The room thermostat
What does the room thermostat do?
While the programmer is simply a ‘master switch’ that turns the boiler on or off, the room thermostat tells your boiler how warm you want your home to be. It checks the temperature of the room and turns the boiler on or off, to maintain the chosen temperature. If you want your home to stay the same temperature all year, keep the room thermostat at the same setting. In the winter months the room thermostat will turn the boiler on more often and for longer periods of time to maintain this temperature.
Tip: You should not have to adjust the room thermostat on cooler days as the focus is on internal temperature. Remember: During ‘off’ periods set by the programmer, the boiler will not provide heating, even if requested by the room thermostat.
How should I use the room thermostat?
Find an inside temperature that you are comfortable with, bearing in mind that you want your home to be comfortably warm, not hot, and that a lower set point will mean lower heating bills! Most people are comfortable with a temperature of 18 – 20 degrees C, but remember, elderly and vulnerable people need warmer temperatures, so always check specific advice if you have any concerns.
A few other things to remember: Firstly, trying to warm the house more quickly by turning up the thermostat will not work – although it will result in higher fuel bills, particularly if you forget to turn it down again! Secondly, the room thermostat is sensitive to internal temperatures. If a window is open in the room where the thermostat is located, then the thermostat will assume that the whole house is not warm enough and keep the boiler on – even if this other rooms are overheating.
Programmable room thermostat
What does the programmable room thermostat do?
Your system may have this control, which does the job of both a programmer and room thermostat combined. A programmable room thermostat will have both time and temperature shown on its display. Like a programmer, it allows you to set on and off times for your boiler. But it also provides overall temperature control during times when the boiler is turned on.
When the boiler is turned on, the programmable room thermostat will react to the room temperature and operate the boiler to maintain the desired room temperature.
How should I use the programmable room thermostat?
Follow the guidance given for an individual programmer and room thermostat. The big advantage of this control is that it lets you set different temperatures for different times of the day, which can reduce your energy use and save money. For example, you could set the temperature to 18 degrees C for mornings and early evenings when you are likely to be more active, and to 20 degrees C for late evenings.
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If your programmable room thermostat gives you the option of how many heating periods you have, try setting different temperatures within the times the heating is on. For example, setting the last hour in the evening a couple of degrees lower will save money but may keep you perfectly comfortable.
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Other control types:
Programmer
Thermostatic radiator valves
Hot water cylinder thermostat