subject: How To Lower Your Energy Bill [print this page] The need to heat and cool a home or business will account for over half the amount being spent on utility costs. This means that if older boilers are being used, a way can and needs to be found to help lower fuel costs. Costs that are spent on heating each year can be lowered by the use of energy efficient boilers.
Another way to save on energy costs is to use hybrid systems that make use of electronic zoning to heat a specific area. When replacement is not an option, another choice is to retrofit existing boilers. Savings towards the cost of energy can be realized by using various energy saving tips.
Adding Devices
One type of device that you can add to a boiler to prevent heat loss is a vent or flue damper. This device is used to prevent heat loss in a chimney and to close vents when the boiler is not being used. Closing a vent prevents cold air from coming into the system. Another device that you may want to add to boilers is an electronic ignition device. This type of ignition is used with boiler models that do not use any type of continuous ignition. Boilers that are oversized for a room or building can have a burner added that is designed to reduce heating capacity and lower fuel costs.
Time Delay Relay
This is a good way to gain additional heat from an existing system. When the thermostat is activated, a time delay relay allows residual hot water to circulate through the boiler before firing the gas. This will prevent the boiler from coming on immediately and reheating this residual water. A time delay is set for any length of time such as 1 to 3 minutes.
Thermostats and Aquastats
The easiest way to lower your energy bill is to make proper use of the thermostat. One way to do this is to turn down the temperature when you are away from home and during the night. Energy costs will go down by at least one percent for each degree lower you set the temperature. Install a thermostat that can be programmed to set a specific temperature based on a predetermined schedule. This will allow setting temperatures for specific times of the day. Aquastat is a device that is used to adjust the water temperature inside of a boiler. The standard temperature for water in a boiler is between 160 degrees and 180 degrees F. However, water does not need to be set at this temperature during the summer months. During the warmer months of the year you should make the aquastat maintain a temperature of 140 degrees F. Another option is to use a modulating aquastat to control the water temperature. A modulating aquastat has a sensor that reads outdoor conditions and can change the temperature of the boiler automatically.
Additional Information
Finally, the use of electronic zoning allows for the proper distribution of heat. If your home does not have any type of heating zone distribution, you can manually turn of one or more radiators in order to help conserve energy.
