Boilermate 2 & Suprima 50

rmjowen

Hi

I have recently moved into a rented property which has the Boilermate 2 and Suprima 50 boiler.

From what I understand, the Boilermate will continue to store an amount of hot water in it 24/7 based on the level I have set the summer and winter setting.

To me, this doesn't seem efficient as the hot water will be produced throughout the day, regardless of when I am home or work and I'm worried my gas bill will be quite high. I realise I could turn down the levels when I leave for work and up again when home, but this is impractical.

If anyone knows about the Boilermate, can you please let me know if I understand the working correctly and the most efficient settings for all the dials.

For notes: As of this week, I am using heating 2 hours in the AM and 3-4 hours in the PM, no heating or hot water overnight and nothing during Mon to Fri daytime.

The Boilermate has the electro-mechanical clock.

Any insight into this system will be appreciated.

Thank
Russ

gas4you

You are correct. The Boilermate is wasteful on gas.

I'm not certain from your post whether you realise the Boilermate is a thermal store rather than a hot water cylinder. Apologies if you do.

Your suprima should have its thermostat set on max for this system. The boilermate, as a thermal store, is just a large store of extra hot water. This is the same water that goes through the boiler and in the radiators. NOT your hot tap water.

You have a primary pump that circulates this water between the store and the boiler, then the secondary pump that kicks in with the room stat demanding heat.

The hot water is created by passing cold mains water through a large (long) coil, so the store heats this 'instantly'.

The hot water temp is regulated by the blending valve that mixes the hot water with cold water.

Builders used to like this because you get mains pressure hot water without the need to employ a fitter with a G3 unvented ticket.

Although wasteful in summer, in winter you will find that your rads get hot almost instantly, so your rooms get warm quicker.

The biggest downside of the Boilermate, is that are a sludge bucket, that will just collect masses of system sludge in them.

If ever you have to drain it down, you will be very lucky that it will fill without problems.

HTH, if you didn't know this already.

rmjowen

Well now is a month between meeter readings and I feel sick. It appears a months gas usage has cost me £200.

Is there anything I can do to not have to use this thermal store, or do I lose all heating and hot water that way? Or do I speak to the landlord to get a combi boiler to heat everything?

I can't go on like that, 1 month I can cope with, I've learned, but all winter will cost me £1000 just for gas.

Pincher

rmjowen wrote: »

From what I understand, the Boilermate will continue to store an amount of hot water in it 24/7 based on the level I have set the summer and winter setting.

The Boilermate has the electro-mechanical clock.

Unless the lagging (cylinder insulation) is poor, the occasional topping up shouldn't make much difference to your gas consumption.

If the Boilermate is trying to maintain the set point 24/7,
what's the point of having a clock? Does it turn on the central heating circulation pump?

In any case, it should be possible to put in a conventional programmer, with boost button, so the demand line to the boiler only goes LIVE when you want it to.

keystone

Thermal Stores are sludgebuckets.

Cheers