Hi there.
I’m looking at removing my existing SINGLE 3kW immersion heater /cylinder and replacing it with an Ariston Europrisma unvented water heater as my bills are through the roof and the flat is unoccupied a lot of the time and when it is occupied demand is very low as the large cylinder only feeds 2 hand basins (shower is electric).
I currently have 2 meters (Low and Normal) and I believe I’m on an Economy 7 tarrif with an old Horstman E7BX controller which I assume is wired to the Immersion heater (I have no Storage Heaters). My understanding of this controller is that it works by automatically completing the circuit as soon as electricity comes through the “Low Meter” during non-peak hours, as such the ring that the immersion heater is installed on automatically comes on to heat the water at cheap rate.
Furthermore, when I turn the “2 hour boost dial”, when I need a boost (which is never), presumably this completes the circuit from the day meter which then energises the ring main that the heater is installed on? Does that sound vaguely correct?
I can’t see any other way that the immersion heater would “know” to come on after hours as there are no other clocks or timers or anything.
My question is this:
If I were to plug in the new Ariston heater into the same socket as the existing Immersion heater is run off (both are 3kW, 13A), presumably this would only come on by default at night time, and if I needed a boost during the day, I would have to turn the dial. If this is the case, I’m concerned that due to the new system only having a small 15 litre tank, I will run out of hot water during the day unless I kept “boosting” it. Does this sound like a valid concern?
If I was to switch the Horstman controller “off”, would this solve my issue and enable the heater come on regardless of the time of day?
A couple of photos are below, I have no idea what the switch on the left of my fusebox is for. I turned it off and it didn’t seem to change anything, so I left it off. Any ideas?
Many thanks for looking, and any advice you can give a keen
amateur
I’m looking at removing my existing SINGLE 3kW immersion heater /cylinder and replacing it with an Ariston Europrisma unvented water heater as my bills are through the roof and the flat is unoccupied a lot of the time and when it is occupied demand is very low as the large cylinder only feeds 2 hand basins (shower is electric).
I currently have 2 meters (Low and Normal) and I believe I’m on an Economy 7 tarrif with an old Horstman E7BX controller which I assume is wired to the Immersion heater (I have no Storage Heaters). My understanding of this controller is that it works by automatically completing the circuit as soon as electricity comes through the “Low Meter” during non-peak hours, as such the ring that the immersion heater is installed on automatically comes on to heat the water at cheap rate.
Furthermore, when I turn the “2 hour boost dial”, when I need a boost (which is never), presumably this completes the circuit from the day meter which then energises the ring main that the heater is installed on? Does that sound vaguely correct?
I can’t see any other way that the immersion heater would “know” to come on after hours as there are no other clocks or timers or anything.
My question is this:
If I were to plug in the new Ariston heater into the same socket as the existing Immersion heater is run off (both are 3kW, 13A), presumably this would only come on by default at night time, and if I needed a boost during the day, I would have to turn the dial. If this is the case, I’m concerned that due to the new system only having a small 15 litre tank, I will run out of hot water during the day unless I kept “boosting” it. Does this sound like a valid concern?
If I was to switch the Horstman controller “off”, would this solve my issue and enable the heater come on regardless of the time of day?
A couple of photos are below, I have no idea what the switch on the left of my fusebox is for. I turned it off and it didn’t seem to change anything, so I left it off. Any ideas?
Many thanks for looking, and any advice you can give a keen