Bad advice from the BBC

[GarethC]

The below is from an article this morning:

I'm fairly sure the 65 degree minimum is completely wrong. They must be confused between minimum hot water tank temp, which iirc must be raised above 70 periodically to prevent legionionella, and radiator temp which should be as low as possible with condensing boilers.

I've a huge bugbear about this mantra that bedrooms and living rooms must be 18 and 21 respectively. If you've elderly, sick or asthmatic people, or very young children, or a mould/dampness problem, then fine. But we heat our home to 16 degrees, which is cool but not cold and reduces our heat demand massively. It doesn't bother us and I just can't believe it does us any harm at all. Easiest way to reduce heating costs and emissions massively. Rant over.

What temperature should my boiler be?
Both the Met Office and the Energy Saving Trust say it will cost more in energy bills to turn the heating up than to leave it on for longer.

Set your thermostat between 18 and 21 degrees Celsius, or up to 23 degrees if you have ill or vulnerable people at home, such as very young or very old family.

This is different from the boiler temperature, which is the temperature of water inside the pipes themselves, and that shouldn't go below 65 degrees to stop bacteria growing inside.

[Stinsy]

Yeah! The consumer program on radio4 repeats the mantra that “rooms should be heated to 21℃ For health reasons” which I’ve never been able to understand. For all of human history buildings were much colder than that in winter. It is only since the 80s that bedrooms have been that hot. Anyway we’re a 16℃ Family, with jumpers!

And you’re correct, lower is better for flow temp on radiators. You are supposed to heat your DHW tank to 60℃ Once a fortnight. However in reality this is only needed if your DHW isn’t used for weeks on end.

I have to say that the quality of journalism on the Beeb has slumped considerably in recent years. Anything technical (including renewable energy, energy efficiency, BEVs, etc.) is reported with glaring errors and omissions.

[AGT]

We are a slightly warmer household but I have no issues what everyone does in life as long as they don’t tell me I must do the same( excluding the normal rules of civilisation )

Reporting is probably someone sitting on their phone in a coffee shop while doing 3 side hustles as the yoofth like to call it

Keep well everyone

[Oliver90owner]

I once had a sticker (from N/Z, I think) in my L/R side window that read:

“Wear wool - 4 million sheep can’t all be wrong!”

There was a 3 in front of the 4, which was crossed out. I liked that sticker - the only one in the vehicle.

I, personally, cannot see the point in raising the temperature of a whole house, excessively, when only part of it is lived in. I cover the bed with an appropriate “TOG” value duvet - not heat the whole bedroom, to body heat, for the whole night. I do like an electric blanket to preheat the bed when particularly cool, mind.

I was brought up in a large farmhouse, where we all congregated for meals, etc in the kitchen during the daytime and often most of the evenings. That would be the whole family (2 adults and 3 children) plus the dog(s), the workman (a prisoner from the open nick), the baker, egg collector man and several other regular (and irregular) visitors at various times. The kitchen was always warm but, with single glazed sash windows and a large wooden farmhouse door to the outside, it was not particularly energy efficient by today’s standards. Other rooms of the house were not warmed on a regular basis - unless we were watching the telly, for instance. Draughts through the floorboard joints, from the extensive cellar below, kept the house well ventilated!

[Yuff]

Yeah! The consumer program on radio4 repeats the mantra that “rooms should be heated to 21℃ For health reasons” which I’ve never been able to understand. For all of human history buildings were much colder than that in winter. It is only since the 80s that bedrooms have been that hot. Anyway we’re a 16℃ Family, with jumpers!

And you’re correct, lower is better for flow temp on radiators. You are supposed to heat your DHW tank to 60℃ Once a fortnight. However in reality this is only needed if your DHW isn’t used for weeks on end.

I have to say that the quality of journalism on the Beeb has slumped considerably in recent years. Anything technical (including renewable energy, energy efficiency, BEVs, etc.) is reported with glaring errors and omissions.

I have turned our heat pump up to 50°c but I am thinking maybe I should turn it down to 45°c and have it on for longer ……..
No one seems to know the answer, constant lower temp or higher less often
At 45°c the UF heating and rads seem to work just as well. I use the immersion off peak for the DHW

[Countrypaul]

Yeah! The consumer program on radio4 repeats the mantra that “rooms should be heated to 21℃ For health reasons” which I’ve never been able to understand. For all of human history buildings were much colder than that in winter. It is only since the 80s that bedrooms have been that hot. Anyway we’re a 16℃ Family, with jumpers!

And you’re correct, lower is better for flow temp on radiators. You are supposed to heat your DHW tank to 60℃ Once a fortnight. However in reality this is only needed if your DHW isn’t used for weeks on end.

I have to say that the quality of journalism on the Beeb has slumped considerably in recent years. Anything technical (including renewable energy, energy efficiency, BEVs, etc.) is reported with glaring errors and omissions.

I have turned our heat pump up to 50°c but I am thinking maybe I should turn it down to 45°c and have it on for longer ……..
No one seems to know the answer, constant lower temp or higher less often
At 45°c the UF heating and rads seem to work just as well. I use the immersion off peak for the DHW

I am sure that which option works best is likely to vary from one installation to another. You really need to compare the amount of electricity used on the two options when performed under the same conditions (the hard bit). Having the HP cut in and out will adversely affect the HP with additional wear though. Depending on what electricity scheme you are on, the cost could be higher for the one using more power!

[AGT]

Yeah! The consumer program on radio4 repeats the mantra that “rooms should be heated to 21℃ For health reasons” which I’ve never been able to understand. For all of human history buildings were much colder than that in winter. It is only since the 80s that bedrooms have been that hot. Anyway we’re a 16℃ Family, with jumpers!

And you’re correct, lower is better for flow temp on radiators. You are supposed to heat your DHW tank to 60℃ Once a fortnight. However in reality this is only needed if your DHW isn’t used for weeks on end.

I have to say that the quality of journalism on the Beeb has slumped considerably in recent years. Anything technical (including renewable energy, energy efficiency, BEVs, etc.) is reported with glaring errors and omissions.

I have turned our heat pump up to 50°c but I am thinking maybe I should turn it down to 45°c and have it on for longer ……..
No one seems to know the answer, constant lower temp or higher less often
At 45°c the UF heating and rads seem to work just as well. I use the immersion off peak for the DHW

The heat loss calculation/design info would tell you what temp to run the UFH at

[Countrypaul]

Yeah! The consumer program on radio4 repeats the mantra that “rooms should be heated to 21℃ For health reasons” which I’ve never been able to understand. For all of human history buildings were much colder than that in winter. It is only since the 80s that bedrooms have been that hot. Anyway we’re a 16℃ Family, with jumpers!

And you’re correct, lower is better for flow temp on radiators. You are supposed to heat your DHW tank to 60℃ Once a fortnight. However in reality this is only needed if your DHW isn’t used for weeks on end.

I have to say that the quality of journalism on the Beeb has slumped considerably in recent years. Anything technical (including renewable energy, energy efficiency, BEVs, etc.) is reported with glaring errors and omissions.

I have turned our heat pump up to 50°c but I am thinking maybe I should turn it down to 45°c and have it on for longer ……..
No one seems to know the answer, constant lower temp or higher less often
At 45°c the UF heating and rads seem to work just as well. I use the immersion off peak for the DHW

The heat loss calculation/design info would tell you what temp to run the UFH at

Yuff,

Just realised you mentioed changing the HP output temperature but most UFH manifolds (at least those I've seen) have a thermostatic mixer valve to regulate the temperature in the UFH. Assuming yours does, did you change that setting aswell or just the HP?

[Ken]

The lower one turns down the water temp the more efficient (higher COP) becomes the HP. Keep the temp as low as poss and run for longer. At this time of the yr of low heat demand the bigger problem is stopping the HP cycling which is not good for the HP. Switch off once it starts cycling.

In times of large heat demand run for 24/7 if necessary and adjust flow temp to suit. To do this however you need a well designed system with large emitters and sadly thats where most fall down as the emitters are too small. So people turn the temp up to suit the rads etc and the efficiency goes down and the increase of icing of the HP increase.

The reason this short or long run debate takes place i think is due to No of air exchanges and hence heat loss.

[Stinsy]

Yeah! The consumer program on radio4 repeats the mantra that “rooms should be heated to 21℃ For health reasons” which I’ve never been able to understand. For all of human history buildings were much colder than that in winter. It is only since the 80s that bedrooms have been that hot. Anyway we’re a 16℃ Family, with jumpers!

And you’re correct, lower is better for flow temp on radiators. You are supposed to heat your DHW tank to 60℃ Once a fortnight. However in reality this is only needed if your DHW isn’t used for weeks on end.

I have to say that the quality of journalism on the Beeb has slumped considerably in recent years. Anything technical (including renewable energy, energy efficiency, BEVs, etc.) is reported with glaring errors and omissions.

I have turned our heat pump up to 50°c but I am thinking maybe I should turn it down to 45°c and have it on for longer ……..
No one seems to know the answer, constant lower temp or higher less often
At 45°c the UF heating and rads seem to work just as well. I use the immersion off peak for the DHW

Longer and lower is best. Some do 35℃ 24/7 running with weather comp to crank the flow temp up if the outside temperature drops.