What are the best heating controls for your boiler?

What is a smart thermostat? It is a wireless thermostat for a combi boiler, offering a wide range of features to benefit homeowners. Deciding which one is best for you can be a difficult job, especially as there are so many to choose from.

Unlike other thermostats or timers, a smart thermostat can regulate room temperatures more effectively, saving energy and reducing spend. It is important to consider what type of boiler you have in your home before choosing your new smart thermostat. An On/Off boiler switches on if a room is too cold and will switch off when the room is up to temperature. An OpenTherm boiler adjusts flame and water temperature to the heat demand – gradually regulating heat. It is also important to consider if you have irregular working or home patterns.

If your household works on irregular patterns, a thermostat with a geo-fencing function would better suit your needs. This function – usually known as Home/Away Assist – enables thermostats to detect when you are travelling home, to turn on the boiler before you arrive. Self-learning thermostats learn from patterns; making them solely ideal for households with regular patterns.

Other benefits of smart thermostats include:

• Multi-room control

• Weather-responsive

• Motion sensing

• Independent functioning

There are many functionalities of smart thermostats, making them more ideal than a typical, non-smart boiler thermostat.

Thermostatic radiator valves – otherwise known as TRV’s – are fitted to most radiators, to regulate temperatures within different rooms. A simple twist of the valve enables the user to control temperatures by selecting a low or high setting – usually on a scale of 1 to 6.

However, as home gadgets develop, smart TRV’s are now available providing additional control to homeowners when regulating rooms temperatures. Room-by-room heating control becomes more advanced with the smart technology by working alongside your smart thermostat to create a zoned heating system. Using an app on your smart phone or tablet, smart TRV’s allow each radiator to become its own zone – ideal for homes who may have a spare bedroom, or young children. Each room, or zone, will be regulated to just the right temperature for its need.

Regulating temperatures throughout zones also ensures money can be saved on heating bills, as the heat will only be on in the required zones. There are also different features of smart TRV’s such as:

• Eco

• Day-off/holiday mode

• Geo-fencing

• Heating schedules

Many TRV’s will also detect rapid changes in temperature – such as a window being left open – and will turn off the radiator to prevent heat loss and energy wastage.

As you will see above, there are many benefits to having smart heating controls installed throughout your home. It is possible to upgrade your heating controls without having to replace your boiler. If your heating controls are over ten years old, we recommend investing in smart heating controls, as they are more accurate now than they used to be.

Installing devices such as a smart thermostat or smart TRV’s will ensure you correctly program your heat settings and prevent waste. You could potentially save £100 a year by using the correct heating controls. You will also reduce your homes carbon emissions, providing a higher EPC rating – which is highly rated when looking to sell your property.

To find out more about central heating systems and smart heating controls, read our related articles below. Alternatively, browse through our online shop and find the best products to make your home smart.