What temperature should a boiler be set at?

A modern combi boiler is a magnificently efficient central heating system that can produce near instant hot water and heat your home through the worst that the weather in Scotland can throw at you.

But while a boiler can heat water to a variety of temperatures, what is the recommended temperature for the hot water that comes out of your tap? And what about the temperature of the water that flows through the radiators of your home?

After all, if you run a hot bath and then have to add lots of cold water just to get it at the ideal temperature, you are wasting a lot of heat energy which could have been avoided if the temperature settings were a bit more refined. You would be better reducing the temperature of the hot water a small amount so that that hot water is just right and you don’t need to run any cold water to your bath before jumping in.

And the same goes for your radiators. A home that is too hot can be incredibly uncomfortable and do you really want to be opening a window in the depths of winter just to cool down because the radiators are too hot?

So, what is the ideal temperatures?

Well for a radiator, the recommended output temperature is 75ºC.
And for the hot water coming out of your taps, it is personal preference but between 50ºC and 60ºC is the recommended temperature.
Obviously in the winter months, the water that your boiler is having to heat up is naturally colder to begin with so you may want to adjust the settings through the year to compensate for the variation in outside temperature. But as you would expect, the higher you set the temperature, the higher your energy bills go.

If you do not have a combi boiler and are still using a conventional boiler, your water cylinder will have its own thermostat that can usually be found on the side of the water tank. The temperature for your water tank should be set between 60 and 65ºC though like we have mentioned above, the higher you set the temperature, the higher your energy bills will go. So we suggest you start at 60ºC and if this is not hot enough then crank it up a little bit at a time till you find the perfect balance of temperature and monthly energy usage.

If you would like to know more about boiler temperatures and how to get the most from your boiler, call the experts at Wright Gas today.