Really dumb central heating question

[MitchT]

If I turn the heating on but some of the radiators are turned off will my gas bill be less than if all of the radiators are turned on? Do I burn just as much gas because the boiler uses the same amount of gas regardless of how many radiators are 'accepting' heat, or will the boiler use less gas as less radiators are demanding a supply of heat?

[esselte]

Wouldn't it depend where you thermostat is or do your radiators have thermostatic valves?

[TimJMS]

All depends on thermostat settings

Edited : But it depends on your system setup. Where is / are the thermostats?

Edited by TimJMS on Sunday 31st August 21:40

[speedychrissie]

it does ofcourse depend on your system, but for me it would cost a lot less. if i turn off a radiator then the water just bypasses it and my boiler just maintains a constant output temperature. so if there is less water circulating, less gas will be used.

[MitchT]

Each radiator has one of these...

[Ganglandboss]

There is a thermostat in the boiler. If less rads are in use the return temp will be higher and the boiler will be firing up less as a result therefore you will use less gas.

Edit: Boiler and thermostat arse about face! (I don't think anyone noticed though!)

Edited by Ganglandboss on Sunday 31st August 22:05

[TimJMS]

No central thermostat then. Just turn each one off in rooms where you require no heat.

Less rads on = less burn time for boiler.

[esselte]

MitchT said:

Each radiator has one of these...

Well in that case I suspect that you will save gas by turning the rad. off.

[TimJMS]

Ganglandboss said:

There is a boiler in the thermostat.

Awesome

[ATTAK Z]

TimJMS said:

Ganglandboss said:

There is a boiler in the thermostat.

Awesome

+1


whatstat?

Edited by ATTAK Z on Sunday 31st August 21:57

[King Herald]

Ganglandboss said:

There is a boiler in the thermostat. If less rads are in use the return temp will be higher and the boiler will be firing up less as a result therefore you will use less gas.

We have no boiler in our thermostat, as it is tiny.

[Ganglandboss]

King Herald said:

Ganglandboss said:

There is a boiler in the thermostat. If less rads are in use the return temp will be higher and the boiler will be firing up less as a result therefore you will use less gas.

We have no boiler in our thermostat, as it is tiny.

st - wrong way round!

[Digger.]

TimJMS said:

Ganglandboss said:

There is a boiler in the thermostat.

Awesome

Keep up Tim. Are you the only person who has not heard of nanotechnology?

Edited by Digger. on Sunday 31st August 22:00

[mybrainhurts]

Ganglandboss said:

st - wrong way round!

You don't want to do that...tres messy

[eldar]

speedychrissie said:

it does ofcourse depend on your system, but for me it would cost a lot less. if i turn off a radiator then the water just bypasses it and my boiler just maintains a constant output temperature. so if there is less water circulating, less gas will be used.

Depends on where the rads are. The ones still on my stay on longer until the thermostat turns off...

Shutting off rooms - no rads, doors shut, you'd save gas,

[WhoseGeneration]

MitchT said:

Each radiator has one of these...

A TRV, able to give you different temperatures in different rooms, assuming the system was designed properly.
So long as doors to rooms are shut.

[Pigeon]

King Herald said:

Ganglandboss said:

There is a boiler in the thermostat. If less rads are in use the return temp will be higher and the boiler will be firing up less as a result therefore you will use less gas.

We have no boiler in our thermostat, as it is tiny.

You probably have a heater in it, though.

It is there as a fudge around cheap-arse st design. Instead of making the thermostat element with a usefully low hysteresis, they make it with a massive hysteresis and then heat the bloody thing when it's "on" to bias it and fake a low hysteresis. They give it the fancy name of "anticipator" to camouflage its being a bodge for stty design and to shut up the people who keep wondering what this 100k resistor is for.

[wizzbilly]

providing the system as been design correcy and commishioned up ,yes you would save gas . you would be supprised how many plumbers i have seen that actualt fit a boiler and never comishion them up for efficency .

[King Herald]

Pigeon said:

You probably have a heater in it, though.

It is there as a fudge around cheap-arse st design. Instead of making the thermostat element with a usefully low hysteresis, they make it with a massive hysteresis and then heat the bloody thing when it's "on" to bias it and fake a low hysteresis. They give it the fancy name of "anticipator" to camouflage its being a bodge for stty design and to shut up the people who keep wondering what this 100k resistor is for.

You know what, the second I saw that 100k resistor in my thermostat I thought; someone has made a $hitty design here, and they're using this resistor to camouflage it.

Good job not all of us are so easily decieved, eh?

[speedy_thrills]

Pigeon said:

It is there as a fudge around cheap-arse st design. Instead of making the thermostat element with a usefully low hysteresis, they make it with a massive hysteresis and then heat the bloody thing when it's "on" to bias it and fake a low hysteresis. They give it the fancy name of "anticipator" to camouflage its being a bodge for stty design and to shut up the people who keep wondering what this 100k resistor is for.

Leave it!

Pig your either a snob when it comes to the KISS approach to engineering, you enjoy your water system to be "just so" or you *really* care about saving a few pence on your power bill . Mind you now that you mention it...