Grow Your Own Magazine

you're all clever guys. and seeing the debates flying regarding energy consumption, you may be able to help answer a couple of questions.

our boiler has crunched to a halt and we need a new one. once again i'm joyful to be a renter - for once its not me who will have to dig deep!!

Having no heating is not an issue for a week or so. Hot water will be ok because we have an immersion heater.

Growing up I have fond memories of only being allowed to put the immersion on in the most direst of emergencies. Dear old dad would have palpitations if we ever went near the switch! he equated it to ripping up piles of tenners.

so:-

is it really expensive? or was dad feeding a line? if do how expensive? and am I better to switch it on when i need it or is it more cost effective to turn it on and leave it on....then i'm not doing that 'heat from cold' stuff????

Hi

I dont find it that expensive, but then again I dont like waste.
I just switch it on a hour before I need it, it does keep hot overnight, especialy in summer.
The trick is remembering to turn it off, once youve witched it on.
When I first moved in, I rent also, there was hardly any insulation on the boiler, I bought a insulation jacket and put some old towels round it.
Whats your like for insulation?


Tigerella

Your average immersion heater has a 2 or 3 KW draw for power, that means it is basically a large kettle. If you leave it on you are running a kettle endlessly - not a good idea! Watch your electric meter, when the immersion is on the dials will spin!

It should only take 20 minutes or so for the immersion heater to heat one tank of water, depending on the age and calcification of the element. If you want a bath you may need two tank loads if you have deep baths, but one tank load should do an average shower.

If you can get a timer switch on the instalation, then you can warm the water up for the morning - if you also need hot water in the evening (who doesn't) you can set it for that as well if the main use is at a regular time.

Hope this info helps


Terry

thanks for that guys. only have to last until the new stuff gets installed. we're a bathless house so don't use tons of water at any one time.

cylinder is ancient with very little insulation so i've demanded that gets entirely replaced too.

Actually, just for laughs, have just rung my dad to tell him I switched the immersion on on Tuesday, did he think I should turn it off yet??? How to make a 60 year old hyperventilate!!

We have a timer on ours and only have it on for 4 hours a day in the Economy12 cheap period, and off at all other times - we've not run out of hot water yet, and it doesn't cost us much. - Are you on an equivalent charge structure?

Hi

[quote][4 hours a day in the Economy12 cheap period,/QUOTE]

Ive heard of economy 7, whats economy 12?

Tigerella

The Guernsey version - 10 hours cheap from 20:45 to 06:45 and 2 hours from 13:40 to 15:40. The 2 hours in the afternoon really helps as you get a nice top up in the immersion. Used to have storage heaters which got a nice boost for the evening as well.

Thats the beauty of a combi boiler, you only heat the water for the time it takes to run the bath!

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to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

Whats a bath

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ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

Something you relax in after a hard day supping tea at the lottie!

__________________
My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

Not sure but I have one twice a year wether I need it or not.

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