Central Heating Temperature Control

[AmyAmy]

Hiya

My family ( elderly Mum and Brother) used to have a back boiler but this broke down last week (leaking corroded heat exchange ) and the housing associating has replaced this with a Baxi Megaflo System Heating He a Range Gas Fired wall mounted Condensing Boiler.
Was installed Monday and finished by separate electrician Tuesday.
( replaced Gas Fire with electric Fire) .

Have same radiators but they fitted new valves and new radiator themostates? where you set the temp for that radiator anyway ( sorry I,m personally new to central heating myself) on all but the small hall way rad where the dial is also positioned on the wall to set temp, this was left on 20 but I have turned it up to 24 which seems to be about right.

What I wanted to know about though is the Central Heating Temperature Control on the actual boiler, all the manual info says is that is what it is, but no advice on how to know at what temperature to set it at , etc , the installers left it set at the max 80c. ( min is 25 - max 80c)

Using the temp controls on each rad for each room I have got the room temps about right, but the water is very very Hot , almost a bit dangerously hot, have it on for 2 1/12 hours alone with the CH in morning when is when it is mainly used, and lasts all day ( unlike with old boiler when it went cold or only warm after a few hours and often had to put water on again some evenings) .

Any advice on this would be very much appreciated.

At the moment have CH set to come on 6.30 am - 9 am , with water the same and CH only 6pm - 9pm, and use the boot on independant timer if CH is needed at other times.
( did have water to come on again first day but not since as really not needed)
Any advice on this or anything you feel would be useful regards this boiler would be most welcome, obviously want to be as ecconomicall as poss as both occupants are pensioners ( I am staying with them at mo for personal reasons)

Thanks x

 

[John506]

Water should be 50 degrees out of your tap, or if you or any other occupants feel this to be too hot, adjust it.

Just personal preference really.

 

[AmyAmy]

Water should be 50 degrees out of your tap, or if you or any other occupants feel this to be too hot, adjust it.

Just personal preference really.

Thanks Jon ,
Would turning down the above mentioned control do this and would it affect the rads?

Also would still like more info on setting the Central Heating Temperature Control on the actual boiler as like I said the installer just left it at the Max 80c but both for economical and wanting to use the New system in the best way I don't want this set higher than it really needs to be.

Again any advice ( both related and unrelated) at all on this boiler etc would be most appreciated.

Amy x

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Should be a thermostat for the Hot Water tank temperature, either on the tank or built into the controls. This needs setting to about 60 deg C, to prevent any Legionella bacteria developing. This wont affect the Central Heating temperature.

Boiler will use as much gas as it needs to keep the house at the selected temperature. Basically the warmer you like the house the more energy (gas) required to get house to and keep it at that temperature. Heat loss is your enemy, check insulation levels, loft insulation can be topped up as required, and try and prevent any draughts.

Point worth noting is the drain from the boiler for condensate, (Plastic pipe). If this is run externally it does run the risk of freezing, and should this happen the boiler will cease to operate. Most installers take all reasonable precautions against this happening, but with last years harsh winter it was sometimes difficult to avoid.

 

[AmyAmy]

Should be a thermostat for the Hot Water tank temperature, either on the tank or built into the controls. This needs setting to about 60 deg C, to prevent any Legionella bacteria developing. This wont affect the Central Heating temperature.

Boiler will use as much gas as it needs to keep the house at the selected temperature. Basically the warmer you like the house the more energy (gas) required to get house to and keep it at that temperature. Heat loss is your enemy, check insulation levels, loft insulation can be topped up as required, and try and prevent any draughts.

Point worth noting is the drain from the boiler for condensate, (Plastic pipe). If this is run externally it does run the risk of freezing, and should this happen the boiler will cease to operate. Most installers take all reasonable precautions against this happening, but with last years harsh winter it was sometimes difficult to avoid.

Hi Thanks for your reply, loft insulation has recently been topped up and the walls are insulated, double glazed windows doors , all poss drafts excluded etc, regards the drain this has been installed inside the house, the boiler has been put in what was the airing cupboard in back bedroom and the drain pipe has been run alone to the outta wall somehow then through the celling into the kitchen, down the wall mainly hidden by curtain, and into the drain of the washing machine I believe, so nice and warm as we do a lot of cooking in fact don't have Rad on in there as would be far too hot.

 

[David937]

Set the boiler temperature around 3/4 of the way (around 70ºc), increase if the rooms feel cold. Too low and the hot water wont be able to heat up and rooms will be cool.

 

[AmyAmy]

Thanks for the replys so far, I would still like to know more about actually setting the Central Heating Temperature Control on the boiler though , like I said at moment this is set at the max 80c, but there must be a reason why this can be set between 25c -80c etc , and I really would like more information about how this control works , well basically controls heating and if applicable the water and how to know what it should be set to etc.
As I said I am new to this but have a good understanding of things, so any info whether it seems obvious, however basic or complex please post.
Thanks
Amy x

 

[AmyAmy]

Set the boiler temperature around 3/4 of the way (around 70ºc), increase if the rooms feel cold. Too low and the hot water wont be able to heat up and rooms will be cool.

Thanks David,
think you must have posted as I was typing my last message, I will set it to 70c tomorrow and see how it goes.

Any other info on this and generally about this boiler etc would still be appreciated

Amy x

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Cant see as you can do much more to reduce heat loss, if the boiler is getting the house to a similar temperature as you had with the old boiler then theoretically it should use less gas.

Hot water seems to be staying hotter for longer, so less heat loss there and another saving. The electric fire may prove more costly to run than the previous gas fire though.

The CH temp control basically governs the temperature the boiler heats the water to before switching off. As David937 has said, if the water temp leaving the boiler is too low then the house will take ages to heat up, (if at all). The roomstat and cylinder stat will switch the boiler on/off as required when the set temperatures of living space and/or hot water are reached.