Why is my boiler on?

[diy_fun_uk]

I'll ask the question - Why 'when you do'? What do you use for washing up, getting washed, having a bath etc.?

Live alone and tbh have always got by with electric shower, a couple of boiled kettles a week for dishes and hands just get washed in cold water. When folk are visiting they just get told the water in bathroom, or from any tap come to that, will not be warm

 

[Junglejames]

Live alone and tbh have always got by with electric shower, a couple of boiled kettles a week for dishes and hands just get washed in cold water. When folk are visiting they just get told the water in bathroom, or from any tap come to that, will not be warm

and come the winter you tell them to wrap up warm, as the heating isn't going on either!!!!
A couple of boiled kettles a week for dishes? I'm saying nothing! Unless of course you have a dishwasher

 

[diy_fun_uk]

and come the winter you tell them to wrap up warm, as the heating isn't going on either!!!!
A couple of boiled kettles a week for dishes? I'm saying nothing! Unless of course you have a dishwasher

lol, no, the heating's always on when needed, I don't scrimp on that, although I don't like my house overly warm so when I'm here alone it's not on high. When I have folk in, I turn it up ... I'm not heartless

Yeah one sometimes two kettles a week. I reckon that's more cost effective than heating a whole cylinder. Some folk say I'm mad for not just putting the water on for 30 mins a day to give myself hot water for hands, dishes etc, but I don't feel the need.

I read something recently re legionella hence me wanting to run hot water through my system, as this is rarely done. I'm thinking I might do this once a month from hereon in (heat cylinder and run hot water for 10-15 mins) just so it's not stagnating.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I read something recently re legionella hence me wanting to run hot water through my system, as this is rarely done. I'm thinking I might do this once a month from hereon in (heat cylinder and run hot water for 10-15 mins) just so it's not stagnating.

Warm water creates Legionella, above 60C it is killed off, so the suggestion is to heat the water in the cylinder at least once per week to 60C.

A gas heated cylinder of hot water per day will cost around 20p, so no reason not too - tiny when compared to the cost of heating a home, or the standing charge.

 

[diy_fun_uk]

Warm water creates Legionella, above 60C it is killed off, so the suggestion is to heat the water in the cylinder at least once per week to 60C.

A gas heated cylinder of hot water per day will cost around 20p, so no reason not too - tiny when compared to the cost of heating a home, or the standing charge.

Yeah I read that from 50C it starts to be killed off but 60C is needed to stop it growing. I'm slightly concerned in that I bought a thermometer (traditional glass type) and ran it under the hot water and it's peaking at 50-52C, no higher. Hopefully if running water through at that temp, it'll be hot enough to keep any potential legionella at bay?

 

[stem]

I seem to remember that the bacteria will only grow in warm water.....but whether the erm.....'cold' water stored in an unheated cylinder is classed as 'warm' or not I don't know.

 

[Junglejames]

Warm water creates Legionella, above 60C it is killed off, so the suggestion is to heat the water in the cylinder at least once per week to 60C.

A gas heated cylinder of hot water per day will cost around 20p, so no reason not too - tiny when compared to the cost of heating a home, or the standing charge.

Plus it stops water sitting around in the tank, and it allows hot water to run through all the pipework. Minus the price of heating full kettles each week (and full kettles actually use a fair bit of power), and there probably isn't a lot in it price wise. Heck, if you tank is well insulated, you may not need to heat it every day. Say every 2 days.

 

[diy_fun_uk]

I seem to remember that the bacteria will only grow in warm water.....but whether the erm.....'cold' water stored in an unheated cylinder is classed as 'warm' or not I don't know.

Yeah I don't know how warm the unheated water is, especially in summer time. I'll try running it (unheated) now that I have my thermometer and will see how cold it is.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I seem to remember that the bacteria will only grow in warm water.....but whether the erm.....'cold' water stored in an unheated cylinder is classed as 'warm' or not I don't know.

Warm as in room temperature, which is what it would be during summer. Even dead legs of cold pipework - pipe work which although still connected, never have a through flow them, can be the source of legionella.

The idea of raising the cylinder up to 60C, is that once in the pipework, it will have cooled down - though still hot enough to kill it off before it exits from the hot tap.

 

[diy_fun_uk]

Warm as in room temperature, which is what it would be during summer. Even dead legs of cold pipework - pipe work which although still connected, never have a through flow them, can be the source of legionella.

The idea of raising the cylinder up to 60C, is that once in the pipework, it will have cooled down - though still hot enough to kill it off before it exits from the hot tap.

Ah right, never thought of that. So it's likely to be closer to 60C in the cylinder, then low 50s when coming out due to slightly cooling as it runs through pipework?

 

[CBW]

I seem to remember that the bacteria will only grow in warm water.....but whether the erm.....'cold' water stored in an unheated cylinder is classed as 'warm' or not I don't know.

There’s a difference of opinion in textbooks and possibly HSE, albeit 5 degrees so let’s no split hairs. Bacteria grows between 20 degrees Celsius and starts to die off around 55, that’s why stored hot water should be set between 60 and 65. Higher and there’s a risk of scale being produced, not to mention skin burns, but that can happen at lower temperatures, that’s why G3 states iirc 44 max at a bath, not exceeding 48.