Do we need the immersion turned on or off?

[nabberuk]

I've recently found out that our house is using a heatwise energy tariff that includes a special electricity meter to warm our water at certain parts of the day. This meter controls when this comes on and off.


What i'm trying to understand is if we need what looks like the immersion turned on or off next to our hot water tank. Just worried about the costs if it's left on etc.

I have photos available but unfortunately can't post them on here yet.

 

[rpm]

Welcome to the forum.

How long you lived there?
Do you have gas bills?
House or flat?
Radiators for heating yes / no / other?
Would you know a boiler if you saw one? (not being rude promise)
Does your hot water tank have 2 set`s of wires going to it? (1 low & 1 higher)

Start with this these Q`s and we will see if we can help.

 

[kris]

I take it its storage heating with the economy saver timmer where it comes on at off peak times and you also have a boost button for any time you need water during the day ??? or are u gas , if your gas then you dont need the immersion as gas would work out cheaper but if its the economy timmer then that controls your immersion,

 

[kris]

Oh and welcome nabberuk

 

[rpm]

I take it its storage heating with the economy saver timmer where it comes on at off peak times and you also have a boost button for any time you need water during the day ??? or are u gas , if your gas then you dont need the immersion as gas would work out cheaper but if its the economy timmer then that controls your immersion,

Then again if it`s no gas and no boiler and 2 wires to the hot water tank wouldn`t the top element just be for a top up when needed? Hence my Q`s as a base point kris

 

[kris]

Yeh your right rpm the second one is just a boost for peak or off peak periods.

 

[rpm]

Once lived in a flat with no gas and no boiler, hot water was via the overnight ecomony 7 tariff via the lower element in the water tank with the higher element as a "When needed" back up hence why I asked the base point Q`s as the poster said "Next to the tank" which threw me a little but reckon we`re on the same line,

 

[kris]

Strange he's asking about the immersion switch as you know yourself it would only be a single switch if it was gas and immersion for backup then there would be no need for it to be on. The op would need to give us a little more info

 

[nabberuk]

Welcome to the forum.

How long you lived there?
Do you have gas bills?
House or flat?
Radiators for heating yes / no / other?
Would you know a boiler if you saw one? (not being rude promise)
Does your hot water tank have 2 set`s of wires going to it? (1 low & 1 higher)

Start with this these Q`s and we will see if we can help.

We've lived here for a week.
We've had no bills yet, we have a gas boiler but im unsure if this is just for heating or heating/water
House
Radiators fed by the gas boiler
Yes
There ar e what looks like 2 immersion heaters but only wire going to the bottom one.

its our electricity meter that decides when to heat our water, we have no control over it.

 

[lame plumber]

how many pipes go into your cylinder, if its only 2, then electric immersion only, as its a direct cyl, 4 pipes and your connected to the boiler as well, indirect cyl, a photo would be of most use to all on here.

 

[Best]

There should be an isolating switch for your immersion heater. It would be highly unlikely just to be wired directly to a timer control. If it is still useable, the higher immersion would be handy to be wired up properly so that you can heat the top, smaller volume of water in your hot tank when you are not using your gas boiler (assuming that it can also heat the cylinder) - like if gas bolier went faulty. You need an electrician to do the wiring.