch off when the temperatures of the whole house is right for you.
Set it at about 22 degrees while you get the radiator thermostats right. Now turn it down a bit each day. Stop turning it down when the heating starts to go off before the rooms are warm enough, then turn it up a little. Once set this should not need to be changed.
The heating should now be just right for you. Now get used to checking the boiler to keep it this way.
Stage 3
The boiler thermostat controls the temperature of the radiators. In colder weather the radiators need to be hotter to provide enough heat, but in milder weather it should be set lower so the radiators are not so hot, but provide a continuous gentle heat.
Most types of boiler have a flap on the front (near the bottom) that can be dropped down. Behind this are the controls, the settings switches, thermostat controls and the pressure gauge. (On some boilers it is necessary to look underneath the boiler to see the pressure gauge and some have digital pressure displays). There may be either a single thermostat for both heating and hot water, but more commonly there are two.
The heating thermostat should be set as low as possible. During cold weather you may need to turn this up to keep warm enough but remember to turn it down again once the cold weather passes.
If there is a separate thermostat for the hot water, set this to suit yourself.
Stage 4
Try to use the programmer to control how and when the heating and hot water are switched on. If the heating is set to switch on when it isn't cold, a lot of energy is wasted just warming up the boiler. In the same way, if the hot water is not on a timer, the boiler will automatically switch on at regular intervals, even throughout the night when you aren't likely to need to use the hot water.
Even if you are at home during the day you will not need the heating on all the time. Having the timer set for twice a day at the normal mode will ensure that the heating is not left on when not needed. Even in timed mode, most programmers will allow you switch it on or off simply, then return to timed operation following the next set period.
It should be timed to switch off about half an hour before you go out in the day or go to bed at night.
If you need extra heat during the day press the over-ride button on the programmer to bring the heating on a little earlier (or switch off earlier if not needed).
If you still have a storage cylinder for hot water (they are becoming quite common in new homes to be able to supply enough hot water for several showers at once) experiment with the length of time this needs to be on. With modern insulated cylinders and pipe work, 20 to 30 minutes a day may be enough.
Top up the Pressure
You should find out how to top up the pressure in your heating system. If the pressure drops too far the boiler may cut out.
Pressure drops are usually due to either a leak in the system or after "bleeding" the radiators (removing air from radiators which otherwise stops them working effectively. Bleeding should be done once a year but also soon after the system is refilled). If the drop is slow there is nothing to worry about but if it happens frequently, or the pressure rises too high, then it is time to call out a heating engineer to find the cause.
The pressure gauge has a dial with a fixed needle/marker to show the minimum recommended pressure. Often the area will be marked as red or green. Most boilers will have a 'filler loop' which is quite obvious, a flexible pipe with taps at both ends. Opening both taps should result in the sound of water flowing in and a rise in the pressure on the gauge. Some Worcester boilers have a 'key' clipped to the inside of the base (slide forward to remove base). This key is pushed into a hole in the centre of the boilers base and turned. The 'tap' to increase the pressure is a small square knob just to the left of where the key goes in.
Use the controls on the heating system to get the most out of your heating. Setting the controls correctly will ensure you stay comfortable in all weathers without spending any more than you need. Savings in heating costs are likely to be around 10%.
Setting up the heating system controls is best done early in the heating season when the heating is not struggling to cope with cold weather. Once set correctly, you should only need to adjust the boiler thermostat (to ensure you maintain the same temperature inside irrespective of the weather outside. Using the thermostats correctly will help you achieve this).
Stage 1
Adjust the thermostats on the radiators. Keep each room at the right temperature by switching the radiator in that room off an on as the room gets too hot or cold. If the radiator isn't keeping the room warm enough when the thermostat is on high, you will need to adjust the boiler accordingly, see section 3 below).
Set the wall thermostat high (say at 22 degrees) and begin with the radiator thermostat on low, at about setting 2. Gradually increase until the room temperature feels comfortable. It takes time for the temperature to settle so it may take a couple of days to get this right.
Rooms where most time is spent sitting usually need to be on 3 to 4, bedrooms and the kitchen about 2. Set to 1 in unused rooms to keep fresh without over heating. Once set this should not need to be changed.
Stage 2
The wall thermostat is the one that saves you the most money. It stops the boiler switching on and off when not needed. (This is called cycling and can account for up to 15% of gas consumption.) Don’t worry about what temperature it is set to, this will vary depending on where the wall thermostat is situated. The aim is for the heating to switch off when the temperatures of the whole house is right for you.
Set it at about 22 degrees while you get the radiator thermostats right. Now turn it down a bit each day. Stop turning it down when the heating starts to go off before the rooms are warm enough, then turn it up a little. Once set this should not need to be changed.
The heating should now be just right for you. Now get used to checking the boiler to keep it this way.
Stage 3
The boiler thermostat controls the temperature of the radiators. In colder weather the radiators need to be hotter to provide enough heat, but in milder weather it should be set lower so the radiators are not so hot, but provide a continuous gentle heat.
Most types of boiler have a flap on the front (near the bottom) that can be dropped down. Behind this are the controls, the settings switches, thermostat controls and the pressure gauge. (On some boilers it is necessary to look underneath the boiler to see the pressure gauge and some have digital pressure displays). There may be either a single thermostat for both heating and hot water, but more commonly there are two.
The heating thermostat should be set as low as possible. During cold weather you may need to turn this up to keep warm enough but remember to turn it down again once the cold weather passes.
If there is a separate thermostat for the hot water, set this to suit yourself.
Stage 4
Try to use the programmer to control how and when the heating and hot water are switched on. If the heating is set to switch on when it isn't cold, a lot of energy is wasted just warming up the boiler. In the same way, if the hot water is not on a timer, the boiler will automatically switch on at regular intervals, even throughout the night when you aren't likely to need to use the hot water.
Even if you are at home during the day you will not need the heating on all the time. Having the timer set for twice a day at the normal mode will ensure that the heating is not left on when not needed. Even in timed mode, most programmers will allow you switch it on or off simply, then return to timed operation following the next set period.
It should be timed to switch off about half an hour before you go out in the day or go to bed at night.
If you need extra heat during the day press the over-ride button on the programmer to bring the heating on a little earlier (or switch off earlier if not needed).
If you still have a storage cylinder for hot water (they are becoming quite common in new homes to be able to supply enough hot water for several showers at once) experiment with the length of time this needs to be on. With modern insulated cylinders and pipe work, 20 to 30 minutes a day may be enough.
Top up the Pressure
You should find out how to top up the pressure in your heating system. If the pressure drops too far the boiler may cut out.
Pressure drops are usually due to either a leak in the system or after "bleeding" the radiators (removing air from radiators which otherwise stops them working effectively. Bleeding should be done once a year but also soon after the system is refilled). If the drop is slow there is nothing to worry about but if it happens frequently, or the pressure rises too high, then it is time to call out a heating engineer to find the cause.
The pressure gauge has a dial with a fixed needle/marker to show the minimum recommended pressure. Often the area will be marked as red or green. Most boilers will have a 'filler loop' which is quite obvious, a flexible pipe with taps at both ends. Opening both taps should result in the sound of water flowing in and a rise in the pressure on the gauge. Some Worcester boilers have a 'key' clipped to the inside of the base (slide forward to remove base). This key is pushed into a hole in the centre of the boilers base and turned. The 'tap' to increase the pressure is a small square knob just to the left of where the key goes in.
