Have you switched your heating on yet?
There has been a notable drop in temperature this last week or so. Many of us will have passed comment about putting the heating on. Most of these comments will be met with, put a jumper on.
When is too early for the big switch-on?
While I agree it is probably is a little too early to be reaching for the thermostats, there are in fact some benefits. Putting your heating on for 10 minutes every few days will allow you to have a practice run. Spot any potential problems with your boiler or your heating system before the cold weather really hits.
For the last 5 months or so, your boiler has been sat in the ‘hot water’ position. Meaning that the diverter valve (the bit that switches the water circuits from hot water to heating) may have started to seize up. The best time to notice this is before the mad rush that is autumn and winter.
Finding problems now, means you have more chance to sort any problematic parts, or in some cases, replacing old boilers. You have more time to think about your options and more chance of getting an engineer in to look at your boiler.
Other things that stop us reaching for the heating controls may be the environmental effects. I think it’s fair to say we all think a little greener these days.
Are there any ways to be more efficient with our home heating?
With the introductions of smart thermostats, load and weather compensation, optimum start and stop controls. These are all designed to be more energy-efficient. If your boiler was installed before 2004 then it will be a standard efficiency non-condensing boiler. A new high-efficiency condensing boiler would make a big difference, coupled together with modern-day controls then you will make a noticeable difference to your heating bills