Need help w/ heating system in new flat please

Dummie_2

Hello

Just moved to our first rental property. It's a purpose built flat about 15yrs old. Am somewhat confused about the whole GCH, water system so thought I'd come on here to ask for some advise.

I'll try my best to explain what I have. Here goes!

In the airing cupboard is a Tribune unvented hot water storage unit. Attached to it is a themostat control. On the wall is a fused on/off switch that is on OFF at the moment. No idea what this switch is for!

In the kitchen there is a Glow Worm Economy F boiler. Attached is a hot water thermostat control. On the wall there is a Honeywell control. It's got a timer control where I can set the time and also a heating control and a hot water control. At the moment I've not set any time and have the heating and hot water controls on continueous.

In the hallway there is a Honeywell thermostat control that controls the central heating. Got it set on 20 degrees at the moment. On each central heating I've also got knobs. All are marked +/- with arrows pointing in both directions.

I'm confused as to why there is a storage unit. If the boiler heats up water then why does it need to be stored? Doesn't it just heat up as we use it?

Also confused about the knobs on the central heating units. If the thermostat in the hallway controls them, then what good does the knobs do? Does it override the hallway control?

Hope someone understands all this and is able to advise.

Many thanks.

tanith

Hi Dummie its a bit confusing isn't it? I am no expert and I am sure someone will explain things clearer than me...but well here goes...

The thermostat controls the overall temp in the house and I have mine set at 20 if its cold or 17ish when its a bit warmer like today... the valves on the radiators with+/- on are so you can control the temperture in each room individually , for instance in the bedrooms I have them turned down to 1 or 2 as I like a cool bedroom...

the boiler heats the water and then stores your hot water in the tank .. the extra switch is probabely an immersion heater which you can use separately from the boiler and heats your water quickly with electricity rather than gas (you only need it on for an hour or two) .. I only use it in the summer time occasionally if I don't want the boiler on or its handy if your boiler breaks down....

EDIT: I meant to say that having your boiler on constant especially as its been so warm is using an awful lot of gas up... my boiler is only on for 1hr in the morning heat/water and in the evening 1hr for water and 2hrs heating... we only put the boiler on at other times for the heating if its really cold ... the house has cavity insulation and stays fairly warm even with the heat off....
Hope it helps a little ....

Dummie_2

tanith wrote: »

The thermostat controls the overall temp in the house and I have mine set at 20 if its cold or 17ish when its a bit warmer like today... the valves on the radiators with+/- on are so you can control the temperture in each room individually , for instance in the bedrooms I have them turned down to 1 or 2 as I like a cool bedroom...

On my knobs there isn't any numbers. Just '+' and '-'. I'm assuming they work in the same way?

tanith wrote: »

the boiler heats the water and then stores your hot water in the tank .. the extra switch is probabely an immersion heater which you can use separately from the boiler and heats your water quickly with electricity rather than gas (you only need it on for an hour or two) .. I only use it in the summer time occasionally if I don't want the boiler on or its handy if your boiler breaks down....

EDIT: I meant to say that having your boiler on constant especially as its been so warm is using an awful lot of gas up... my boiler is only on for 1hr in the morning heat/water and in the evening 1hr for water and 2hrs heating... we only put the boiler on at other times for the heating if its really cold ... the house has cavity insulation and stays fairly warm even with the heat off....
Hope it helps a little ....

Sorry, still a little lost. So the gas heats up the water and stores it in the tank which I'm guessing uses electricity to keep it hot? I'm confused as to why there is a need to store it. Wouldn't it be more cost efficient to just heat the water up with gas as and when you need it? The boiler is on all day but not actually burning gas all day. It burns gas when the temp in the flat goes down to heat up the GCH and when we switch on the hot water. So does this mean I have the option to heat up my water with either gas or electricity? If the switch is on next to the tank then the electricity does the job. If off then the gas does it?