New flat hot water question... surely they aren't that cheap?!

[djmarkymark]

Hi everyone,

Hopefully someone out there can help me with a quick question.

I've just moved into a fairly new build flat and I can't work out at all how to (if even possible) get my boiler to heat water without having to switch it on manually 20 minutes or so every time I want hot water. It doesn't seem connected to the confusing timer panel, which I can only work out so far is linked to the electric radiators and not the boiler...

I don't know.

Hopefully, looking at these pictures, someone out there will be able to work out how it is set up and if there is any way I'm expected to heat water without either flicking the two right hand switches on (top and bottom right) beforehand or leaving them on all day which surely would be expensive?!

Many thanks for help if someone can give it.

Mark

 

[gasmarc]

i think you have to set the timer for either or both immersions

 

[djmarkymark]

But the timer doesn't seem to be linked to the boiler... how can I know? Do I leave the immersion switches off?

 

[gasmarc]

the immersion heats the cylinder up and stores the heat so its not constantly using electricity, if its a new build you should have paperwork for everything ,why not borrow your neighbours instructions and photocopy them

 

[djmarkymark]

It's about 4 years old. It's rented and I wasn't given any paperwork and can't get hold of it! Silly I know.

So if I kept the immersion heaters on, will they be heating up water all day and costing a lot of money? Or shall I just leave them on all the time? Therefore not needing a timer?

 

[gasmarc]

no not silly just call the landlord or estate agent and tell them you want the instructions for using your hot water and heating PRONTO ,it is a requirement they have to meet, just tell them you aint paying the rent until they sort it out ,and if you have gas there you have to have a gas landlord safety certificate and thats the law

 

[djmarkymark]

I'll give that a go and see what they say.

Am I best not leaving the immersion switches on all the time until I get instructions then?

 

[gasmarc]

well if you want hot water leave it on, they turn off automatically when the correct temperature is reached

 

[djmarkymark]

Annoyingly there is no thermostat either so I can't turn the temp down as I don't need it THAT hot.

 

[gasmarc]

well turn it off until you get instructions if you are worried about spending money

 

[djmarkymark]

More bothered about having to turn it on and off all the time. I'll just forget...

Thanks for your help

 

[gasmarc]

no problem get those instructions and they will save you money if you have your hot water set up correctly,good luck

 

[Toddyplumb]

Its a thermal store ! You keep the cylinder heated all the time , your hot water is mains pressure through a coil within

 

[djmarkymark]

What does that mean being a thermal store? Will it not cost loads keeping it heated all the time? I'm new to this....

 

[djmarkymark]

I've done some reading... It only heats what I take out basically. So I leave the heaters switched on? Although, would I be right in saying one of them is the main one and one is a booster? Which one should I leave switched on, the higher or lower one?

 

[Dannypipe]

That looks like a thermal store to me. You can get MONSTER elecy bills if they're not set up properly.

 

[Dannypipe]

The higher one is the booster.

 

[djmarkymark]

That's what I'm trying to avoid. So do I leave the heaters on all the time? I'm guessing they were set up pretty well being a fairly new build of flats all to a pretty high standard. I just don't know the best way to run the thing! :s

 

[djmarkymark]

So I leave the bottom one on all the time? Generally.

 

[Dannypipe]

A thermal store should be heated up over night on cheap rate electricity, i.e 'Economy 7'...

It is so well insulated that it should not require much re-heating, but if you cool the store, it can be re-heated with a 'booster' immersion.

Therefore yes, you leave the lower on all the time, but it should be timed. Either via your programmer or automatically via a radio frequency from the energy supplier - The second is unlikely to be in place, but is the better way to have these set up.

I installed a new timer for someone with a thermal store just this weekend gone, she was getting bills of over £300 per quarter in a 2 bed flat.

She had left the booster on all the time, and consequently everytime the thermostat called for heat she was spending money.

 

[djmarkymark]

From what I can see the only way I can heat it is manually turning on the switches connected to the store. It doesn't seem to be connected to that control panel. So can someone confirm, do I leave the bottom heater on all the time and just forget about it all, or do I need to manually turn it on and off...

Thanks everyone.

 

[Dannypipe]

Right, I've looked at your photos. The timer you have shown is for your heating. Which is going to be electric radiators, and actually nothing to do with this cylinder. There are thermal stores that heat radiators, but from what i can tell from your photos, your model is just supplying your domestic hotwater.

We are not going to be able to tell you if you leave it on all the time as it could be expensive. If you have a white meter (economy 7) then yes, you leave it on all the time, and the electricty supplier will activate the circuit during off peak hours.

If you don't have economy 7, then it should have a timer, if it doesn't have a timer and you just leave it on, you will get large electricty bills. Trust me, I work on thermal stores all the time. Normally Gledhills, but this is no different.

 

[Dannypipe]

I've just actually read your post (instead of the headline) so you are aware that the rads are electric and seperate from the cylinder.

You need to acertain whether you have ECONOMY 7 or 11. Speak to your neighbours.

Most time I service these units and they don't have a timer, it's because they're on a seperate meter. You could tell by looking at your elec meter or possibly your consumer unit.

 

[gasmarc]

the instructions would help

 

[Dannypipe]

As I have stressed, if you leave this on all the time, and there is no off peak tarrif in place, you will get very large electricity bills.

Cheers,

Dan