Control your comfort: Heating controls and frost protection

One of the most effective ways to get the most out of your central heating system and to help improve your home's energy efficiency during the cooler months is to install a heating control.

Not only do heating controls provide easy command over various functions and aspects of your heating system, but you can also benefit from a more comfortable living environment that suits your lifestyle.

As part of Boiler Plus legislation, newly installed boilers must legally be equipped with time and temperature controls and must have a minimum ErP efficiency of 92% during operation.

A wide variety of heating and hot water controls are available on the market. These range from basic plug-in timers that instruct your boiler when to turn on and off, to internet-connected controls that can fully manage your central heating and be controlled remotely via a smartphone.

Selecting the right heating control can be challenging, as your choice may vary depending on your lifestyle, how frequently you're at home, and factors such as the location of your boiler, as well as the age and efficiency of your system.

Plug-in analogue timers are simple devices that enable you to set the specific times you would like your central heating to switch on and off over a 24-hour period. The times that you input will be repeated each day accordingly. This is an ideal solution for those who are only in the house during the evenings and require more consistent heating, such as older Victorian homes.

As the timer is often mounted to the boiler fascia itself, they are best used when set and left alone. The timeSWITCH 150 is an easy plug-in control that is compatible with some of our combi boilers expect the ecoTEC plus. The ecoTEC plus boilers manufactured from 2023 onwards use IoniDETECT technology which helps the boiler reach wider modulation range for greater system efficiency.

To meet Boiler Plus requirements, you must install a room weather compensating thermostat such as the sensoROOM pure and the myVAILLANT connect internet gateway. This means your control has the ability to modulate the flow temperature from the boiler based on the outdoor temperature.

Programmable room thermostats combine the functionality of a plug-in timer and room thermostat. You’ll be able to set a specific time that you would prefer your heating to come on whilst also setting your desired temperature. You can also set a separate time you want to heat your hot water cylinder.

The added control over both time and temperature ensures you get superb heating efficiency when it comes to heating your home. Vaillant manufactures two different programmable room thermostats; sensoCOMFORT and sensoHOME.

Frost protection is a feature of many boilers that prevent the water supply in the boiler from freezing when subject to low and freezing temperatures. This is a critical method of avoiding any serious damage to your boiler and maintaining functionality.

Typically, the frost protection system operates the pump inside your boiler as soon as the heating circuit water temperature drops below 12 degrees Celsius. The pump stops as soon as the temperature of this water reaches 15°C. If the heating system falls below 3°C, the burner ignites. This ensures you do not fall victim to any potential frost, yet still maintains efficiency under normal operation.

This two-stage frost protection feature is only active when the boiler is switched on. The boiler alone cannot ensure the installation is protected against frost. A separate thermostat may be necessary to control the temperature of the system. The frost protection feature can vary amongst our appliances.

Load Compensation -

Enhanced load compensation is a feature that automatically adjusts the temperature of the water leaving the boiler and entering the heating system (radiators or underfloor heating).

It works with a room thermostat to determine the amount of energy needed to reach the desired temperature. This means that when the required room temperature is not far above the current temperature, only a small increase is required to meet the set level. As a result, the boiler will work at a reduced output to use the minimum amount of energy needed.

This helps to give you the perfect temperature as well as improving the longevity of your boiler as your system is not having to work as hard. Load compensation is a relatively common feature on modern thermostats, but certainly worth checking the manual to see if your control offers this.

Weather Compensation -

The weather compensation feature on Vaillant’s smart controls uses weather forecast data to understand the outside temperature. It then adjusts the heat going to the radiators or underfloor heating system for optimum efficiency.

When the outside weather temperature is forecast to drop, a Vaillant smart control will increase the temperature going to your heating system to ensure it reaches the temperature set for optimum comfort. Likewise, when the temperature is forecast to rise, the weather compensation feature reduces the output of the boiler to ensure it is operating with maximum efficiency.

The sensoCOMFORT and VRC 700 can work more accurately, as it can be fitted with an outside sensor. This sensor ensures the weather compensation feature is using live data for ultimate heating comfort and efficiency.

If your thermostat has this function, some smart controls learn the thermal behaviour of the building and use weather compensation to ensure that when you want between 18°C and 21°C, you get it automatically.