Can you put strain on Heating system by raising temp too high?
#1
01-06-18, 08:58 AM
Can you put strain on Heating system by raising temp too high?
Guys, this is a 60 year old house with a Gas central heating system. I normally keep the thermostat at 73 to compensate for the insulation issue but with 0 degrees cold blast I have raised to 74/75. My question is how high should I raise it to if needed without risking putting too much strain on the system please?
#3
01-06-18, 09:47 AM
Group Moderator
Why are you setting the thermostat higher? Is the house reaching your set temperature? If you have the furnace set on 80 and the furnace runs continuously but the house only gets up to 74 then setting the thermostat higher will not help. The furnace simply can't make enough heat to offset the heat loss of the home.
No, setting your thermostat higher does not directly hurt the furnace. It just means the furnace will run longer. It's sort of like driving your car further. Driving a longer distance doesn't necessarily cause the car harm but it does put more normal wear and tear on it. The same goes for your furnace. If your furnace has 1'000 hours of use before something breaks then running longer will run the clock out sooner and something will break.
No, setting your thermostat higher does not directly hurt the furnace. It just means the furnace will run longer. It's sort of like driving your car further. Driving a longer distance doesn't necessarily cause the car harm but it does put more normal wear and tear on it. The same goes for your furnace. If your furnace has 1'000 hours of use before something breaks then running longer will run the clock out sooner and something will break.
#4
01-06-18, 02:26 PM
Thanks guys, with these temps over the past few days, the thermostat room temp is averaging 69 degrees and it is cold, when raised to 74/75 then it's more comfortable and that's with some rooms having supplemental electric heat. The hottest rooms on the ground floor are the kitchen and bathroom which are ok at 73 on the thermostat but the 3 bedrooms are cold with the outside temps being what is is right now.
#5
01-06-18, 02:36 PM
Group Moderator
#6
01-07-18, 06:57 AM
In my case, I have no choice if we are to stay warm. Main issue I think with this house is the uneven distribution of heat in the vents. The ducting is a like a tree trunk with different branches and some branches are not putting out the same amount of heat as the main one which simply baffles me and to which no one, not even my friends who do plumbing and heating can give me an explanation for this.
What possible reason could there be for a heating system to have more heat in only one duct and much lower heat in others, why couldn't they apply the same amount of heat to all ducts?
What possible reason could there be for a heating system to have more heat in only one duct and much lower heat in others, why couldn't they apply the same amount of heat to all ducts?
#8
01-07-18, 01:14 PM
Group Moderator
In a forced air system people often forget about the returns. All that air you're pumping into a room has to get back to the furnace somehow. A closed door can cut most of that and cause heating efficiency to drop dramatically.
#9
01-08-18, 05:36 AM
There is no obstruction to any of the return vents. No, I don't know about "dampers". The friends I have install and repair heating boilers but seems to be they are not knowledgeable about ducting issues.
