part 2. combi boiler ch usage

[flaming]

The Combi is an plain on or off type, and the control is for timed heating through operating litttle pins on the boiler's dial. Lately I am trying this method: leaving the pins on permanently and using the stat in my main room - which is the coolest. I am retired and home a lot so I want an even warmth for quite a few hours at a time. Either the heat doesn't come on if I've set the stat low, or if I leave it higher then the heat gets too fierce. I just don't know what's going on. I feel I shouldn't have to keep running to the stat to alter the temp. Any opinions about the most efficient use please?

[pilotlight]

flaming, You say the room stat is sited in your "main room". If this is the room where you have another scource of heat i.e. gas fire, coal fire etc., you will need to resite the room stat. An alternative site could be the hall or landing.

[ianess]

You could try a programmable room thermostat so you can set different heat levels for different times of the day.
There are several different makes and they're all very simple to fit and use. I've used a Drayton Digistat 3 for a long time with no problems.

[stanleyman]

You may also be able to reduce the boiler temperature to get a more even heat to avoid wide fluctuations but I would suggest you resist the temption to keep changing the thermostat as it will need one or two degrees difference to operate. If you set it say at 21 C it will switch off at 22 C but only come back on at 20 C.

Set it at 21 C and after a couple of hours only make very minor changes a half a degree at a time to get a happy steady temperature to suit you. In very cold weather you may need it slightly higher and slightly lower when it's warmer or you are doing housework etc. Normal range would be 19 to 22 C but these can be different according to where the thermostat is situated and its accuracy.

[flaming]

Thanks all. I can't alter the boiler. It is 'on' or 'off'. that's all. I am obviously too heavy handed with the stat, although I am beginning to suspect that it is not quite right. I'll have more goes, but the programmable room stat sounds good. My flat is a duplex, like a house's staircase, so I don't want to keep running up to the boiler to alter the pins on the dial. What is all this costing me I wonder? Is it cheaper to use the boiler dial pins to come on every quarter or half an hour, and leave the stat as it is? That means the boiler is coming on and off very frequently and I wonder whether this is good for it.

[stanleyman]

The pins are not meant to keep turning the boiler on and off like this, it will make your problem worse. They are to set the times of day that you want the heating on or off such as at night.

The boiler should have a thermostat to control the water temperature which can be reduced if the radiators are on the large side and making the room too hot too quickly. Your thermostat should also be on an internal wall, about five feet high, away from internal corners and not near to the radiator. Most thermostats require three wires and an earth and have a accelerator heater. If the heater has failed or the wiring is not all there then the thermostat will only work at very wide temperatures.

They are quite cheap to replace but the radio controlled programable stat is worth having as once the sender unit is wired to your boiler you can use the thermostat anywhere, they take a bit of understanding to set up though.

[flaming]

Many thanks stanleyman. There's no other heat source in the room The thermostat in my biggest room on the 2nd floor conforms, i.e. inside wall, about 5' high, opposite wall to rad. It just seems a bit creaky. I will be careful about trying the setting like you say it so that I don't roast one half hour and freeze the next. It has been happening that if I set it at 21C it is OK for a bit, then goes off and seems never to come on again unless I manually alter it - probably to a too high setting Thanks too for the advice about the boiler pins. The radio controlled programmable stat sounds what is needed. The tiny kitchen next door - 1 small rad. - plus the tiny lobby - 1 rad.- both areas are too hot most of the time. Upstairs on the third floor the boiler is in a cupboard in the minute bathroom - 1 rad. which hardly gets hot - plus bedroom with 1 rad. which makes the room too hot most of the time. I feel the present situation is totally wasteful and anti environmental. Although I am insured, this is to for things going wrong so it looks as though |I have got to have an engineer aside from that for desired improvements.