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Understanding Heating Controls

Energy Efficiency Week 2021 / Wednesday

 

Level 2: A Master of Controls

By taking control of your heating system you can have a more comfortable environment and also save energy and costs. The first step  is to have modern heating controls installed. If you already have modern controls, make sure you know how to use them and that they are set correctly. Mastering your heating controls is a really Clever Climate Action.


Will you be getting to grips with your heating controls?
 
 

Step 1

There is a grant available through the SEAI Home Energy Grants programme to help you improve your home heating system through the installation of heating controls. https://www.seai.ie/grants/home-energy-grants/

 

Step 2

Below you will find some of the common domestic heating controls. You may not have all of these but understanding what you have and how to use it is invaluable if you want to ensure you are not wasting energy or maxing out your carbon footprint. 

As a minimum, your heating systems should be split into two independently controlled zones. They are your ‘Space Heating Zone’ and your ‘Domestic Hot Water Zone’. This allows you to heat your    domestic hot water without being forced to turn on your space heating. It will also allow you to use your boiler to heat your hot water in the summertime, without using the immersion. Additional zones can also be put in place in large homes to split upstairs and downstairs or living areas and bedrooms.

 

7-Day Programmable Timer
A 7-Day programmable timer will allow you to set your heating system to match your occupancy patterns on a daily and weekly basis. The separation of space heating, domestic hot water and other zones will allow you to set each to operate for required periods only. Dig out that user manual and give it a dust off. If the manual is long gone, try finding a download of it on the internet. It tells the boiler: ‘Heat is needed in one of the zones, start working!’

NOTE: The trick is to set your heating to come on half an hour before you get home or get up, and set it to switch off half an hour before you no longer need it. This is because an average home takes around 30 mins to heat up when the heating comes on and 30 mins to cool down when it goes off.

 

The boiler thermostat
The boiler thermostat ensures that the temperature of the water in the central heating boiler is constant. It tells the boiler: ‘Your water’s not hot enough, start working!’ (or vice versa).

 

The outdoor probe or weather compensator
The outdoor probe adjusts the temperature of the boiler in line with the weather. It tells the boiler thermostat: ‘It’s getting cooler, raise the temperature!’ (or vice versa).

 

The room thermostat
The room thermostat ensures a constant temperature in the room where it is located. If it is programmable, it can set different temperatures depending on the time or the day. It tells the boiler and the heating circulator: ‘It’s cold in this room. Boiler, start working! Pump, send the hot water around!’ (or vice versa).

 

The thermostatic radiator valve
The thermostatic radiator valve (TRV) regulates the amount of heat going into a radiator according to the temperature in the room. You can set a specific temperature level for a room that you are comfortable with and as the radiator reaches its set temperature, a valve inside the TRV closes and reduces the amount of heat that flows through it.The thermostatic radiator valve says: ‘It’s warm enough in this room, I’ll cut off the hot water supply to my radiator.’

NOTE: Fully opening the thermostatic valve, by setting it to max, will not heat the room any faster. The flow rate is not higher, you just set a higher temperature for the room to reach.

 

The hot water thermostat
The hot water thermostat keeps the domestic hot water at a constant temperature. It tells the boiler or the immersion: ‘I need water at 60°C!’

 

 
 

Will you be getting to grips with your heating controls?
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