Boss direct unvented system costing a fortune

[Jojo624288]

Does anyone know if the above hot water system is constantly heating water and if so how you stop it...when we turn the tap on the water is boiling hot instantly and I think this might be contributing to an extortionate electric bill....

 

[Mottie]

Turn it down a bit?

 

[Gasguru]

Any temperature above 50 degrees will appear "boiling hot" but the temperature should normally be set at 60 degrees.

 

[Jojo624288]

So is it constantly keeping the water at 60 degrees...and isnthere nothing you can do about this ( other than turn it down)

 

[JohnD]

boiling hot

do you own a themometer?

Advice is often given to store water at 60C to kill Legionella. In fact, Legionella does not multiply above 45C, and is killed at 50C or above. The higher temperatures kill it quicker.

It does not multiply below 20C either, so as you have an unvented system, it will probably not be in the incoming supply. If you keep the stored water at 50C, legionella will be killed (if it is present).

I presume you do not have vats of warm water at body temperature, nor old-type air coolers on a sunny roof, nor warm, steamy communal shower rooms nor tropical-temperature recirculating fountains. If you have any of these, you need to be extra-vigilant.

 

[ScottishGasMan]

Does it have a timer connected?

 

[Mottie]

Can you measure the water you are getting out of the taps with a thermometer? The reason I ask is that if I was to set the thermostat on my boiler at 60°, it would be 60° at the level in the cylinder where the thermostat is (approx 1/3 up from the bottom of the cylinder) but it’d be a lot hotter at the top where it comes out. I've just looked at the thermostat on my cylinder and my thermostat is set at just below 45° - any higher and it is scalding. It’s almost scalding at 45°.

 

[Jojo624288]

Does it have a timer connected?

no - and its a rented property so cant fix one

 

[Jojo624288]

also....spoke to the supplier of the heater and they said it would be ok to turn the bottom immersion off and just leave the top one on....tried this and the first time of having a shower was fine...but a shower at the end of the day resulted just in cold water....its only 120L - have i been given dud info about being able to just have the top bit switched on?? (theres 2 mains switches - one goes to a lower panel and one to a panel slightly higher)

 

[Mottie]

Surely the top one is for just a couple of sinkfulls of water as it’ll only heat up a relatively small amount of water.m

 

[Jojo624288]

I honestly dont know ....is there 2 separate tanks ? Or just one tank with 2 elements .?

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Picture of the tank would help, but suspect you have the Economy 7 type of hot water system. Bottom immersion should be timed via the meter, so it comes on between 0100 and 0800 hrs to heat the entire tank overnight at cheap rate electricity. Top immersion is for 'Boost' to heat the top section of the tank if hot water runs out during the day, this however is full rate electricity, so costs more to heat.