It does not matter what it is set to if it is not going to turn on the heat.

friend has 2-3 cu/ft elec water heater in garage. which he never uses. he built a new garage with gas heater and running water. nice shop. i always wondered if a single person in a house could get by economically with a small elec water heater? if they were in a situation where the oil fired furnace which produced hot water was thought to be expensive? would an elec heater be cheaper? depends on oil/elec rates and usage of course.

This is boiler?

Sorry for my lack of knowledge (I grew up and have lived in apartments my whole life, this a my first real home)... so "Ionized" you're saying if it's 80 degrees out, the furnace doesn't kick on when it's set at 55?

Tiger dunes, we have a furnace fueled by oil, and a hot water heater.

"(I grew up and have lived in apartments my whole life, this a my first real home)"

Your apartments must have had a thermostat and yet, "you're saying if it's 80 degrees out, the furnace doesn't kick on when it's set at 55?"

I'm confused. ;-)

OK, we are getting a more clear picture. Let me give you a concrete example. If the temperature inside is 75, it does not matter if the thermostat is set to 55 or 72, the heat will not go on. You can turn the t-stat to 55 or all the way down in the summer and it should not make much or any difference.

That stated, I see that where my father is in upstate NY temps in the 40s are expected tonight. In a very poorly insulated structure, your heat might go on set to 55 and it is summer :-) I'll be there next week and I am looking forward to spending some time in a more hospitable climate.

Tigerdunes is trying to figure out what kind of system you have. Is your water heater separate or does the same boiler provide both heat and hot water for the taps (domestic hot water)? If you have an all in one system, you should expect your boiler to kick on to provide hot water. There may be ways to improve the efficiency of the system so you will want to educate yourself and this is a good place to find help.

Enjoy your new home. You will need good, knowledgable regular service with an oil burner. Ask around and find out who people like and make sure you get it cleaned and checked annually if you stay with oil heat. Traditionally, companies that sell oil and service equipment schedule regular service calls in the summer because they are not as busy delivering oil then.

Ionized, thank you for your very clear example with answer! That's exactly what I was wondering. And from what you say, I have domestic hot water. I feel so much smarter now! As an aside, the water out of the tap was extremely hot, and I found the knob (I'm good with knobs, see below) on the hot water heater to turn it down, so I'm sure that's saving fuel. Hope you enjoyed your time Upstate, it was blanket weather for sure here.

Saltidawg, every apartment I have lived in has had radiators with hot water running through them, if you get cold you turn the knob, you get hot, you turn the knob the other way, no thermostats only knobs.

Thanks again folks, I'm sure I'll be back!