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Winter is almost here, are you prepared? It is important to ensure that your central heating system is up to par. An enjoyable holiday season is only possible if all parts of the system are operating properly. There are a few problems that can, and usually do, occur at the most inconvenient of times. Frost damage is a frequent occurrence that can harm both boilers and pipes.

Traditionally, central heating systems were designed with the frost thermostat installed in close proximity to the boiler. The thermostat would start and stop the boiler until the desired air temperature was met. When the thermostat registered that extra heat was being released from the boiler, the central heating system would be shut down to conserve energy and prevent overheating of the home.

In recent years, the boiler and nearby pipes have been insulated much better (thus effectively saving energy) that the frost thermostat can no longer effectively determine when the air temperature has reached the requested degree. This can prove to be problematic, as it may lead to overheating.

The pipe thermostat is one solution. The product is installed on the boiler return pipe. This thermostat detects changes in pipe temperature and prevents overheating by shutting off the system when necessary. There are several UK companies that sell the frost thermostat and low limit pipe thermostat together in one kit. These products allow you to adjust room temperature and provide frost protection for your boilers and pipes.

The new thermostats are easy to install and set up. Complete installation and wiring guidelines are all contained in one box making it simple for the installer. The frost thermostat is set to a typical temperature of 5C and the pipe thermostat is put to a typical temperature of 25C. Extra frost thermostats can also be installed to provide complete defence, if the pipes are exposed further around the property (e.g. in a shed, in a garage etc.).

Another heating regulation solution is the fully programmable room thermostat. Such devices are normally installed inside the living area (typically the hallway or the living room) to take a typical measure of the room temperature. Modern designs can be set to alter the temperature several times throughout the course of a day. More recent kits have wireless models that operate via a radio signal from the thermostat to the boiler. Such RF (Radio Frequency) thermostats are easy to install as they do not require wiring, but rather use a secure radio frequency to relay their reading to the boiler control unit.

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