What is the best setting for heating and water

bhzmac1

My parents have recently moved to a new house and we are trying to work out the most efficient way to set up the heating and hot water supply, in-particular the hot water, as previously they have been used to a combi boiler so hot water on demand.

My mum is in most days so require hot water pretty much all day, they shower and bath normally in the early evening. At the moment the central heating is the only source of heat and is still required some heating during the cooler evenings.

The system they have had been fitted within the last 2 years so is fairly new and comprises of:
-Condensing boiler
-Foam insulated hot water tank with thermostat
-Duel timer switch for heating and hot water with over ride
-Room thermostat
-Standard RAD no TRV's

They way they are using it at the moment is.

Heating: heater timer always on, room stat set to min and just turn up stat when they require some heat. Heat output setting on boiler set to med to high

Hot Water: Cylinder thermostat set to 70. Manually turning the water time on when they get up and turning it off after baths etc in the early evening.

What are people's experiences with this set up and the most efficient set up for the demand?

DragonQ

Heating is complicated because it entirely depends on what you want. I normally only have it on for a few hours a day in the winter but some people want or need it on all the time.

For hot water, with a modern, well-insulated system you should be able to leave it on for, say, 30 minutes each the morning, and have enough hot water for the day. Also, 70 °C is unnecessarily high, 60 °C should be fine. You'll have to experiment though - if the hot water runs out in the evening, then maybe you need it to come on twice a day.

bhzmac1

Is maintaining the hot water temperature during hours of use not more efficient than heating it back up the required temperature at set times (not sure one heating session in the early morning will last in terms of supply or temp)

Wywth

bhzmac1 wrote: »

Is maintaining the hot water temperature during hours of use not more efficient than heating it back up the required temperature at set times (not sure one heating session in the early morning will last in terms of supply or temp)

No. (or yes, bit confused by the possible double negative. Maintaining the desired tempeature will use more energy)

See this thread for an explanation
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4327195

Whilst the article is more about space heating, the same holds for stored hot water.

macman

bhzmac1 wrote: »

Is maintaining the hot water temperature during hours of use not more efficient than heating it back up the required temperature at set times (not sure one heating session in the early morning will last in terms of supply or temp)

If by 'efficient' you mean 'cheaper', then no, it is not. All the time it is on but not being drawn off, heat is being lost from the cylinder (although this does mostly leak out to heat the house, so is not really 'lost').
I didn't suggest only one heating session. The 'norm' is a morning cycle and an evening cycle for both CH and DHW, depending on lifestyle of course.
The point I was making is that operating it purely manually as at present is inconvenient. Why only switch the heating on after you get up? One of the major benefits of CH is to wake up to a warm house.