Good tips for cooling down

Understand cooling and save on heating bills

Everyone knows that heating bills will be lower if you use district heating water wisely – this applies to both the hot water and the heat energy in the radiators. But did you also know that the difference between the district heating water’s supply and return temperature has an impact on your finances?

The difference is called the “cooling”. The colder the district heating water is when it is sent back to the heating plant, the better the heat energy bound in the district heating water has been utilized. Try and feel the return pipe of an open radiator. The tube should feel cold or lukewarm, then the cooling is probably good.

The better the district heating water is cooled before it is sent back to the heating plant, the lower your heating bill will be.

If the district heating water is not cooled sufficiently, the flow occurs too quickly. This means that the heating plant must either send a larger amount of district heating into circulation or raise the temperature. In both cases, it requires greater energy consumption, which puts a strain on both the environment and the economy. During the winter period (November – March), it should be possible to achieve a cooling of at least 35°C.

What can you ensure?

• The thermostat/sensor must be free-standing and must not be covered by curtains, furniture or similar.
  It is the thermostat on your radiator that regulates the heat in the individual rooms. They are equipped with a sensor in the handle or a remote sensor placed on the wall. The thermostats regulate so that the desired temperature is always maintained in the room. If it is too cold outside, they automatically turn up the heat for the radiators, and vice versa if it gets hot.
• The radiator should never be covered or shielded.
  A radiator should never be covered or shielded. A sofa or bookcase should therefore not be placed directly in front of a radiator without a remote sensor. A covered/shielded radiator cannot emit heat efficiently enough and thus sends hot district heating water back into the system.
• Always use all radiators in the same room.
  Always use all radiators in the same room, this provides the most comfortable heat. It also provides the largest possible heating surface and thus the best cooling. Nothing is saved by turning up one radiator in a room and turning off the others. In fact, one radiator that is fully heated often uses more heat than two or three that are running at reduced radiator surface. If, on the other hand, you use all radiators as recommended, you will utilize the added heat in the most appropriate way.
• Always remember to turn down the thermostats when you air out to save on heating energy.
  Airing should be done in short intervals and preferably several times a day. Avoid leaving windows ajar for long periods of time. The fresh cool air coming in will affect the thermostats, which will automatically start turning up the heat, and this unnecessarily affects heating consumption.
• Check whether you have a radiator that is too small.
  When the radiator and thermostat are working properly, the radiator is hot at the top and cooler at the bottom. If your radiator is hot at the bottom, it may be because it is too small for the room in question. You should then consider contacting your local plumbing installer.

NB: During the summer period, cooling will fluctuate, depending on the heat demand for domestic water heating.

If everyone on the district heating network gets more out of the energy in the district heating water, the heating plant will be able to reduce the costs of heating the water and pumping it around.

Good cooling benefits both the economy and the environment in society.