central heating

[tracy]

Hello, What is the opinion of people as to leaving the central heating on 24 hours a day as against the following? Mon,Tues Wed Thur Frid 8:00am to 12:00noon 5:30pm to 11:30pm Sat Sun 8:00 to 12midnight

The heating is Jemplair gas warm air heating and if it is left on all night my hubby complains that it is too warm so either turns it off or turns down the thermostat, which prevents it coming on at 8:am. The timer is only a simple 7 day 24 hour timer so it has to be manually switched on at the weekend when it turns off at noon and then the timer has to be switched off again at night back to automatic. This has caused numerous arguments over the years and of course now hubby is on an energy saving kick, he even bought an LCD monitor to save energy(so he says).

So what are peoples suggestions as to the energy savings made by switching the heating on and off or leaving it on all the time? Tracy

[mungoh]

Buy a programmable thermostat and set it for low heat overnight, quite warm in the morning (when people wander around in pyjamas and suchlike), cooler through the day and pleasantly warm at night. The kit replaces a "normal" thermostat and saves arguments since a bog standard thermostat will keep the house to the same temperature regardless of the time of day.

So replace "timer+thermostat" with "programmable thermostat".

I bought a four-period thermostat from Screwfix, but I'd now like a six period device to give me the option of pre-heat periods.

HTH

Mungo

[Set Square]

There's absolutely no point in heating the house when everyone is out - as long as the timer is set to have it warm by the time you return. Heat loss - which has to be balanced by the heat you pump in - is a function of the internal (and external - which you cannot control) temperature, and the length of time at which it is held at that temperature. The hotter the house, the greater the heat loss.

There's also not much point having the heating on when you're in bed - get a thicker duvet if you're cold!

It sounds as if your timer *isn't* a 7 day one - but provides the same programme *every* day. Why not replace it with a programmable thermostat - such as the Honeywell CM67 with optional Optimum Start. You can have a different programme each day of the week *and* you can tell it the time by which you want the house to be warm, and it will decide when to turn the heating on.

[tracy]

Yes you are correct it is a 1 day timer. Would it make any difference to my maintenance contract with Scottish Gas if the thermostat and or timer were changed?

Thanks Tracy

[Set Square]

Doubt it. Do they have a detailed inventory of your system? If so, ask them. If not, just do it!

[Chris Bacon]

Bloody Hell. The Jocks used to wander about in kilts, dressed up to the nines against the weather except for their dangly bits, thinking nothing of eating continuously-made porridge with salt and a shower of dried midges in it, fighting off all comers, as well as each other. Now, when it's "quite warm, in the mornings", people (even in the South of the United Kingdom) "wander about in pyjamas"??? Bloody Hell. They should keep a firm upper lip, and strictly

*no* poncing about. Get to it, and *GET A GRIP*!

[tracy]

Hi thanks again I will get him to do it. Will it just be a matter of swapping over the 2 wires on the original thermostat then leaving the time clock on all the time? Thanks Tracy

[Matt]

Quite a lot of people, particularly those with respiratory problems would disagree with that!

[Owain]

One big blanket wrapped round them and secured with a belt.

Actually the porridge is only made on high days and holidays, and is kept cold and sliced in the sporran. Students used to be sent away to university with a drawerful of cold porridge to last them the term.

And please, only made with fresh midges. Dried midges is like using vanilla flavour instead of vanilla pod.

Owain

[Set Square]

Yes. I presume you have independent timing for hot water on the original time clock, or somewhere else? It's just the space heating that needs to be continuous on the existing timer - and then do the *actual* timing on the programmable stat.

[Alan]

Bollocks (no pun intended) we did - the whole what does a scotsman wear under his kilt is a relatively new thing used by pervs who like to show their arses off at football matches and weddings.

I threw all notion of not wearing at my wedding away when I was told by the kilt hiring companies that they only clean the kilts once every 4 or 5 hires, unless they are baldy soiled.

As to the original topic, according to most advice web sites you should only have your heating on for at most 9 hours a day during 2 distinct periods. If you need it on more than that then you should be looking at better insulation or a better heating system as you're definitely wasting energy.

[chris French]

In message , Alan writes

such as?

why 9 hours, why two distinct periods (hint - not everyone is out during the day....)

Now that does sound like bollocks - surely how much the heating needs to be one depends on a multitude of things, not the least how cold it is outside, and how much the house is occupied.

[Andy Hall]

Why? I frequently work at home all day.

I often work from early in the morning or until the early hours of the following morning.

Pattern of use of heating depends on occupancy and use of house.

[Dave Fawthrop]

| On 23 Sep 2005 00:51:55 -0700, "Alan" wrote: | | | >

| >As to the original topic, according to most advice web sites you should | >only have your heating on for at most 9 hours a day during 2 distinct | >periods. | | Why? I frequently work at home all day.

As I do Many retired people also use the house all day. | | >If you need it on more than that then you should be looking | >at better insulation or a better heating system as you're definitely | >wasting energy. | | I often work from early in the morning or until the early hours of the | following morning.

Sounds familiar ;-)

| Pattern of use of heating depends on occupancy and use of house.

Absolutely correct.

[Richard Conway]

I thought pensioners couldn't afford to put the heating on :)

[Rob Morley]

If you have excellent insulation you can leave your heating on all the time and waste very little energy, so the "2 periods 9 hours" thing is a load of bollocks.

[Alan]

Well don't shoot the messenger - as I said I was just reporting what I had read the other day when searching for heating and energy efficiency.

[Alan]

and how long it takes for the heat you've just put in to cool down due to bad insulation then, surely?

[Dave Fawthrop]

| > As I do | > Many retired people also use the house all day. | | I thought pensioners couldn't afford to put the heating on :)

Only those who do not have a private pension, and a house with the mortgage paid off.

Think about it while you have time to accumulate a good pension.

[Rob Morley]

I didn't say anything about you, just about what you said someone else had said :-)