What does the room thermostat do?

While the programmer is simply a ‘master switch’ that turns the boiler on or off, the room thermostat lets you set how warm you want your home to be. It checks the temperature of the room and turns the boiler on or off, to maintain the chosen temperature. If you want your home to stay the same temperature all year, keep the room thermostat at the same setting. In the winter months the room thermostat will turn the boiler on more often and for longer periods of time to maintain this temperature.

You should not have to adjust the room thermostat on cooler days as the focus is on internal temperature. Remember: During ‘off’ periods set by the programmer, the boiler will not provide heating, even if requested by the room thermostat.

How should I use the room thermostat?

Find an inside temperature that you are comfortable with, bearing in mind that you want your home to be comfortably warm, not hot, and that a lower set point will mean lower heating bills! To do this, try setting the thermostat to around 20ºC and gradually adjust it over a few days to find a temperature that works for you. Most people are comfortable with a temperature of 18 – 20ºC, but remember, elderly and vulnerable people need warmer temperatures, so always check specific advice if you have any concerns.

A few other things to remember: Firstly, trying to warm the house more quickly by turning up the thermostat will not work – although it will result in higher fuel bills, particularly if you forget to turn it down again! Secondly, the room thermostat is sensitive to internal temperatures. If a window is open in the room where the thermostat is located, then the thermostat will assume that the whole house is not warm enough and keep the boiler on – even if other rooms are overheating.