Advice re: temperature please

[ChrisJ78]

I am unsure after reading a fair bit, what temperature to set the heating to on my boiler. At the moment the temperature is between 50 and 60. It has taken roughly 1.5 hours to raise the temperature in the house about 3c. If the water is 70c or above it takes about an hour to raise the temp 3c.

Question is, should the temperature of the water be higher so the house heats quicker or is it better to have the lower temperature so that the boiler condenses, although it "should" condense if the water temperature is at 70.

I guess this doesn't make a lot of sense, but really I'm asking is it better to have the CH flow at the higher or lower temperature with regards to efficiency and the amount of time the house is taking to heat up

 

[kevplumb]

lower to keep the boiler steamin

higher for heat up time

 

[ChrisJ78]

Hmmm yeah so maybe more efficient to keep it steaming then?

I checked outside and the there was no steam coming from the flue (although there is when it first comes on) and I couldn't see any water dripping from the pipe into the garage guttering.

 

[gas4you]

I hope you have a combi, otherwise with your boiler set at 50-60C you will never get your HW hot enough

I usually leave my boilers set on 65C.

1 1/2 hours seems too long to me to be efficiently heating up your property.

Are your rads the correct size for the boiler temp?

 

[D_Hailsham]

It's not the temperature of the water leaving the boiler which is important, it's the temperature of the water returning to the boiler. The return temperature has to be below 55°C or condensing will not occur. The return temperature will depend on the boiler's differential; some use an 11°C differential others use a 20°C differential. If your boiler is in the 11°C group you need to have the flow below 65/66°C for condensing to occur. But if you have a 20°C boiler you can run it up to 75°C and it will still condense.

The problem then is that radiators running with a 20°C differential give off about 15% less heat than specified. This may not be a problem if you have insulated the house after the rads were installed.

 

[ChrisJ78]

Yes it's a combi, I've set the hot water temp over 60 not sure at what. I have no idea if the rads are big enough or not in all honesty. The stat is on the landing, and not near any radiators.

I'll measure the living room/dining area as they are both in one room. There is a 600x1200 K2 rad at each end of the room. I do think they may be a little under sized or bordering "about right".

I'll turn the heating temp up a little too.

 

[bengasman]

Do you have a condensing boiler?

 

[kevplumb]

jeez ello stranger

 

[ChrisJ78]

Yes it's condensing.