Heating controls and smart thermostats
Neil Green Services Ltd fits and sets up heating controls in homes around Ripon, including smart controls. Good controls make sure the boiler runs only when heat is needed. They are one of the simplest ways to cut the gas a heating system uses.
The main types of control
- Programmer or timer. Sets the times the heating and hot water come on and go off.
- Room thermostat. Measures the air temperature and turns the heating off once the house reaches the temperature you set.
- Thermostatic radiator valves. Control each radiator, so rooms you use less can be kept cooler.
- Cylinder thermostat. Stops the boiler heating the hot water cylinder once the water is hot.
- Smart controls. A thermostat and programmer you can also set from a phone app, at home or away.
What smart controls add
A smart thermostat does the same basic job as a standard one. The difference is how easy it is to change. You can alter the schedule from your phone, turn the heating down when you are out longer than planned and see how long it has been running.
Some systems add smart radiator valves, which give each room its own schedule. That suits houses where rooms are used at different times of day.
Controls that work with the boiler
A basic thermostat can only switch the boiler on and off. Some controls go further and tell the boiler how much heat is needed, so it runs at a lower, steadier output. Weather compensation does this using an outdoor sensor. Load compensation does it using the room temperature.
Both help a condensing boiler run more efficiently, but only if the boiler and the control are designed to work together. We check what your boiler supports before recommending anything. If you are having a new boiler fitted, that is the best time to choose controls that match it.
Zones
Larger homes can be split into zones, each with its own thermostat and timings. Upstairs and downstairs are the usual split. Zoning involves motorised valves and some pipework changes, so it is covered under central heating and radiators.
Fitting and setting up
We fit the controls, wire them to the boiler and set the schedule with you. Before we leave we show you how to change the times and temperatures yourself.