How do I use hot water tank system?

Silaqui

Hi everyone,

I have just bought my first house, and am spending this week decorating and things before we move everything in on Friday.

I am trying to figure out how to set the timer for the heating/hot water, and am currently printing off the manual(!) but the house has a hot water tank system. I've only ever lived with combi boilers where everything is instant, so I am totally ignorant of how to use a 'tank' system.

A couple of questions here - I don't know if anyone can help but any advice would be most appreciated!

1. The instruction manual says that the switch on the back of the boiler controls should be set to (P) for a pumped system, which apparently means that you can have heating and hot water independently, or (G) for gravity fed which means you can only have heating when there is also hot water. I am hoping that I can take the unit off the wall and have a look, but if I can't remove it, is there another way I can check whether I have a pump or gravity system?

2. With a water tank system, how long does it take to heat the water so it can be used? There will be two of us living in the house we generally get up at 6am and will be out of the house by 6.45, but need to have a wash! then home by around 6pm needing hot water for washing up/showers etc in the evening. What sort of timings would I need to start with? As a general guide - obviously I can adjust it as we get used to it?

Any other advice will be really useful!

Thank you very much!

southcoastrgi

do you have a valve something like these valves next to your hot water cylinder ?, try the hot water setting an hr in the morn before you want it & a couple of hrs in the eve

T_T_2

Lots of ifs and buts...

Firstly do you have one of these (or similar)? This is a domestic circulating pump

And do you have either of these?

T_T_2

Er... nevermind, I spent too long picking images and Southcoast beat me to it!

southcoastrgi

T_T wrote: »

Er... nevermind, I spent too long picking images and Southcoast beat me to it!

no it's a good point as i didn't post either the pump or zone valve so it's all good for the OP :T

Silaqui

Thank you both - I'm not at the house at the moment but will have a look tomorrow.

The valves - I'm looking for those next to the water tank in the airing cupboard somewhere? (not next to the boiler with the pilot light in it)? And the circulating pump, where should I be looking for that?
What do they indicate?

In terms of the timings southcoastrgi, "try the hot water setting an hr in the morn before you want it & a couple of hrs in the eve" - just to clarify, do you mean set to heat water from 5-6 for use between 6-6.45am? (for example)

Thanks again - I'm not totally useless with DIY type stuff but have never had to use one of these systems before!

Silaqui

I was thinking as well (in case it makes any difference) we have an electric shower (no bath) and will only really need hot water in the morning for a quick wash and then in the evening just for washing up really, does this affect the amount of time you heat the water in the tank for?

Presumably it would be quite wasteful to heat a full tank just for these few little bits?

southcoastrgi

yes for the morn thats fine & if you only req that in the eve then just for an hr in the eve, yes both the valve & the pump will normally be in the airing cupboard, also look to see how many pipes you have coming off the boiler unless it's really old you will have two pipes for the heating & one at the bottom for the gas

T_T_2

Every system has it's own idiosyncrasies and it will take a little trial and error to find the best length of time to have the hot water on for. Different times of the year will affect how long you need it on for as the source water temperature will be colder to start with in winter. As southcoast suggested, start with 60 mins. If it's not giving you enough hot water, increase to 70mins, if you think you have a surplus of water then drop it down to 50mins until you fine tune it.

Ectophile

If the tank's well lagged, then it should stay hot all day unless you use all the water. You could try 1 hour per day to start with. If that runs out, 1 hour twice a day may be better.

Do check the lagging on the tank. Modern ones are covered in foam. Older ones aren't and need a good thick hot water tank blanket over them.