Rads

Projectx

Hi folks... any ideas on this problem.
My central heating rads dont stay warm if I turn thermostat down below 20 degrees.

Thanks.

JohnnieK

Projectx wrote: »

Hi folks... any ideas on this problem.
My central heating rads dont stay warm if I turn thermostat down below 20 degrees.

Thanks.

Because your heating turns off and the rads cool down. Does that stat click when you turn it down?

Projectx

The rads dont have individual stats. The is one wall stat for the whole house.
When I say the rads dont stay warn I really should have said they go almost cold.
Tks

kaizer13

Projectx wrote: »

Hi folks... any ideas on this problem.
My central heating rads dont stay warm if I turn thermostat down below 20 degrees.

Thanks.

It's because by turning the stat down, you are switching the heating off!

Projectx

I am probably missing something here but...

The stat dial goes from 0 to 30. viz ( 0,10,15,20,25,30)


What is 0 up to 20 used for ?

Tks

sullzz

It is probably turning off at this temp because this is the air temp in that area , if you turn the stat from 0 up to max an listen to where it clicks it win probably be at around 20 degree

kaizer13

Projectx wrote: »

I am probably missing something here but...

The stat dial goes from 0 to 30. viz ( 0,10,15,20,25,30)


What is 0 up to 20 used for ?

Tks

The stat dial numbering is the temperature in degrees Celcius. The stat monitors the air temperature IMMEDIATELY AROUND THE STAT and will switch the heating system on and off according to the temperature that has been selected on the dial. If 20 has been selected, then when the temperature AROUND THE STAT increases above 20, the stat will switch the whole house heating system off and all the radiators will cool down (some faster than others).

There are occasions when it is prudent to leave the heating on tick-over, such as when the house is unoccupied for a while during the winter. In such a case leaving the wall stat at say 10 degrees C would allow the heating to come on and possibly prevent pipes from freezing. At night time, it can benefit to set the wall stat to a lower temperature than the normal daytime level. It is at such times that the settings between 0 and 20 are usually used.

With modern electronic wall stats it may not be possible to listen or feel for the mechanical switch clicks from the stat when adjusting the dial.

Home heating is so badly understood by householders (and by many plumbers and installers) that there is a huge potential for radically reducing energy use by fairly simple means. Unfortunately those simple means have to be tailored to each individual home and lifestyle.

Your questions are very valid and if you wish to develop an understanding of how best to stay affordably comfortable in your home, then please accept the following, as a starting point suggestion. Source and purchase (or borrow) a digital THERMOMETER designed to measure room temperature. The display needs to show temperatures to a resolution of 0.1 degrees C. Such a thermometer should be readily available for less than 10 Euro. If you decide to follow this advice, then please post again when you have done so, and I will then offer the next step of advice.

Projectx

Thank you for that very clear explanation.

The oil heating system I have is about fifteen years old.
The Grant boiler is fitted with a Bentone burner (about five years old)
The temperature control on that burner/boiler is 65,75,85 deg.
The wall stat is an Imit.
Total rads 10 of which five are doubles.

I will get a thermometer next week hopefully. I imagine heatmerchants would probably stock them.

Thanks again for info.

P.s. I have had a look on the net for thermostat..there are so many types.. can you suggest a make.

Thanks

paddyk162

Hi,

Puting in an extension and adding & repalcing a few rads..

Is there any one place and/or make of rads & controls the I should be looking at??

Appreciate any commnets...

Thanks, Paddy

kaizer13

Projectx wrote: »

Thank you for that very clear explanation.

The oil heating system I have is about fifteen years old.
The Grant boiler is fitted with a Bentone burner (about five years old)
The temperature control on that burner/boiler is 65,75,85 deg.
The wall stat is an Imit.
Total rads 10 of which five are doubles.

I will get a thermometer next week hopefully. I imagine heatmerchants would probably stock them.

Thanks again for info.

P.s. I have had a look on the net for thermostat..there are so many types.. can you suggest a make.

Thanks

Most will not even be branded so make is not relevant. Certain on-line auction site has suitable ones starting at 2.49 Euro plus postage and that is for new item. May be described as indoor/outdoor thermometer and will have built-in temperature sensor and an additional sensor on an attached lead. This type will do fine. No need to go for one with clock, calendar, humidity sensor, rocket launcher etc.....

Projectx

Thermometer is on standby ..awaiting instructions (when you are ready)
Tks

kaizer13

Projectx wrote: »

Thermometer is on standby ..awaiting instructions (when you are ready)
Tks

Ok, here goes, but just a few key points to be aware of :-

Under normal, stable conditions, the human body is able to detect an ambient temperature change of about 0.5 deg C. Hence the need for a thermometer that can display unambiguously, temperature changes of 0.1 deg C. The thermometer is intended to be the totally impartial referee telling it the way it is and not the way that you might think it is. Whether you feel hot or cold may depend largely on the activity that you have been engaged in rather than what the heating is set at. Learn to trust the thermometer.

Central heating is supposed to help the building that we call home, to provide us with a comfortable enviroment to live in. It should be used as a basic facility that allows each occupant of the building to achieve their own personal comfort level. It is quite possible that a room that is too warm for one individual may be too cold for another. The digital thermometer helps us to monitor what is actually happening and not what is perceived to be happening.

Summary, the thermometer is a very useful tool in our quest for an effective and efficient heating strategy.

to be continued..............

Projectx

Only one judge... Thermometer

Projectx

Reminder>>

Projectx

Have you forgotten me Kaizer 13.?

Projectx

Reminder.

KoolKid

He may not be subscribed to this thread. Try sending him a PM.

Projectx

KoolKid wrote: »

He may not be subscribed to this thread. Try sending him a PM.

He/she would appear to be registered ok.
Maybe away on long holiday.

I will put up the odd reminder.

Tks

JohnnieK

What readings are you getting on your thermometer?

Projectx

JohnnieK wrote: »

What readings are you getting on your thermometer?

None.

I have thermometer bought and at the ready awaiting instructions.

See above posts from Kaiser 13.

( I'm expecting to have a fantastic finely tuned system when I'm finished)

Tks

JohnnieK

What are you trying to achive with your thermometer? Are trying to test the accuracy of the existing wall mounted stat or just the room temp of each room.
Just curious but the radiator where the room stat is does that have a trv fitted?

You initial question is why the radiators are going cold. They will go cold when the room stat achives its set point.
Are you expecting the rads to stay warm when this happens?

.243

JohnnieK wrote: »

What are you trying to achive with your thermometer? Are trying to test the accuracy of the existing wall mounted stat or just the room temp of each room.
Just curious but the radiator where the room stat is does that have a trv fitted?

id be working off the trv's,turn up the wall stat and set the thermostat at the boiler for the hottest rad required,then use the trv on the rads to suit the heat of the room,

JohnnieK

.243 wrote: »

id be working off the trv's,turn up the wall stat and set the thermostat at the boiler for the hottest rad required,then use the trv on the rads to suit the heat of the room,

Agree. Trvs need to be put to desired temp but room stat needs to be able to control the boiler to eliminate anti-cycling

Projectx

Tks folks.
For handiness please read all above with emphasis on ..
# 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12.

Thanks.

Projectx

Projectx wrote: »

Tks folks.
For handiness please read all above with emphasis on ..
# 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12.

Thanks.

For handiness you could try reading post 2, the room thermostat is just a switch, if you feel it's not working how you wish to then you need to look at position, wiring, actual room temperture to determine any issues you may have.

Projectx

gary71 wrote: »

For handiness you could try reading post 2, the room thermostat is just a switch, if you feel it's not working how you wish to then you need to look at position, wiring, actual room temperture to determine any issues you may have.

I used "for handiness" because I'm a very slow typist.

JohnnieK

Your wall mounted stat is a basic switch, it will detect the air temp around the stat and if it is at the set point it will switch the boiler off, the rads will then cool down until the air temp around the stat drops below the set point it will then switch the boiler back on and the rads will heat up again. The boiler will remain on until set point is achieved again thus turning the boiler off again.

If you turn the stat down below 20 and the radiators get cold then the air temp is higher in that space then the set point you have just turned the stat down too so it has turned the boiler off.

Projectx

Projectx wrote: »

I used "for handiness" because I'm a very slow typist.

Don't mind me, I put the G into grumpy;)

Projectx

JohnnieK wrote: »

Your wall mounted stat is a basic switch, it will detect the air temp around the stat and if it is at the set point it will switch the boiler off, the rads will then cool down until the air temp around the stat drops below the set point it will then switch the boiler back on and the rads will heat up again. The boiler will remain on until set point is achieved again thus turning the boiler off again.

If you turn the stat down below 20 and the radiators get cold then the air temp is higher in that space then the set point you have just turned the stat down too so it has turned the boiler off.

Thanks for that clear explanation.
I have been trying different settings over the last while.
At the moment the boiler is set at approx 77/78 deg. and the stat. is at approx 22 deg. This seems to be working fairly well.

I note that when the boiler turns off and the rads downstairs cool down three of the upstairs rads remain hot. Should they all heat up/cool down at the same rate.

Thanks.

Projectx

gary71 wrote: »

Don't mind me, I put the G into grumpy;)

No prob.

JohnnieK

Projectx wrote: »

Thanks for that clear explanation.
I have been trying different settings over the last while.
At the moment the boiler is set at approx 77/78 deg. and the stat. is at approx 22 deg. This seems to be working fairly well.

I note that when the boiler turns off and the rads downstairs cool down three of the upstairs rads remain hot. Should they all heat up/cool down at the same rate.

Thanks.

It's possible they will do that.