Written on: April 18, 2017
You may never have heard of the concept of outdoor reset, but if you have a boiler-based heating system (one with baseboard heating, as opposed to a forced air system with vents), it’s an idea that can save you money on your energy bills every month.
Here’s how an outdoor reset control works: The water in your boiler is typically set to maintain its temperature all year – usually in the 160-200 Fahrenheit range – regardless of the outside temperature. But the difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures is greater in the winter, which means heat will escape more quickly (through walls, doors, and windows) than it will at other times of the year.
Outdoor reset controls respond to weather changes by resetting the temperature of the water that your boiler produces and circulates: your boiler will send cooler water to the system when it’s warm out and warmer water when it’s cool out.
That adjustment creates an energy-saving equilibrium between the amount of heat that leaves the house and the amount of heat that the boiler produces. That equilibrium will save you money on your bills, since every 4° Fahrenheit that boiler water is lowered cuts your bill by about one percent. Installing outdoor reset controls could also qualify you for energy-saving tax incentives, saving you even more money.
Able to be used with most condensing or non-condensing boilers – and even with radiant floor heat systems – outdoor reset controls are an easy way to save 10 percent or more on your boiler’s monthly energy bills. Contact us today to learn more!