"Andrew Gabriel" wrote in message
.. .
In article ,
"Haymish" writes:


Hi all

I know nothing about central heating so please don't flame me.

We have a small annexe over our garage which is not being used at the
moment. I want to set the heating system up so that it uses the least
amount
of energy while protecting the pipes from freezing, is that necessary?

Yes, but check your insurance. You may find you are not covered
for burst pipes unless the premises is frequently checked.
Draining down maybe another option, but rather few systems are
designed so they can be completely drained down (and this is not
just the heating system, but all the supply pipework too).

The system comprises a 'Worcester 240' boiler which heats the hot water
and
feeds 3 radiators. All of the radiators have thermostatic controls fitted
but I am not sure what to set them to, to avoid frozen pipes.

Is there a room thermostat anywhere?

I have some questions I was hoping you could help me with:

1. I was going to set the thermostats on all three radiators to the 'blue
snowflake' setting which is the setting below a single red line, Is this
right? My only concern is that when I set it to the blue snowflake (on
all
three radiators) it seems to cut off all the water (perhaps some is still
flowing but I can't tell). If I turn the thermostat up to the mid point
halfway between the blue snowflake and the single red line, I can hear
water
start to flow and the radiator gets quite hot but that seems to be too
hot.
Any advice?

2. I was going to set the boiler thermostat to the minimum setting. Is
this
right? This article
https://www.energyefficiency.powerge...Thermostat.htm
on the Powergen website suggests that the boiler works most efficiently
when
set to high but I only want to heat a little water to stop the pipes
freezing so I'm not sure what to do for the best.

That article is too simplistic to hold any validity -- ignore it.
In any case, it isn't talking about frost protection setup.

3. Do I need to turn the hot water setting on to protect the pipes?

4. If I can figure out how to program the boiler, is there a recommended
time when you should switch the boiler on over night to stop pipes
freezing?
Say 10PM - 8AM or something like that.

5. If I can't figure out how to program the boiler is it OK/economic to
leave the boiler switched to the ON position for the next few months?

You should get an electrician to fit a frost stat (which shouldn't cost
much), and then leave the boiler on 24 hours, with the thermostatic
radiator valves in their normal positions and the boiler temperature
set to minimum, with the frost stat controlling the system. The frost
stat should be put in the place most likely to be the coldest in the
building, but where it isn't going to be directly heated by a radiator
or any associated pipework. Set it to something like 6C, or for an old
building with solid walls, you might need to go up higher to prevent
a damp smell. Any pipework running through unheated areas of the
building must be well lagged.

--
Andrew Gabriel

Thanks Andrew