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Any point turning off radiators to save money?

  • 09-12-2010 08:43AM
    #1
    johnnyivan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 89 ✭✭


    Hi All,
    I've always taken it as obvious that the more radiators you have on, the more fuel you'll use. You're heating more water in the stystem and trying to keep it hot.

    A plumber told my mum years ago that it makes no difference, that you may as well have all your radiators on. I thought this was ridiculous! Another plumber, re: our GAS heating recently concurred that it makes no difference.

    Can they really be right? How?

    Thanks!
    John


Comments

  • #2
    Plombier
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 145 ✭✭Plombier


    If you add a 1 KW radiator to a system there is an extra 1 KW load on the boiler, 10 radiators 10 KW extra load, which for an oil boiler will burn an extra ltr. of oil per hour.


  • #3
    johnnyivan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 89 ✭✭johnnyivan


    Hi Plombier, thanks for taking the lead,
    Yes, so what are these blokes on about?

    Maybe they can solve the global energy crisis if they can get more energy out - without more energy in.
    John


  • #4
    alansimpson
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4 ✭alansimpson


    Hi John

    The guy who made the original statement was talking through his other orifice.

    Its not the amount of water in the system, its the amount of heat lost by the house as a whole. If the house was perfectly insulated theoretically no matter how many radiators the house can only get to its working temperature and the boiler will shut off never to come on again.

    However living in the real world a house will loose heat and the bigger the house the more heat lost. The rate of heat lost is the power required to heat the house. Most people only heat each room as they need them and this will reduce heat loss again.

    As Plombier said more radiators means more power used.

    Perhaps the guys were thinking you need to heat the whole house and maintain it at a constant temperature. If this is so the house can only loose heat a constant power say 10kW, assuming state of ventilation and outside temperature is constant. Then the boiler will produce this power 10kW to maintain temperature. If the all radiators were rated twice this 20 kW in total them theoretically it would make no difference if all or half of radiators are on as the house can only absorb 10 kW.

    This would be a very inefficient and irresponsible advice to give as it would be heating places not required. Also only an incompetent plumber would install radiators rated more than their requirement so you should need all radiators to heat the whole house.


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