Reduce Temperature in boiler

[DodgySailor]

Hi All,

Due to the current crisis I am trying to save some money around my small house and I was thinking that I could perhaps reduce the amount of water in my boiler which is rather big for two people and this way I could save some money at the end of the year as I would not need so much energy to heat it.
Any ideas on how can I do it?
Or is it posible to reduce the overal temperature of the boiler as now in summer we do not need boiling water in the shower.
The boiler is one of this copper ones with green insulation, so not a very modern one.
Thanks,
DG

 

[spacethegas]

are you trying to say that your hot water is heated by an electric immersion heater ?
a lot more information req.

 

[ChrisR]

The boiler is one of this copper ones with green insulation

That's not a boiler, it's a hot water storage cylinder.
How is it heated, Electrically or with a gas boiler?
Your first move mght be to put more insulation over it, and the hot pipes. Old sleeping bags , blankets, etc will do. Leave the electric bits in fee air though.

 

[spudkey]

As Chris R has said first call would be insulation, reducing water temp will have minimal effect as you will just use more of the stored water, Normally water is stored at 60 c this is them mixed with cold water at shower ect to make it useable, if you reduce water temp to say 40c you will only be using water from this cylinder at a shower ect.

Also reducing temp to less than 60c can also create a perfect breeding ground for bugs such as legionella

 

[DodgySailor]

That's rigth is a water storage tank with an electric heater inside and It's got already insulation. So I agree it is not a good idea to reduce the temperature but can I reduce the amount of water going into it as If I was going to buy a smaller one?

 

[BigBurner]

That's rigth is a water storage tank with an electric heater inside and It's got already insulation. So I agree it is not a good idea to reduce the temperature but can I reduce the amount of water going into it as If I was going to buy a smaller one?

A smaller cylinder may not fill the bath. Buy a cylinder jacket and fit it over to increase insulation. Lag all pipes around it and the hot water draw-off pipe all the way, even under floor boards.

Reduce the flow to the shower and other hot taps.

 

[namsag]

Just put the immersion on for less time . That way you wont be heating as much of the cylinder and due to stratification the heated water will always be at the top for when you use it for dishes etc.
If you want a lot of water but cooler take the cap off the immersion heater and turn the thermostat inside it down.

The cost of changing to a smaller cylinder will be far more expensive than short term feul saving each summer

 

[ChrisR]

COuld put a 9 inch immersion heater in

Then you'd only get a bucket of hot water.

You could look at your electricity tariff. If you use most HW in the morning, it would be MUCH cheaper to heat it on a timer at night. It would lose a lot of heat during the day though so would need reheating, and that's at a slightly higher cost per unit than standard.
If you put your washing machine/dishwasher on at night that would use cheaper power too.
It makes a big difference to our electricity bills.