Should You Turn Your Boiler Off At Night?
There is a strangely familiar question that keeps cropping up in an attempt to save money for homeowners, they ask themselves: should I turn off my boiler?
The type of boiler you have may determine whether this is recommended or not.
Turning off any modern boiler on the other hand is completely unnecessary especially if you have a combi boiler.
Even if your boiler is extremely old and uneconomical, as long as the settings are right you don’t have to shut it down, so let’s see why you can leave most boilers on overnight without costing you an arm and a leg.
If you have an old boiler you want to turn off as you are concerned about excessive energy usage, take a look at our brand new combi boilers which you can leave on all the time, plus when in use are up to 94% efficient – Click get a quote now.
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Can I leave my boiler on continuously?
Yes, if you have a new boiler that works properly, this is always recommended. With modern boilers, you can leave them on even in summer because they don’t use gas when they’re not needed.
Gas combi boilers, in particular, only use gas when you turn your taps on or turn up your thermostat.
Almost everyone wants to save money on their bills. To ensure that your gas boiler performs at its best, you may want to consult a Gas Safe registered engineer.
So should you actually turn your combi boiler off at night?
If you choose to turn off your combi boiler at night, it may be the less efficient option.
Turning off your combi boiler at night requires you to turn it back on every morning, which takes time and effort when you are half asleep and freezing cold.
When getting ready for work or caring for the children is a priority, it saves this extra hassle for the small amount of fuel your boiler may use when turned on.
One major flaw in this plan is that re-starting a gas boiler every morning consumes more energy than simply leaving it on overnight.
If one of your main cost concerns is how much energy your boiler consumes when not in use at the taps or for the central heating, it may be time to consider a new boiler.
There are a variety of boilers designed specifically to save customers money on their gas bills. There has even been a massive government campaign to encourage people to install modern, hydrogen-ready, super-efficient boilers.
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What to do instead of turning off the boiler:
Make Use of Your Thermostat
The best thing to do if you have a tankless heating system or a combi boiler is to use your thermostat. Your thermostat is typically a small box or remote control that allows you to control when your boiler turns on or off.
It measures the temperature of the room it is in and sends a signal to the boiler, informing whether it needs to heat up to raise the temperature in the house or turn it off to lower it.
Instead of turning off your boiler every night, one option to save energy and possibly be more efficient is to use your thermostat and set your temperature lower if you don’t require as much heat.
Should You Shut Off Your Boiler at Night? Compare Boiler Estimates
If you set your thermostat to a lower temperature, your boiler will usually only turn on when the temperature falls to that level.
So, if you believe that 20 degrees is widely regarded as ‘room temperature,’ but you can cope with 18 degrees and put on a hooded jumper or a small blanket to save a few pounds, there is always that option.
There’s no answer as to whether your boiler is best being turned on or off overnight, however, there are advantages and disadvantages to this so it depends on preference and what you’re comfortable with.
Close your windows and doors at night.
This simple but effective solution will lower your gas bills.
People frequently spend a lot of money on double glazing and high-quality PVC windows and doors but forget to keep them closed at the appropriate times.
A well-insulated house will be ineffective if windows and doors are left open at inappropriate times. You may purchase a boiler at a low cost, but you must ensure that it is as energy-efficient as possible.
By staying on top of this simple task, you can reduce the likelihood of having to use your boiler. It’s also effective at deterring burglars!
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Insulate any hot water tanks that you have.
A hot water tank will be located in your loft or airing cupboard if you have a system or regular boiler.
These boilers generate hot water, which is then stored in a large tank until it is required. As the water is stored, it begins to cool.
This is where good insulation comes into play.
Wrapping your boiler in plenty of good quality insulation will slow down the cooling process, preventing your boiler from kicking in and heating up the water again.
Insulation is relatively inexpensive in comparison to what your boiler would use in a year if it were not insulated, and it is less expensive than the cost of a new boiler.
Will turning my boiler off cause problems with it?
Boilers are clearly designed to be turned on and off, which is why the button is present.
Boiler companies, on the other hand, don’t expect boilers to be turned on and off frequently, so it’s probably not high on their priority list when it comes to reliability.
Stopping and restarting a boiler that is supposed to be left on, as is the expectation these days, may cause issues. We’re not saying it won’t, but using logic, it might not be the best option.
Should my older boiler be turned off at night?
If you have an older boiler, it may be more volatile than newer models.
Stopping and restarting an older boiler may cause more harm than good, especially if you’re concerned that if you turn it off, it may not even restart, leaving you with no heating at all.
Turning it on and off or leaving it off for an extended period of time can cause valves and pumps to seize.
An annual boiler service is recommended to prevent your boiler from breaking down.
Are you concerned about your pipes freezing in the winter?
Water is known to freeze at 0 degrees Celsius or 32 degrees Fahrenheit. During the winter months in the United Kingdom, the temperature always falls below this level.
This means that any water in your central heating pipes could freeze.
When water freezes, it expands, and if there is nowhere for the water to expand, as in a central heating system, it will damage pipes and, in worst-case scenarios, your boiler.
The majority of boilers have a winter setting.
This essentially means that your boiler will ensure that the water in your pipes flows and that the temperature does not fall below zero.
This keeps your pipes from cracking and your boiler from failing.
This is only possible if your boiler is turned on!
This is something you should look into in your user manual, as it is a valuable feature that will prevent you from having to pay for any breakdowns during the winter months.
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Is It Safe to Turn the Boiler Off At the Mains?
It is safe to turn off a boiler at the mains; it will simply just turn off your boiler. The problem with most boilers is that they are designed to run continuously, so it is not recommended unless there is a problem with the water supply.
If you suspect a gas leak, do not use any switches or electricity. You must dial the Gas Emergency number.
Is it safe to turn the combi boiler off at the mains?
Thankfully, turning off your combi boiler at the mains is completely risk-free. However, depending on the sort of heating system you have and how old it is, turning it off for extended periods of time may cause a problem with your central heating.
Do you require a boiler that automatically turns on and off?
Consider getting a boiler that turns itself on and off as needed, and if after reading this you believe your boiler is causing more trouble than it should, it may be time to replace it.
Compare Boiler Quotes compares the best high-end energy-efficient boilers in the UK to help you save money.
We compare to see the best combi boiler from the best brands, including Viessmann boilers, Worcester Bosch boilers, Baxi boilers, and Vaillant boilers.
If you don’t have the money right now, there are several options for paying for your boiler.
With boiler finance options which make it possible to pay for your boiler on a monthly basis, you can get the best boiler for your home right away and spread the cost over a number of years.
All you have to do is set up a payment plan through a credit agreement with one of the boiler companies we recommend, and you’ll be saving money with a boiler that turns itself on and off as needed.
