The importance of getting boiler controls right this winter

As the cold, dark nights draw in, more and more people are turning the heating on. But for many, this decision is one that requires great consideration as the cost of living continues to rise and incomes are squeezed. 

As an installer, you can make switching the heating on a less worrisome challenge by sharing boiler control tips with the homeowner to cut the cost of their energy bills.  

Clever controls

Smart controls, such as Baxi’s uSense 2, empowers homeowners and tenants to personalise their heating systems to meet specific needs. They can monitor energy consumption and control the heating system remotely, while flexible scheduling options make managing heating quick and simple.   

Manual controls are often overlooked when replacing a boiler because homeowners may not be aware of the available options and their benefits. Smart controls allow for year-round optimisation of heating systems, whether homeowners are at home or away. The My Baxi app, for example, provides remote control. The app simplifies heating scheduling and setting hot water temperatures throughout the week, allowing users to make quick adjustments as seasons change. It also sends information directly to the user’s device, keeping them informed and in control.   

Combatting the cold

Weather compensation is a recommended choice of Boiler Plus, but many homeowners won’t be aware if they have it as part of their system – or of the potential benefits. The feature automatically adjusts to weather conditions, meaning a proportionate amount of energy is used to counteract cold weather without needing to alter the thermostat. 

Installers can help their customers set up their preferences and assure them that their boiler will adjust independently. To fit a weather compensation system, you can use Baxi’s In Flue Outdoor Sensor (IFOS). It can be quickly and easily clipped to the flue and wired directly to the boiler during installation. This eliminates the need for any drilling and maintains a reliable wired connection.   

Adjusting to the outside temperature means radiators are not always hot to the touch – something homeowners can misdiagnose as a sign of poor performance or error. But as you’ll know, this means the boiler is simply managing its heating output to meet the required temperature while using less energy. Running a lower temperature central heating circuit has many benefits which you can share with your customers. This includes less cycling and stress on the boiler itself, slower corrosion rates of the radiators and pipework, less noise in the heating circuit, and higher comfort levels.   

Making use of load compensation

Like weather compensation, load compensation avoids energy being  wasted because of overheating. It does this by helping the heating system lessen its output as it nears the target temperature.   

You can let your customers know that many OpenTherm thermostats now include load compensation to adjust the heat output to match the room’s needs, ensuring only the necessary amount of energy is used to achieve the desired temperature. Wired directly into the boiler, it offers both energy savings and enhanced comfort. OpenTherm is the language that connects thermostats to boilers at all times. This is what gives boilers information about room temperature so that it can run more efficiently by enabling load compensation.  

Increasingly, load compensation is being integrated into controls such as Baxi’s uSense 2.