This may seem like a pointless question to
many of you. Why do you need to know how your radiators work? If you have a
problem with the system, you simply call out a central heating service to fix
the problem on your behalf. While you can do this, it is the expensive option.
Often, you can fix the problem yourself. However, you can only do this if you
know how the system works, and which part of the system is broken. Here, we’re
going to provide you with a brief guideline to understanding you central heating
system.
The technology behind the central heating system
is actually very simple. There are two main features: the radiators and the
boiler. All that happens is the boiler is heated and this hot water (or oil in
some cases) is channelled around the system. As the heat moves around it warms
the radiators, which then reflect this heat out into the room – or, in other
words, they radiate heat, which is why they’re called radiators. You see, it’s
easy to understand.
What Is a Radiator?
A radiator is not simply a large tank that
holds warm water. Instead, they are made of a series of pipes, which are bent
in a manner that creates a system of tubing (like a multileveled ‘ununun’, but in
a much more compact way). The water moves around this system of pipes. The
larger the radiator, the more pipes it contains, and the more heat it will
emit.
To control the level of heat in the
radiator you use valves. The radiator valves control the level of water in the
radiator. Consequently, they control whether the radiator has any warm water at
all. When the radiator valves are turned to open, they allow warm water into
that radiator. When the valves are set to off, they do not allow water into the
radiator, and effectively, are ‘off’. If you want the radiator to radiate some
heat, but not as much as the other radiators in the system, then you simply
turn the valve halfway, or however far you need to achieve the level of heat
that you want.
What Are the Costs?
You may have noticed that the system will
produce as much hot water if the radiators are switched off using the valves,
as if they are switched on. This means that when you have your central heating
system on – i.e. you have the boiler switched on, you will use an equal amount
of energy regardless of whether you’re using the radiators, or not. So, to heat
a single room is as expensive as heating all of your rooms. If you want to save
money on your electricity and gas bills, then, you need to make sure that you
switch off the boiler, and not the radiators. You should be able to set your
system to switch on and off at given times, so that you can control the level
of heating in the home.
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