CONTROLLING YOUR CENTRAL HEATING/BOILER PARAMETERS
Posted on 6 August 2012
Thermostatic radiator valves
If you would like to control the temperature in each room, fitting a thermostatic radiator valve to each radiator is your best option. Thermostatic radiator valves open and close real-time according to the temperature in the room.
Rooms facing south and rooms with heat producing appliances (open fires, ovens) benefit most from thermostatic radiator valves. Most heating systems are suitable for use together with thermostatic radiator valves. You can seek our advice and recommendation on which ones to buy.
Note that thermostatic radiator valves don't control the central heating pump nor the boiler and they need to be combined together with a room thermostat or a boiler energy manager (see below).
Room thermostat
This device is temperature sensitive. It recognizes when the air temperature falls below a pre-selected room temperature level and it switches the heating system/boiler on. On the opposite, it switches it off when the air temperature raises above the pre-selected room temperature level.
Room thermostats operate motorised valves (fully pumped heating systems) or the pump (gravity hot water systems).
Make sure your room thermostat is placed away from direct sunlight, in a draught-free place, away from any heat source.
Water heating control
Hot water supplied to the taps shouldn't be at the same temperature as the one supplied to the radiators. To control the temperature of the water inside of the hot water cylinder, an electric thermostat switches a motorised valve on and off to control the flow of water passing through to the cylinder.
Boiler energy management
This complex electronic device gives you a full control over your boiler. The boiler energy management device is connected to a number of sophisticated temperature sensors measuring the room temperature, external outside temperature, hot water tank and heating flow and return temperatures. Based on these reads, it can switch on the boiler later and switch it off earlier on warm days than cold days.
