Water heating

cherry76

My water heating is set at very low temperature during the day between one and 2oc. I wonder whether I should increase it as it is I do not like the water too hot when I do the dishes. I am concerned whether the water temperature should be set at a certain temperature. I have just checked my hot water tank and the dial is pointed to 60oc but if it is set so low surely it cannot reach that temperature. Does this make sense? Thanks

WestonDave

Does this make sense - in short no!

20C is less than body temperature and will feel cold when it comes out of the tap - it is however a fairly warm air temperature. I'm guessing that you have your heating thermostat set below 20C which is fine if the house feels warm enough. I've not heard of readily adjustable hot water thermostats. 60C is about right for hot water as it prevents any danger of germs breeding in the tank.

Premier_2

That's what I thought at first, but I think the OP meant the water only heats up between 1 o'clock & 2 o'clock.

During that time it may or may not heat up to the 60C - it would depend on the size of the heat source, the amount & temperature of water to be heated (and to a certain extent the amount of heat loss during that time)

The 60C setting is about right for the hot water tank thermostat. If the water is not heating up to that temperature, then increase the heating time accordingly.

If the water at the tap is then too hot to wash dishes with, mix it with some cold water.

Mazio_2

Just be careful about legionella it can grow between 20C and 55C I think so cold water should be below 20C and hot water above 55C.
But I think Premier is correct about the time and temp.

loulou41

I think I have got people confused. I mean I set the dial on the boiler in the kitchen between 1, 2 or 3 degrees. The highest on the dial is 6, am not sure about the temperature. The water heater comes on twice a day, it is only two of us & we do not use a lot of water. I have noticed every time the gas engineer comes to check the boiler, he always turns the dial to about 3 and the water is too hot for us. Guess, will ask him about it when he next turns up. I am concerned about legionella and hubby said I should not be. Thanks

Cardew

The OP is Cherry 76 and yet LouLou41 is saying "I think I have got people confused" Well you have!!!

As the OP has a tank, the normal method of regulating the hot water temperature is on a tank thermostat. I assume this thermostat what the OP means by "the dial is set to 60C" Which as others have stated is about right.

The temperature setting on your boiler is for the water for the central heating. Even on low settings this is very hot.

This central heating water also heats the water in the Hot water tank. It does this indirectly i.e. the water runs through a coil in the tank. Even in summer when you have no CH this boiler setting is the same.

So the bottom line is that the tank thermostat will determine the temperature of the Hot water, not the setting on the boiler.

Mazio_2

Cardew you beat me to it as I was typing.

The numbers on the boiler are not degrees they represent 1 lowest setting and 6 highest you will have to check your instruction book to see what water temp they represent.

This dial is the stat for your water temp circulating in the rads and also in an indirect system whats pumped through a coil (heat exchange) in the hot water tank if you dont have another temp gauge and setting on the tank its self then you get hot water at the same temp as your rads or what ever number 3 on the boiler represents.

Cardew

loulou41 wrote: »

I think I have got people confused. I mean I set the dial on the boiler in the kitchen between 1, 2 or 3 degrees. The highest on the dial is 6, am not sure about the temperature.

Just to elaborate on what we have stated above, I have looked at the handbook for my boiler(Ideal Mexico)

The temperatures for the 1 to 6 settings on the dial are:

Setting 1 = 54C

2 = 60C

3 = 66C

4 = 71C

5 = 77C

6 = 82C

Whilst yours might differ slightly, they will be of the same order I suspect.