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Hi,
Firstly, apologies if any of my descriptions are too vague - I'm not an expert in heating or boilers by any degree. I can find out more precise info if it's needed.
I have a few questions, but firstly our setup is:
* All gas CH
* A Potterton 15HE (?) condensing boiler
* Fully timed central heating, HW/CH separate timings
* Room thermostat, one radiator with TRV
I've read various things about improving the efficiency of CH system and condensing boilers.
1. What is the best temperature for the hot water tank? We're experimenting at temperatures between about 45 and 55 C at the moment.
The problem is that when we set it to around 40-45 degrees, when both CH and HW are switched on, it heats the water for one small bath amount, but then runs cold and won't heat back up again. It does heat HW if the temp is set to 50 degrees C + on the tank. Why is this?
Also, I am not sure of the capacity of the HW tank, but it doesn't take much to run out of HW. Is this because I am using HW when it's still heating? Should I let the HW heat for much longer and not use HW at all when it's heating?
2. I've heard that the temperature of water returning to the boiler should be no higher than about 45 degrees C to allow for condensing to occur (and thus improve boiler efficiency). Is this true? Is return water typically same temperature as the HW tank, or is it after returning from the CH system? In other words, if I set tank temp higher, will there be enough water heat loss to still allow boiler to run efficiently?
Sorry those are rather rambling questions. I'm just not convinced I'm running things as efficiently as I could do.
Also, if I need to supply more info on either the property or the system to get a better answer, let me know!
Thanks in advance for any advice you can give.
Firstly, apologies if any of my descriptions are too vague - I'm not an expert in heating or boilers by any degree. I can find out more precise info if it's needed.
I have a few questions, but firstly our setup is:
* All gas CH
* A Potterton 15HE (?) condensing boiler
* Fully timed central heating, HW/CH separate timings
* Room thermostat, one radiator with TRV
I've read various things about improving the efficiency of CH system and condensing boilers.
1. What is the best temperature for the hot water tank? We're experimenting at temperatures between about 45 and 55 C at the moment.
The problem is that when we set it to around 40-45 degrees, when both CH and HW are switched on, it heats the water for one small bath amount, but then runs cold and won't heat back up again. It does heat HW if the temp is set to 50 degrees C + on the tank. Why is this?
Also, I am not sure of the capacity of the HW tank, but it doesn't take much to run out of HW. Is this because I am using HW when it's still heating? Should I let the HW heat for much longer and not use HW at all when it's heating?
2. I've heard that the temperature of water returning to the boiler should be no higher than about 45 degrees C to allow for condensing to occur (and thus improve boiler efficiency). Is this true? Is return water typically same temperature as the HW tank, or is it after returning from the CH system? In other words, if I set tank temp higher, will there be enough water heat loss to still allow boiler to run efficiently?
Sorry those are rather rambling questions. I'm just not convinced I'm running things as efficiently as I could do.
Also, if I need to supply more info on either the property or the system to get a better answer, let me know!
Thanks in advance for any advice you can give.
