Central heating - when do you turn it on?

[Steve]

It's getting colder, so I thought I'd pose the question: when do you feel the need to turn it on (if you have it)?

Since last week mine has been set to come on for 1 hour in the evening, between 7 and 8, just to dry clothes really as I have no outside area to hang stuff. It's set extremely slow so the radiators that are on get... "tepid".

It's unlikely that I'll turn them up, or on further until some time in November... basically until the cold starts to affect my typing.

I use sod all gas as a result - gas bill win!

However, a little tip for everyone - now is a good time to at least check your CH does indeed work - if there's a problem then you can get it sorted before you can't do to be without.

[Phage]

Boiler bloke comes next week for a tune up.
Until then, the wood burner heats the house to a reasonable level, at least until it gets really cold.

[GheeTsar]

Turned my on last weekend. On for an hour in the morning and three hours in the evening.

[stevie lee]

loft has been re-insulated with 1 foot thick insulation, as has what is now the loft floor, we have double glazing and we all own lots of jumpers. the thing is, that the header tank for the boiler had to be moved and hasnt been re-plumbed yet. We havent been able to use the boiler since april.

should be an interesting winter


last year we used it quite a bit, mainly when my mum started shivering, even when wearing 2 jumpers and under a fleece blanket.

[[GSV]Trig]

As my boiler switchy thing is knackered when I turn on the heating the hot water comes on and vice versa so mine gets turned on manually when someone wants a bath or, which is more likely it gets turned on at about 7 and then off at 11 so its warm when I get into bed..

[Knoxville]

No central heating here, wood/coal burners all the way

[mmh]

you mean summer is over? my heating hasnt been off its been so cold...





...ofcourse, i jest...

I set mine to come on in the mornings just this week to get everything nice and warm so the morning shower isnt so much of a shock to the system.... the rest of the house cools off, but the amount of electrical equipment in my bedroom keeps me nice and warm til bedtime... then thats my beds job... and again warmth in the morning from the heating

[dangel]

Mine went on last weekend but it then proceeded to get warmer to annoy me. Colder again for the weekend I hear so..

[format]

We never turn any heating on at any time throughout the year.

I reckon our PCs heat up our respective rooms enough and I wear slippers and my awesome dressing gown when I'm cold.

Student budget ftw.

[dangel]

We never turn any heating on at any time throughout the year.

I reckon our PCs heat up our respective rooms enough and I wear slippers and my awesome dressing gown when I'm cold.

Student budget ftw.

Yeah but wait till you're a bit older Or thinner. Or both.

[beanbandit]

I turn mine on when i get cold. The boiler has been switched to timer for 3 weeks now, but if i feel its not needed then i'll just over ride it after its been on for 15 min, that way the house is completely warm and then just let the heat die away.

As my boiler switchy thing is knackered when I turn on the heating the hot water comes on and vice versa so mine gets turned on manually when someone wants a bath or, which is more likely it gets turned on at about 7 and then off at 11 so its warm when I get into bed..

That happened to me the other year, was the 3-way valve, kinda weird washing up and the rads getting warm.

[peterb]

When it is needed!

Asa a rule I tend not to turn it on the time clock until mid October but prior to that it can always be over-ridden for a set period (1, 2 or 3 hours) if it is particularly cold one evening.

After it is on the timer, I'll adjust the times as required but I'd expect it to be operating on winter schedule usullay when sumnmer time ends. However as all the radiators have thermostatic valves (and there is a room thermostat, there is always scope for manual intervention to either switch it on or off as required.

[schmunk]

We have the central heating on in the kitchen all year. Damned Aga...

The central heating-proper has not yet been on, although we've put an oil heater in our son's room overnight to keep the chill out (3 external walls, single-glazed window, very little loft insulation).

[smargh]

Fluffy socks & fingerless gloves with fluffy thick jackets. Close your computer room door to stop breezes and keep the heat in which the computer stuff produces - P4s are good, Core2 and onwards are a bit crap but keep it warmer than the other rooms. Borrow someone elses radiators to dry your clothes It rarely went below 12 degrees C last winter in my small flat, but it's perfectly fine once you get acclimatised to it. When you go to sleep, just pre-heat the inside of the duvet with a hairdryer for a minute or so, with the obligatory fire warning.

[pipTheGeek]

I turn the heating on when I get cold. Sometimes only to discover that it doesn't think it's cold . It has been on to run morning and evening for a week now, and has actually been running. As it gets colder though I will probably turn the thermostat up a degree so that my feet don't get cold.
I then won't turn it off until either we start needing a fan during the day, or I notice that it hasn't actually turned on for a few weeks.

As my heating system has a room thermostat in the hall, why do I bother with turning it off for summer?

[Tumble]

Put ours on about a week ago for half an hour around 7, mostly for the wee one's benefit. Us pair are back to melting for a bit