Why is the Boiler Thermostat Not Working?

What are the Benefits Of Boiler Thermostats and Controls?

Any property that has a central heating system that is gas, LPG or oil-fired should have a full set of controls. This includes a boiler thermostat, a timer or programmer, a room thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs). The correct combination of these heating controls will help reduce the amount of fuel your property consumes, and lower your monthly energy bills.

Boiler Thermostat

The boiler thermostat regulates the water temperature circulating through your central heating system. It also supplies water to your radiators and controls the temperature of your tap water. You can also adjust the temperature to suit your needs.

Approximately 50 degrees Celsius on the LOW or MIN setting is an ideal setting for warmer, summer months. Since the water isn’t too hot, there’s less risk of scalding from hot water taps or accidentally touching a hot radiator or pipe.

The MAX setting of 80 degrees Celsius has a tendency to consume more energy. Despite this, it ensures your radiators heat up faster and keeps your home warmer during cold winter months.

Room Thermostat

This device controls the room temperature from getting warmer than necessary. It keeps running until room temperature reaches the set limit. It then switches off until the room temperature has dropped.

Room temperature settings of 18-20 degrees Celsius is warm enough without wasting energy. Ideally, you should place the room thermostat in a cooler area of your house such as the hallway or landing. It’s worth noting that fitting a room thermostat close to another heat source such as a radiator, gas or electric fire will affect its performance.

What is a Boiler Cylinder Thermostat?

This device operates in a similar fashion to a Room Thermostat. Instead of controlling the central heating system, the cylinder thermostat regulates the water temperature in the hot water cylinder. It also switches the boiler on and off to control the water temperature.

Once the set temperature is achieved, the boiler becomes dormant if no other controls need to be fired up. It will remain in this mode until a substantial amount of hot water is used or the cylinder cools down naturally.

For extra safety, installing a thermostatic mixing valve will help maintain safe water temperature.

Programmer and Time Switch

A Central Heating Programmer or Time Switch allows you to automate control with a timer switch for heating and hot water. This ensures you only heat your home or hot water when necessary, reducing your monthly energy bills in the process.

Central Heating Programmers are available in two channels. A single channel to allow single control of heating and hot water, and a twin channel to enable separate control of heating and hot water.

What are the Boiler Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs)?

Installing thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) on individual radiators allows you to have different temperatures in individual rooms. Fitting TVRs on the radiators will help reduce the flow of water when the temperature rises above a set limit. Lower temperature settings will also consume less energy and reduce your monthly energy bills.

Installing and using a programmer, room thermostat, and TRVs correctly can potentially reduce your energy bills by £75 and your carbon emissions by 340kg per year. Additionally, reducing your room thermostat by one degree has the potential to reduce your energy bills by £80 and carbon emissions by 350kg per year.

A boiler thermostat that’s on the blink can be incredibly frustrating. But, it’s a common problem that occurs in a domestic boiler unit.

Since getting a thermostat fitted on your boiler unit can save you up to £30 annually, and cut your carbon footprint by 130kg it makes sense to control the efficiency of your boiler with a thermostat.

Fixing the Thermostat

Here we are going to talk about how to fix a broken or unresponsive thermostat.

Change the Batteries

First thing to check before moving forward is to change the batteries. Since thermostats vary in type and design, some also require more frequent battery changes, while others do not require batteries at all. If you have installed a wireless system, using AA lithium batteries are a much better option. If the brightness of the LED on your thermostat has faded, or if parts of the digits on the thermostat screen are missing, it is probably due to weak batteries. Changing the batter of your thermostat is a straightforward process, all you need to do is snap off the whole front cover of the thermostat to reveal the battery box. Some thermostats use screws to support the cover so you should be careful while removing the cover.

Cleaning the Thermostat

Some thermostats do not work on batteries and rely on either mercury or built-in batteries that are non-removable and need to be charged, in which case, making sure that the rechargeable batteries are getting power from the power source is advised. As a quick fix, simply dusting the battery with a soft brush is advised especially for older models of thermostats. Open up the cover carefully and use the light brush to get rid of any dirt or dust that’s trapped inside. Don’t forget to clean the contact plates as well as the metal coils inside the thermostat, which also causes inaccurate readings. If you find that the main areas of the thermostat cannot be reached with a brush for cleaning, then use a soft paper by sliding it back and forth in order to clean the inside of the thermostat.

Check the Level and Location

While you’re at it, don’t forget to double check the level and the location of your thermostat. First off, use a level device to make sure your thermostat is perfectly balanced on the wall. Thermostats that aren’t placed correctly can also lead to inaccurate readings, or the total malfunction of the thermostat. Secondly, the location of your thermostat also matters. Most homeowners overlook this small fact, but a boiler thermostat is sensitive to heat. Meaning it should be kept away from heat sources or direct sunlight at all times. Heat exposure is one of the most common causes of a boiler thermostat not working.

Take full advantage of your boiler’s thermostat

If you really want to take full control of your boiler unit or heating system, you should use a thermostat. A smart thermostat helps you to control your heating system remotely. This will help you save energy and maybe even cut the cost of your energy bills.

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