Non-motoring > Getting the best from oil fired central heating Miscellaneous
Thread Author: gramar Replies: 7
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New Mon 31 Oct 11 20:49 
 Getting the best from oil fired central heating - gramar
The house I'm in now has oil fired central heating which is more expensive to run than gas. The problem I have is this. The system has a gravity fed water and fully pumped heating circuit and the room temeperature thermostat is an old mechanic one sited in the kitchen diner which is also where the floor mounted boiler is too.

Setting the thermostat to 20 degrees C is fine until the kitchen diner warms up and the system shuts down leaving the rest of the house to get cold before the system fires up again. It has been suggested that iiset the thermostat much higher and control individual room temperatures via the TRVs' fitted to most of the radiators. Will this work? and if so will the system run more efficiently this way?

I should add that I'm in a 3 bedroom semi with a large single storey flat roof extension around two sides of the house with minimal insulation in the roof space. The rooms under the flat roof are by far the coldest in the house.

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New Mon 31 Oct 11 21:03 
 Getting the best from oil fired central heating - Fursty Ferret
Points to bear in mind - the mechanical thermostat is unlikely to be accurate. If you have TRVs then use them as you suggest. You don't mention whether you've got it running on a timer.

Suggest you replace your kitchen thermostat with a digital programmable one. If you spend more time in the lounge, get a wireless one so the primary heating control is there. TRVs are OK, but not brilliant and mine basically nuke the room, let it freeze, and then nuke it again.

One of these should do nicely:

www.heatmiser.co.uk/web/index.php/wireless-thermostat-series/slimline-wireless-thermostats

The thermostat for mine is in the hall; it's a learning system so set to bring the heating on at 7am to 19C, sustain 16C during the day, then 20C at 5.30pm until 10pm, and then allow the temp to fall to 17C during the night. There's a useful "hold" feature if you want the place a bit warmer for an hour or two.

Edit: It's a 5 minute job to replace assuming you're not too cack-handed with a screwdriver.

Last edited by: Fursty Ferret on Mon 31 Oct 11 at 21:04
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New Mon 31 Oct 11 21:09 
 Getting the best from oil fired central heating - spamcan61
>> It has been suggested that iiset the thermostat much higher
>> and control individual room temperatures via the TRVs' fitted to most of the radiators. Will
>> this work? and if so will the system run more efficiently this way?
>>
Depends what you mean by 'more efficiently' - yes the other rooms will be warmer, but your oil consumption will go through the roof*. If possible I'd sort out more insulation first.

* an unintended pun there.


Loft insulation is dirt cheap at the moment:-

tinyurl.com/3cdrbja
Last edited by: spamcan61 on Mon 31 Oct 11 at 21:11
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New Mon 31 Oct 11 21:57 
 Getting the best from oil fired central heating - teabelly
Insulation first. I had a kitchen with a flat roof and it was like an ice box. Was easier to have a fan heater in there than try and keep it warm.

Then cost out whether converting to an LPG boiler would be more sensible.

Get the boiler serviced and talk to the engineer about how it's best to run them to get the maximum efficiency.

I'd certainly move the stat to somewhere better.
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New Mon 31 Oct 11 22:01 
 Getting the best from oil fired central heating - R.P.
"Was easier to have a fan heater in there than try and keep it warm"


or lightbulbs in the fridge ---- sorry couldn't resist it...
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New Mon 31 Oct 11 22:04 
 Getting the best from oil fired central heating - teabelly
>> "Was easier to have a fan heater in there than try and keep it warm"
>>
>>
>> or lightbulbs in the fridge ---- sorry couldn't resist it...
>>

I should have said keep it warm with the central heating, obviously :-)
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New Mon 31 Oct 11 22:10 
 Getting the best from oil fired central heating - R.P.
I know tb - I lived (or existed) in a house with a flat roof extension - I was so cold one Christmas day that I was actually sitting on the tiled fireplace.
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New Mon 31 Oct 11 22:32 
 Getting the best from oil fired central heating - Dieselboy
Our heating is also oil fired - the village we live in doesn't have mains gas. The thermostat is in the living room, inconveniently about 10 foot from our log burner, which doesn't have a back boiler.

When we have the burner going it can get quite cool upstairs. I'm not too bothered but Mrs DB is, hence our electric blanket on a timer.

When we first moved in we tried having the heating on low for much of day and night - muchos oil used! At least it was cheap(er) back then.
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