Heatmiser Heating Controls

Heating Controls

Recent research carried out to raise awareness of the importance of heating controls in the home and why it is important for all homes to have good heating and hot water controls and to ensure that the homeowner understand how to operate their system efficiently. A survey was carried out which highlighted some of the wasteful ways that homes currently use their heating system. Over 40% of the homeowners said that they leave their heating on even when no one is in, by doing this it can add around £200 annually onto bills if done regularly by families who are normally out all day at school or work. Over a 1/3 also stated that they leave their heating on overnight as they want to wake up to a warm house, this is common because there is no control such as a programmer in place to bring the heating on automatically in the morning. Even if this is done in only the coldest months it can add £175 to yearly heating bills. It also showed how people heat their homes wastes energy, it is assumed that people maintain an internal temperature of around 20°C to 21°C in fact this is much higher. Around 39% of homes keep the house warm enough to wear a t-shirt and do not realise that by having the heating controls at a constant level it could save over £100 on their heating bills. Some people even admitted to keeping windows open when the boiler is on, meaning that their expensive heating is escaping.

Increase your awareness on Heating Controls

With the increase in awareness of the need to reduce energy use to ensure lower bills and protect the environment it is a surprise that people continue to use their heating is such wasteful ways. There seems to be 3 key reasons for this. The first being low awareness of energy use in the home, only a small number of people identify that their boiler is the largest consumer of energy it is around 83% responsible of the home’s energy consumption. The second seems to be a lack of understanding and knowledge when it comes to heating controls around 40% of people have said they have never received information on how to use their controls. There also seems to be misconceptions such as by turning a thermostat control to a higher setting will warm the house quicker. The third reason seems to be that homes lack the correct heating controls that they need to ensure efficient running of the system. Data from the Energy Saving Trust indicates that there is around 8million homes that do not have a room thermostat control. Heating installers can help these issues by helping homeowners to fit heating and hot water heating controls where none are present and advise on those that can be upgraded to provide better energy savings.

Buy your Heating Controls

With the recent economic situation and with boiler sales down and the preference to repair a boiler rather than replace it, having an heating controls upgrade can help to raise cost effective savings from an existing system as well as additional work for the installer. Heating controls are cost effective easy to install and with good heating behaviors can provide some of the largest savings on energy bills. If you would like to browse a wide selection and range of heating controls you can visit our website by selecting the following link: Heating Controls

Is Electric Boiler Right for You

If you are considering changing or replacing your current boiler one you may have over looked is an electric boiler. Electric boilers are generally overlooked but are definitely worth a look at particularly if you are in an area that does not have a mains gas supply. It could be an option instead of oil as it is easier to run and a constant supply of oil is not needed, it is also an option for smaller homes that cannot accommodate space for oil.

Good Match Electric Boiler

If you want a boiler that is a good match for your central heating as well as providing hot water then an electric boiler is an ideal option. It is vital that you look at all options that are available to you when deciding on an electric central heating boiler. Generally you will be able to get one that will provide central heating only or one that can provide hot water also. If you need it to do both then you may need a hot water tank fitted as well so space is needed for this. If you currently have an oil system that needs replacing then you could gain advantages to switching to electric boilers. It used to be that this was not an option but as things have evolved and technology has changed this is now made possible. As most homes have electricity it is possible to install an electric boiler for central heating very easily.

Is an Electric Boiler cheaper than gas

Before getting an electric boiler it is important that you get several different quotes to ensure you have all the information needed and you will have an idea of costs. Boilers are not generally cheap but an electric boiler is cheaper to run compared to other boilers. This is something to keep in mind when looking at different options.

You can choose from a wide selection of electric boilers directly from Thermsaver Electric Boilers.

Oil Fired Boilers

Oil Fired Boiler

The oil fired boiler market is typically overlooked due to is small share in the market, yet it is still a strong choice for installers. Current sales of oil fired boilers totals to around 60,000 which is a small share of the 1.4 to 1.5 million of total boilers sold in the UK every year.
The drop in the market has not been a sudden one there has been a slowing down of the oil boiler market for a few years. The main issue of this seems to be the increase in oil prices, with the homeowner being reminded of these costs every time they fill up their car with petrol or diesel. Due to this fact many homeowners are keen to reduce their dependence on the costly fuel in order to reduce household bills. In addition to this as oil boilers are highly robust means they can last up to 15 years which means there is less opportunities for installers to replace an existing oil boiler compared with a gas boiler. Another reason for the decline in oil boilers could be down to the growing trend of architecturally innovative homes which generally takes shape in off mains gas areas but instead of choosing oil boilers, people are looking at renewable technology such as heat pumps and solar thermal panels.

Oil Fired Boiler Sales

Even though oil boiler sales are low it continues to provide a number of business opportunities for the installer. With the boilers being so dependable installers should take the chance when servicing them to promote the advantages of upgrading to a more energy efficient model. By encouraging an upgrade can prompt efficiency improvements of around 15% compared to the use of an aging boiler. Installers should also promote regular servicing of oil fired boilers by doing this installers could benefit from a regular stream of income for them. Even though the oil fired heating market will only represent a small amount of the domestic heating market in the UK it should not be forgotten about by the heating industry or government. By combining renewable and upgrading oil fired boilers to a more efficient model will ensure that the market continues to develop and adapt alongside other heating technology and allow installers to broaden their scope of business.

Buy Your Oil Fired Boiler

Buying oil boilers direct has many advantages which include having a guaranteed manufacturer warranty and delivered direct to your door. To buy from a selection of oil boilers please visit the Thermsaver Oil Boiler section.

Vented and Unvented Cylinders

Vented and Unvented Hot Water Systems

David Black from Thermsaver takes a look at the rise of vented and unvented domestic hot water systems. UK domestic hot water provision has come a long way from solid fuel back boiler circulation to a vented cylinder in an airing cupboard. With the rise in new build properties and availability of gas from the North sea in the 1960’s, saw great developments in the gas fired boiler heating industry, including open vented domestic hot water cylinder systems. With the increase of en-suite facilities and bathroom improvements have made showering a part of the lifestyle of most homeowners. Most installs within the current UK housing stock are based on vented systems, but the high pressure showering requirements have seen the introduction of unvented system installs. When an unvented hot water system is installed, the hot and cold water supplies take the water to the taps and showers at the same mains water pressure. As cold water from the mains is delivered to the domestic hot water cylinder, the water is heated and when the tap or shower is opened the water is delivered at close to mains pressure. This pressure is not dependent on the head of the water, which equates to the height of the storage tank above the outlet in the roof space. As the water is heated it expands, this is where an internal or external expansion vessel comes into it, with a temperature and pressure safety valve fitted into the cylinder.

Vented or Unvented?

Unvented hot water cylinders can be indirectly heated by a boiler using oil, gas or LPG, but due to safety necessities solid fuel appliances are not an option. Unvented cylinders must conform to the safety rules as stated in the Building Regulations. These specify the need for a pressure reducing valve, a non-return valve, temperature and pressure relief valve, an expansion relief valve, a fundish and an expansion vessel. A secondary safety measure is a shut off valve between the main heat sources and the cylinder in case water temperature goes beyond set limits. There is an increasing trend for the installation of ‘renewable ready’ cylinders, installed for normal use but has the connections for future renewable use. As a result even more competence is required off the installers where renewable's are used for domestic hot water heating. The installer must be able to use the correct installation method in order to meet Building Regulations G3. There are undisputed advantages to fitting an unvented cylinder system such as level pressure at hot and cold outlets. Improved flow rates of hot water due to higher pressure, quicker filling baths, and improved storage in roof, quiet running and quicker installation. Water availability and the pressure at which it is delivered to the home is dependent on the utility supplier.

Vented Cylinders with added value

Installing an vented or unvented hot water cylinder completed with alternative storage hot water system offers added value for both the installer and the homeowner. To view the full range of vented and unvented cylinders available to purchase please visit the Thermsaver website. You can also contact us directly on 01698 300 100 where one of our team will be more than happy to help you with your questions.

EU Heat Pump Radiator Ruling

EU Heat Pumps Radiator Ruling

The proposal to label radiators unsuitable with heat pumps has been overturned. It had been proposed that on all heat pump packaging would feature a radiator with a cross through it. Stuart Curtis from Thermsaver says the decision comes as a great victory for the industry. About 23.6m of the UK’s 26.3m homes have hydronic heating systems and there is around 190m radiators installed nationwide. If people are to upgrade their systems to include an heat pump it is logical for them to use them also with the radiators.

Heat Pumps Association

The Heat Pump Association highlighted that both consumers and designers were not improperly influenced as to the choice of each heat emitter for every unique situation. The labeling proposed could have caused conflict between consumer and designer. Stuart Curtis continued “New radiators are more energy efficient because they can heat up quicker than older style radiators this is because there are carrying around 24% less water than those made before the year 2000”. Radiators are the obvious choice to go hand in hand with Delonghi heat pump systems currently available from Thermsaver. The initial proposal was unclear and misleading in delivering the message on the benefits of modern radiators and low water temperature technology. It is imperative that installers make the end user aware of these benefits.

Delonghi Heat Pumps

For more information on Thermsaver’s full range of Delonghi heat pumps and radiators to match then please visit the website at Delonghi Heat Pumps or email sales@thermsaver.co.uk.

Renewable Energy

The department of energy and climate change has recently announced that grants available to households installing renewable heat technology including heat pumps, biomass and solar heating systems are to double. Vouchers currently available under the renewable heat premium payment scheme have been increased to £2300 for ground source heat pumps, £1300 for air source heat pumps, £2000 for biomass boilers and £600 for solar thermal systems. Thermsaver said “This announcement is a step in the right direction from the government on its commitment to domestic renewable heat technology. Many within the sector had given up hope that there would ever be a domestic renewable heat incentive. It is important that we now get this news out there and let the home owners know that renewable heating is now available.”

Renewable Energy Payment

The only condition with this news is that a green deal survey must be completed to gain the increase cash back from the grant. It will be difficult for installer to sell this scheme to consumers where it does not actually exists and the industry is not yet aware of the tariffs. This decision shows a commitment to domestic renewable heat and is in line with what installers asked for as interim, but what the market really needs is more certainty about the domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) and the next government announcement will hopefully bring positive news. The scheme was extended in March of this year until the end of March 2014 ahead of the launch of the Domestic RHI.

Contact about Renewable energies

If you would like to find out more information on renewable grants and schemes or renewable products please visit www.thermsaver.co.uk or email sales@thermsaver.co.uk where someone would be happy to help you.

Wireless Heating Controls

Wired or Wireless Controls

Many installers chose to fit wired controls as they are unsure of what fitting a wireless control actually involves. The reality for homeowners is that wireless heating controls can be fitted more quickly than wired controls and with less disruption to the fabric of the house. The result is an intelligent control which is easy to use and will provide instant energy savings, reducing their heating bills. To the installer the common misconception is that installing a wireless pack is a complex and lengthy process, when in fact this is not the case. By replacing a timer, a thermostat works automatically with no additional wiring. Wireless controls actually reduce installation time, increasing productivity and leaving more time to answer call outs to drive more business back to the installer. By fitting a wireless controller also overcomes any difficult installation problems such as boilers in confined spaces, or extremely located boilers, and eliminates any problems with lifting floors or damaging walls for the style conscious homeowner. It also complies with the latest building regulation requirements.

Wireless is the way to go

Fitting wireless controls couldn’t be any simpler and there are a number of tools available to help specify the right system which complies with building regulations. Installers are best to highlight the additional benefits of wireless controls and show the owners how easy to use the controller is. The functionality of the packs allow for the thermostat to be programmed to suit the home occupier’s lifestyle, to ensure they are getting the best out of their savings on energy bills. This simple but incredibly innovative technology is suitable for all users. A end user need only spend a few pounds and a small amount of time to save large amounts of energy and money off their heating bills. Upgrading to wireless controls minimizes mess and disruption at the same time offering added energy saving functionality over wired alternatives.

Buy Wireless Controllers

To purchase any of the Thermsaver Wireless Controllers please visit the site and you can check out via PayPal or using your credit/debit card through our secured payment gateway.