Hot water storage cylinder timer installation

[catwin]

Hello,

I have a few questions about my unvented hot water storage cylinder please:

1. How many kWh is each 3kWh element (day / night) supposed to use over a 7-hour period? I suppose the thermostat prevents them from running constantly?

2. Can a timer be installed on the element that runs at night? It is wired directly into the wall (no switch) and then goes into a separate economy 7 consumer unit. If so, I suppose I would need an electrician to do it?

3. The day and night elements are incorrectly wired - day is wired to the economy 7 circuit instead of night. Can this be rewired by someone with DIY experience or should a professional do it?

4. How often is servicing required?

Thank you,

Catherine

 

[king of pipes]

It is expensive to heat your hot water cylinder via a immersion heater it can be 3 times the cost of heating it via a gas boiler costs vary across the country and the various energy providers, but there are savings to be made if you download the link below you may find some information to help save you some money. Kop

 

[gmartine]

1. How many kWh is each 3kWh element (day / night) supposed to use over a 7-hour period? I suppose the thermostat prevents them from running constantly?

Depends on use and size but yes thermostat should close once water is up to temp but normally cylinder can be heated say twice in 24hr (am & pm).

2. Can a timer be installed on the element that runs at night? It is wired directly into the wall (no switch) and then goes into a separate economy 7 consumer unit. If so, I suppose I would need an electrician to do it?

Yes.

3. The day and night elements are incorrectly wired - day is wired to the economy 7 circuit instead of night. Can this be rewired by someone with DIY experience or should a professional do it?

As above ideally .

4. How often is servicing required?

It should be maintenance free but if you're a private tenant an electical safety cert is required every five years.

 

[Chuck]

As it's an unvented cylinder it should be checked by someone suitably qualified annually. This would normally be done at the same time the boiler is serviced and typically adds an extra tenner or so to the bill.

 

[catwin]

Thank you all.
I don't have a boiler, just the hot water cylinder and night storage heaters.
Who would I need to contact for this? Would they also be able to install a timer?
Do you have "legal" resources to show my landlord? He says there was an electrical check for the whole flat 1.5 year ago but that's different isn't it?

 

[catwin]

The cylinder is already connected to a separate economy 7 circuit, I just want to have it run for 2 hours between 5:30 and 7:30. Do I need a special economy 7 timer for that? Can't I get a regular mechanical timer?

 

[catwin]

Apologies but I have another question: does it seem normal that it takes approx 3 liters before I get warm water at the taps (even more for hot water) ? The tank is at the other end of my 1-bedroom flat from the bathroom and kitchen. Flow and pressure are normal.

 

[gmartine]

Completely ignore my first response as it's mostly incorrect, as pointed out you have a direct unvented cylinder.

Your meter charges your storage heaters & unvented HW cylinder during the cheapest time so it doesn't make much sense to charge it during the peak hours you propose unless you have to.

However if you have a typical setup you should have a means of boosting the hot water (using upper immersion) when you run short of HW during peak hours .

Any faults should be reported to your landord and yes having to run the HW tap for a few litres before it gets hot is quite normal as all the remaining water in the pipework has cooled.

 

[king of pipes]

The cylinder is already connected to a separate economy 7 circuit, I just want to have it run for 2 hours between 5:30 and 7:30. Do I need a special economy 7 timer for that? Can't I get a regular mechanical timer?

Post a picture of your existing timer you should have one ? ecomony 7 timings are usually through the night 11 pm to 6am heating outside these times you will pay peak rate to heat your water and storage heaters which you should try and avoid if you do require a separate economy 7 timer for hot water timing something like the one below is needed . Kop

 

[Murdoch]

I suspect the costs of having a timer installed will take quite a while to make any savings justifiable.

Sure the E7 is on for about 7 hours but once the tank is up to temperature, the thermostat will turn the heater off.

How well insulated is the tank.

And make sure your top heater isn't on too.

 

[catwin]

Thank you all.

I meant 5:30 to 7:30am (the last slice of my off-peak rate), but from @Murdoch 's response I am assuming this might not be necessary? The tank uses 7kWh over 7 hours which seems a lot but maybe that's normal? I can't access the timer, it's controlled by my electric meter.

The tank is in a small cupboard but not insulated, would installing an insulation jacket help reduce costs?

What are the risks of not having it serviced? My landlord doesn't seem open to the idea.

Thank you

 

[Murdoch]

The tank is in a small cupboard but not insulated, would installing an insulation jacket help reduce costs?

So the hot tank isn't insulated, so the minute its up to temperature its losing heat.

7kw isn't much for hot water BUT would be less if the tank was properly insulated. - something maybe you could do for not much cost.

Don't even consider a timer until its insulated AND remember the over night usage is all the appliances in the property too.

A bit disappointing that the landlord doesn't think this is an issue

 

[catwin]

Thanks, I'll insulate it then. Would the cylinder jacket below work on its own?

(The 7kW is for the tank alone, taken in the summer. These days my night usage is more like 35kW with my storage heaters...)

Also, are there health risks to not having the tank serviced, such as Legionnaires' disease for instance? I read that that wasn't a risk as long as the water isn't stagnant and heated to at least 50C?