Best use of unvented hot water cylinder - help!

[GemmaTaylor]

We've just moved into a property with an unvented hot water cylinder system (Santon PremierPlus 300 litres) plus gas combi boiler. We're unsure of how long the hot water cylinder needs to be on for each day - or even if this is the right system for us. There are just 2 of us, we shower for approx 40mins in total plus a couple of bowls of hot water for washing up etc in the morning, then in the evening again a few bowls for washing up/face washing etc. In total our combi boiler in our last house would be fired for hot water for maybe an hour each day. The preset programme for the Santon suggests that it should be on for 2 hours in the morning and 6 hours in the evening - this sounds an awful lot and not economical for our needs.
Could anyone tell us how long we would to need to put it on for each day for our hot water needs, and advise whether this would be an economical way for us to heat our water - or whether we should get a plumber to bypass the hot water cylinder completely and just use the combi boiler.

Thanks very much!

Gemma.

 

[ecowarm]

The lenght of time set on the programmer does not effect the running costs dramacticly, it will only top up the lost heat and then shut off. You could have the hot water set 24/7 or 1 hr a day it won't cost much difference. its what you use that makes the difference.

 

[Best]

I say the same. That's what your thermostat & motorised valve at unvented cylinder are for. As unvented units are very well insulated, they hold their heat for a long time, so boiler will just occasionally top it up. With the little hot water use you require, why not have programmer set just for 2 hrs in the middle of your max use, & try it? Remember though, that a shower going full flow from an unvented unit will use a lot of water in a few minutes.

 

[BLOD]

if you bypass the unvented you might find the shower performance dissapointing.

 

[ecowarm]

Is this a solar set up?

 

[BLOD]

Is this a solar set up?

good thinking ! I didn't think of that