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SMART HEATING CONTROLS
The unspoken truth
SMART CONTROLS
The unspoken truth
It is a little-known fact, but an important one, that not all smart controls speak the same language as your boiler. Boiler branded smart controls, such as Worcester or Vaillant, can speak to their own boilers and ‘Openthrem’ controls can speak to Opentherm boilers, but that is it. If your control and boiler are not programmed to speak the same language, then the only useful efficiency ‘feature’ of your smart control is the ‘optimisation’ of your heating via a learned schedule.
Optimisation, often referred to as ‘learning’, is not new technology. It is more efficient than a standard thermostat, but not as efficient as a smart control that can communicate with your boiler to adjust its output up and down according to demand. These are known as ‘compensation’ controls and are proven to reduce the amount of gas used by your boiler.
COMPENSATION CONTROLS
Compensation controls, which can be weather compensation or load compensation, can work with ‘modulating’ boilers. All modern boilers are modulating, but only with a compatible control.
A modulating boiler can adjust its output up and down according to the heat requirement of your home. For example, on an autumn day a boiler may only need to output at 3kW in order to meet the desired room temperature, whilst in mid-winter the required output might be 8kW. A compatible control will tell the gas valve to increase or decrease its output between a set range, for example between 3kW and 8kW. This reduces the amount of gas used. Older boilers are known as on/off boilers as they can only output a one rate which is usually far too high the property, for example 18kW.
Another efficiency feature of a modulating boiler is that it can begin to reduce its output as the room temperature nears the desired room temperature. A common problem with standard thermostats is that they will only tell the boiler to switch off once the desired room temperature is met. The remaining heat in the radiators will continue to heat the home beyond the set temperature. This is referred to as ‘overshooting’. A modulating boiler will reduce the heat to the radiators before the temperature is met and so prevent overshooting.
NEW BOILER PLUS REQUIREMENTS
Boiler Plus is a new building regulation efficiency standard that requires an ‘advanced heating control’ to be fitted with all new combi boiler installations. Slightly different standards apply for existing boilers and heat only and system boilers. See our quick guide below for which applies to your boiler.
TYPES OF WORK WE COVER
We are capable of many plumbing, heating and landlord services. Based in and around Addlestone & Surrey we can do the following jobs to name a few
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Highly Qualified, Experienced and Flexible plumbing, heating and landlord services based in Addlestone, covering Surrey & surrounding areas.