Energy Advice > Saving Energy > Central Heating Controls
Central Heating Controls
Good heating controls require a minimum of four things:
- an electronic timer or programmer
- a room thermostat
- thermostatic radiator control valves (TRVs), and
- separate thermostatic control on the hot water system
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The timer or programmer
The electronic timer or programmer decides when the boiler is able to run. It is not true that boilers work best when they are running continuously or that energy is saved by leaving the heating on all day, even if the home is unoccupied. Whenever the boiler is firing it is using energy, and whenever the home is being heated to a temperature above that outside, it will be losing heat to the outside world. In spring and autumn there is no need to keep the heating on all day; a reasonably well insulated home can be left to cool down slowly with the heating timed to come on perhaps an hour or so before people return home from work.
A seven day timer is also strongly recommended, so that it is possible to set a different heating pattern for weekdays and weekends. Some timers allow different patterns for each day of the week; this can be useful for those working part-time or on shifts that vary from the conventional Monday-Friday work pattern.
Some programmers incorporate built in thermostats and temperature sensors. These need to be sited in a living room rather than by the boiler, but can often represent a good investment.
The room thermostat
This is best located in a living room, rather than the hallway, as is commonly done, as the hall temperature can be affected by the front door being used. The thermostat records the home's temperature and if it is at or above the set level (and 20°C/68°F is usually adequate) stops the boiler from operating the central heating.
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