Solar thermal panels winter temp boost

traindrvr

Hi I bought a house with solar panels for hot water (not the PV ones) which was lovely in the summer but the water isn't hot enough to shower now. There is a switch next to the tank for hot water which raises the temperature sufficiently. My question is should I leave that switched on permanently in the winter or should I switch it on when hot hot water is required?

Thanks

System

traindrvr wrote: »

Hi I bought a house with solar panels for hot water (not the PV ones) which was lovely in the summer but the water isn't hot enough to shower now. There is a switch next to the tank for hot water which raises the temperature sufficiently. My question is should I leave that switched on permanently in the winter or should I switch it on when hot hot water is required?

Thanks

Is there a timer associated with the switch? If not, then I would turn it on for an hour (probably in the evening when the system has most out of the day's sun) and see whether this meets your hot water requirement. If you leave it permanently on, the immersion heater will not be heating 24/7. Most cylinders have an adjustable temperature thermostat.