Secondary pump system and timers?

[JezzerH99]

Hi,
I've moved into a house with a complex (well it is to me ) hot water system.

It appears to have a digital timer with separate timing for upstairs, downstairs and water but then an mechanical timer wired up to a Grundfos bronze pump (which I assume is a secondary booster?).

My question is how should the timing be set on the mechanical timer in relation to what's on the digital timer?

Cheers.

 

[Nige F]

it`s all relative .........E=MCsquared

 

[simond]

How helpful.

The timer should be set for those periods when you are likely to want to draw off HW without wasting water, typically when you get up and early evening.

If you leave it running when not required you will dissipate the cylinder heat by distributing your HW around the house, and of course waste electricity powering the pump.

 

[doitall]

Agreed the mechanical timer brings the bronze pump on to circulate the water around the secondary loop.

A simple turn it on when you want a bath or hot water switch is all you need, the timer saves you the trouble

 

[JezzerH99]

Hmmm curious (and thanks for responses).

So, what's the main purpose of the secondary pump? I've always just had simplistic single pump systems so not really sure about secondary loops etc.

Any explaination welcome

 

[doitall]

The secondary circuit, takes the hot water to the taps without wasting water, a requirement on larger and long pipe runs.

 

[JezzerH99]

Excusing my ignorance, but why would water be wasted without the secondary circuit?

And with regard to timing, if I generally use hot water in the morning (rather than evening), would I be best to run it for a period to coincide with the interval it was needed in the morning and then a short period in the evening? Or should it technically directly coincide with when I've got the water setting on the digital timer set to on?

Also, am I right in thinking that the digital timer with the upstairs, downstairs and water settings is just controlling valves to allow the heated water through the respective circuits?

 

[Softus]

Excusing my ignorance, but why would water be wasted without the secondary circuit?

'Cos you'd have to run the tap for ages until the hot water arrived at the tap. And the water you're pouring away, even if cold, used to be hot, i.e. when it was sitting inside the cylinder.