help me understand this heating system

[ploppers]

My mother just moved and I'm trying to figure out her boiler/etc.

We have some kind of boiler in the kitchen, and below it there's a controller with individual on/off settings for hot water and central heating. There are no controls on the boiler itself.

There's a thermostat in the hall.

There's a hot water tank upstairs in an airing cupboard. I think that also has an electrical immersion heater.

The first thing is that the hot water from the taps is very hot. I'd like to be able to cool that down a bit.

But, overall, I'd like to understand how it works.

You see, in my flat, I have a boiler with settings on it, one each for water and radiators; and there's a thermostat in the hall. It's pretty simple really.

Where does the immersion heater fit in? How to control the temperature of the tap water?

TBH, I'm not entirely sure how to describe some of this stuff, so please forgive me if I've not given some crucial bit of information...I'll happily go and look.

Max.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Sounds like a heat only boiler with a copper cylinder

Any chance of a picture of the cylinder cupboard, need to check some things first (could be two different types of systems )

 

[ploppers]

Sounds like a heat only boiler with a copper cylinder

Any chance of a picture of the cylinder cupboard, need to check some things first (could be two different types of systems )

I don't really know how to add images, but let me try (if there's a better way, let me know)...

https://goo.gl/photos/SL9C7v1JZFuU63kz7

 

[Gasmk1]

on the cylinder behind the grey cover under the badge is the cylinder thermostat but be careful as there are wires and elctrical connections in there you can make the cylinder water cooler by turning the thermostat down

 

[ShaunCorbs]

That's great

Heat only boiler in s plan set up with an unvented cylinder

Boiler controls the grey flap flips down and there will be a temperature dial / knob there (this controls your rad temps)

Hot water thermostat is located on the cylinder under the grey panel / cover (one screw and should open like a door) this is normally pre set to 60 dc to kill any bacteria off

So best to test the temperature first before changing anything (temp probe under the kitchen tap)

If it's around the 60 mark (55-65) then this is set right, if you think it's too hot for your mother you might need to go down the route of having a tmv3 fitted ( mixing valve like a shower)

Now for how it works

Heating

Time clock heating programs comes around
Room stat senses house is cool / below set temp
Myson port valve opens (white top)
Boiler fires and pump starts
Room stat upto temp
Port valve closes, boiler stops and pump

Hot water

Time clock hot water programs comes around
Cylinder stat sense water isn't upto temp
Honeywell port valve opens (silver top)
Boiler fires and pump starts
Water reaches desired temp (via cylinder stat)
Port valve closes, boiler stops and pump

Immersion heater is only for a back up incase there is a problem with the boiler, you can still have hot water

 

[ploppers]

That's great! Thanks guys. I'll check out the thermostat on the cylinder, after sticking a thermometer under the tap. 60C sounds quite hot, so perhaps it is correct....we'll see

 

[ploppers]

> Immersion heater is only for a back up incase there is a problem with the boiler, you can still have hot water

How does the immersion heater know there is a problem with the boiler?

 

[Darren Jackson]

It doesn't know mate, you will have to switch it on yourself if the boiler develops a problem. Usually via a switch somewhere, just follow the wire that comes from the immersion heater to its switch.

 

[ploppers]

It doesn't know mate, you will have to switch it on yourself if the boiler develops a problem. Usually via a switch somewhere, just follow the wire that comes from the immersion heater to its switch.

Ah, ok. I suppose it is plausible that it might already be on...I'd better check it

/edit no, it wasn't on