I don't know if I'm best off turning down my boiler and using a bit of immersion, or running the boiler with a high flow temperature.
Just moved and new place has an old vented CH system. The cylinder is poorly insulated. The boiler is oil fired and is a relatively new, condensing type.
In order to hit 60c in the cylinder, I have to run the boiler hotter than is efficient. Due to strictly throttling my radiators with valves, I don't need to chuck a high temperature at my heating circuit. The temptation is to turn down the boiler so it operates more efficiently. However, that would mean it not heating the cylinder to 60c.
Due to poor insulation and not always using a lot of hot water, I don't heat the cylinder 24/7. I have been heating it for 1 hour, twice a day. Sometimes that's enough for a bath, and sometimes I manually switch it on for an hour or so if I know I've been using plenty of hot water. If I have a bath after it's been on twice that day and I haven't used much it's usually OK, and I still have enough after it's been on in the morning for washing up etc the next day, but I wouldn't get away with a bath in the evening and another in the morning, or if I've used a lot for cleaning.
Would I be best off having the boiler set to have a return temperature of 54c or lower and have the immersion come on once or twice a day, for say 30 mins, right after the boiler has done its thing for an hour, just to top up to 60c? Or am I better off having the boiler pumping out at more like 65/70c and not using the immersion?
It seems a shame to have the boiler set higher than is needed for my radiators, and higher than is efficient. But I also know from experience that immersion heaters aren't cheap to run either. My last place only had an immersion for the DHW and no CH at all.
I'd be glad to hear anyone's opinions. I really don't know which approach to take.
Just moved and new place has an old vented CH system. The cylinder is poorly insulated. The boiler is oil fired and is a relatively new, condensing type.
In order to hit 60c in the cylinder, I have to run the boiler hotter than is efficient. Due to strictly throttling my radiators with valves, I don't need to chuck a high temperature at my heating circuit. The temptation is to turn down the boiler so it operates more efficiently. However, that would mean it not heating the cylinder to 60c.
Due to poor insulation and not always using a lot of hot water, I don't heat the cylinder 24/7. I have been heating it for 1 hour, twice a day. Sometimes that's enough for a bath, and sometimes I manually switch it on for an hour or so if I know I've been using plenty of hot water. If I have a bath after it's been on twice that day and I haven't used much it's usually OK, and I still have enough after it's been on in the morning for washing up etc the next day, but I wouldn't get away with a bath in the evening and another in the morning, or if I've used a lot for cleaning.
Would I be best off having the boiler set to have a return temperature of 54c or lower and have the immersion come on once or twice a day, for say 30 mins, right after the boiler has done its thing for an hour, just to top up to 60c? Or am I better off having the boiler pumping out at more like 65/70c and not using the immersion?
It seems a shame to have the boiler set higher than is needed for my radiators, and higher than is efficient. But I also know from experience that immersion heaters aren't cheap to run either. My last place only had an immersion for the DHW and no CH at all.
I'd be glad to hear anyone's opinions. I really don't know which approach to take.