Best use of Oil Heating/Thermostat

joe123

Hey there, just a quick question. Our house main function of heating is through Oil. Downstairs, Upstairs and Water heating zones.

We've been told varying ways of best use of keeping a house heated/warm.

Just looking for opinion, is it generally better to keep it on for long periods such (3 or 4+ hours a day) at lower temperature say 15 degrees, or should we only do appx 2hrs a day at a higher temperature around 20 degrees?

In the ideal world we want the house warm, but also not to burn through oil in no time. Some have told us the most oil is consumed on start up, so leaving it on for a prolonged period of time is actually more efficient?

Lord Nikon

A comfortable temperature in the house is about 20/21 degrees, anything lower than that seems cold. 15 degrees would be very cold in a house. We try to keep our heating on at a constant 21, at least according to the Nest thermometer.

joe123

Lord Nikon wrote: »

A comfortable temperature in the house is about 20/21 degrees, anything lower than that seems cold. 15 degrees would be very cold in a house. We try to keep our heating on at a constant 21, at least according to the Nest thermometer.

Would you put it on for a couple of hours per day or do you think its better to leave it running at a more constant rate?

mickdw

If you have it zoned for upstairs and downstairs, it should be reasonable to run the living areas at a low setting and just leave it timed on all the time you are home and allow the stat to maintain the temp. Unless its a big old house, this should be ok cost wise.

Fingers Mcginty

I leave ours on at from 16:00 to bedtime.

Calahonda52

It depends, in part, on the thermal mass of the house, accepting that the longer the house is at a higher temp to outside, the more juice you will consume.

what construction are the walls, internal and external?
Are they insulated with plaster board?
What construction are the floors?

How airtight is the house?