Keep hot water constant?

Leblanc_2

We have a gas combi boiler and a hot water tank.
There is someone at home all day.
Washing up, showers etc are not always at absolutely fixed times.
Currently we keep the hot water facility on constant, except for about 8 hours during the night.
Is this the best strategy for economy? Or should we set it for timed phases throughout the day.
In other words is it more economical to keep the hot water tank constantly heated or is it better to have it go to a cool phase and heat it periodically?

SplanK

a combi boiler with hot water tank?!? the point of a combi is to do away with a hot water tank...

For a normal boiler, I have the heating on for 1hr in the morning and 1hr at night - 2x showers, washing up every other night and washing machine used 2 or 3x at the weekend... seems to work for us - only me and my other half

Suppose it depends on how much the hot water is used and how well insulated the tank is

KimYeovil

Surely a regular water tank heater is often more efficient than a combi-boiler? Unless you do not use most of a whole tank, that is.

I may be completely wrong, but I've always imagined a combi-boiler wastes [STRIKE]lots[/STRIKE] more of it's gas when heating water.

peachyprice

Are you sure it's a combi boiler?
A combi boiler heats the hot water as you use it, it doesn't need to store the hot water.
Is the water in the tank heated by immersion heater?

Magentasue

I think OP means a gas boiler and tank. Always cheaper to only heat the water you need - some would say not much lost keeping on all the time, but that wasn't my experience.

I thought combi boilers were more economical/efficient than a tank? In our last house, we had the latter. Big house, two bathrooms, long runs of pipes and large family. We were told combi wouldn't cope. This house, only one bathroom and we have a combi - I prefer it. Hot water instantly and I think iy'll be even better when we get a shower put in.

Leblanc_2

My mistake I should have said gas boiler and hot water tank.

Perhaps I will just have to observe the two scenarios over a period of time unless someone has already done this .