Modern Central Heating Controls Lead the Way in Energy Efficiency
Central heating controls have come a long way in recent years with technological advances meaning improved system efficiency and a longer life for your boiler.
Modern central heating systems incorporate a number of controls which turn parts of the system on and off according to a number of criteria and control temperature levels.
Large homes and business premises often rely on complex control systems which can be very sophisticated; for a typical house, however, heating controls are fairly straightforward.
Most systems are water based, converting fuel into heat which heats water in the system which then is pumped into radiators or is used as hot water directly from the tap or shower
To work effectively, a basic modern central heating system needs four main heating controls:
- an electronic timer
- a space thermostat
- a cylinder thermostat
- thermostatic radiator control valves
The electronic timer or programmer is basically a timer which means you can set the heating times, defining when the system is on or off. Some heating controls have separate controls for hot water and heating. Timers usually incorporate an 'override' which means at the press of a button or switch the heating and/or hot water will be on constantly.
The most complex systems allow for programming all year round.
Room thermostats
A room thermostat switches the system ON and OFF as necessary. It works by sensing the air temperature - if the temperature rises above the chosen setting, say 15 degrees, the heating is switched off (but not the hot water - assuming it's controlled separately). The thermostat is best located in a living room, rather than the hallway, so it is not affected by the front door being opened.Note you can also buy programmable thermostats. This is combined time switch and room thermostat that allows the user to set different periods with different target temperatures for space heating.