How Long Should It Take A Combi Boiler....

[Barsel]

... to reach the temperature you set it for?
When I got up this morning, the thermostat said 16 degrees. I set it for 20 but 2 hours later it's only gone up to 18.It will probably take another hour or so to reach the temperature I want it to be.I do have it serviced every year and wondered if there is some sort of setting on it that can be altered.

[davebro]

If the rads are hot it's the size of the space your are heating, how well it is insulated & the number (sufficiency) of rads that will determine how long it takes to heat up.

[teacake44]

They do have to work hard this weather, especially first thing in a morning when the house as gone cold over night. I also find that the thermostats aren't that accurate, they can be as much as 1degree out either way. You could look and see what number the dial is on, at your boiler,( Radiator dial) normally showing 1-6 set at about 4/5

[KARL]

A lot depends on the overall design of the system, in the UK underdesigned systems are just about the norm and in poorly insulated houses during cold conditions it is entirely possible the system will never achieve the desired temperature. Admittedly it was decades ago that, for the purposes of an extension to the mortgage, I got several quotes and none of them met my specification of a minimum of 21 degrees throughout the house at minus five degrees outside. They mostly (not all) said they aimed for 21 degrees in a single room, the rest were as low as fifteen degrees. I always intended to design and install the system myself, and I did, and the resulting system exceeds the specification. I got the additional money which covered the cost to me at around half of the average quote.

[Barsel]

I live in a smallish 2 bed bungalow (terraced) which has wall and loft installation.There are 6 radiators altogether and each one is fitted with a thermostat valve which I have on full. I wasn't planning on doing anything about it myself, but wondered if there is any adjustment that could be made if I call Homeserve out. I don't want to call them out only to be told there's nothing they can do about it.

[bhg481]

Your radiators should be hot at the top and cooler at the bottom - hot means too hot to leave your hand on. If they are cool at the top but warmer lower down they need bleeding. If they are cold at the bottom it could be sludge blocking them, so they will need flushing. If they are only warm at the top and steadily get cooler top-to-bottom it could be that your boiler temperature is set too low.

[Barsel]

bhg481 That's what I wanted to know but didn't realise the boiler has a temperature that can be adjusted? Is this something I would have to ask someone to do or is it something an elderly lady like myself can do. I'm off out now but will check in later.

[zebo]

We have our boiler fired up 24 hours a day and control it from the main themrostat in the hall, it's on 15 over night and if it gets seriously cold it comes on. The downside is that someone has to turn it up if we want it on in the morning, we rarely do, the house is well insulated.

[SlackAlice]

This might help you out, but for a more definitive answer to your boiler make and model would help.

Insulation/Double glazing/Draughtproofing are key elements to retaining heat within your house. Are they up to at least the minimum standards.

[The Builder]

To answer your main question, Barsel.............. not very long at all.
In a bungalow such as yours, I would expect from 10 to 20 minutes.

There are two temperature controls on the boiler for you to adjust.
One for hot water, and one for heating.
Heating temp. is usually set at around three-quarters. Perhaps yours has an "ECO" setting. Experience has shown me that such settings are useless for most systems (unless you have a well over-sized boiler.)
ECO usually means that it's set low to save energy.
Often, this just is nowhere near enough.

If your heating setting (on the boiler) is set high enough, then I would suspect a faulty thermistor somewhere in the boiler (cheap little thermostat type of thingy.)

Or... the circulating pump is not operating properly.
If your rads are set high, and your boiler setting is correct, then I think you should have someone take a look.
Barring the usual suspects, there are several things that could cause this.

[Barsel]

Thanks for all your answers.My boiler is a Worcester Bosch and it's 13 to 14 yrs old. I've watched the video Slack and it looks very similar to mine, so I've turned the dial as far is it will go to No 6.It does have an ECO button but that isn't switched on.
The Builder
I can only see one and that's the one I've turned up to No6.
When it was serviced earlier this year, the engineer asked if I would like a remote control room thermostat so I can turn the heating on in the morning before I get up. He fitted this, but that disabled the displays on the boiler and I don't understand all the ins and outs of this new remote. I switched it on at 8am when it was showing 16 degrees and it didn't reach 20 degrees until I went out at 12 noon.So if I want the place to be warm for 8am I would have to turn it on at 4am! I might give them a call to see what they say, but thanks for all your answers.

[SlackAlice]

Just a thought, sounds complicated but easy to do

[teacake44]

As far as I know the ECO button as nothing to do with the heating side. not directly anyhow. If you have the ECO button on, this stops the boiler from firing up every half hour or so, the idea of having it fire up every half hour is to keep the heat exchange hot-ish, so when you want hot water it don't take long for the hot water to come through to your taps. You normally have to waste water when you first turn on the tap, ie waiting for the hot to come through. Personally having the boiler fire up every half hour is a waste of gas, and expensive

[The Builder]

Good point TC, but it does depend on the make of boiler.

The last one I had installed (gas), had an ECO setting on the heating thermostat.

As with everything else. ECO has a broad variety of meanings :o)

[teacake44]

Yes it can be that way, I did first think on mine that was what it was for, but then learned it fired up to shoot hot through the plate to plate DHW. god help us with the new tec generation coming on the market, why make something complicated when simple will work fine. :0)