Gas Central Heating

[codswallop166]

When turning on the heating is it better to turn on the heater higher than needed and then turn it down or go for an optimum temp. and go from there

[gingejbee]

What do you mean by "turn on the heater"?

[bookbinder]

It depends on how picky you are as regards saving gas (and money). If you turn on the heating higher than needed, you are heating the house up at great expense. If you go for an optimum temperature (I assume that you know what an ideal temperature is for you), then that is the cheaper option. Either way, it's a bit picky, I would say.

[bednobs]

it's best IMO to put it on the temp you want it to be (assuming you are talking about a thermostat here) No point in it being higher - it wont heat any quicker

[Buenchico]

A couple of videos that might help:

[Buenchico]

[Hopkirk]

I keep explaining to the wife that the house doesn't heat any quicker if you set a higher temperature.

She doesn't hear me.

[tonyav]

Does she say ( 5 seconds after starting the car ) put the heater on.

[Hopkirk]

Don't talk to me about her as a car passenger!

[tonyav]

LOL.

[Etch]

A house WILL heat more quickly if the boiler central heating water temperature is turned up (most, if not all, boilers will have some means of adjusting the CH water temp). However, the downside is that the radiators, and any other exposed pipework, may become uncomfortably hot to touch.

[Hopkirk]

Yes, but turning the room thermostat higher doesn't speed up the heating. It just overheats the house when forgotten

[Etch]

Yes Hopkirk, but you didn't specify the room thermostat when you said "set a higher temperature". :-)

[Electrochem]

We have a wireless thermostat which has five settings for each day. Never goes above 20C, which to my mind is plenty hot enough. It's never on in the bedroom (turned off at radiator).

There's no point in turning up the heat and then turning it back down. You are wasting fuel if you do that.