New house - no idea how the heating works..?!

martin2345uk

So it looks like the clock on the control unit doesn't work - I set it at about 4pm yesterday and today at 2pm it was still showing 4pm... guess that explains why the previous owners just had it on "constant"...!

Question - would one of those Nest or Hive smart thingies be able to work with a setup like mine...??

[Deleted User]

martin2345uk said:

So it looks like the clock on the control unit doesn't work - I set it at about 4pm yesterday and today at 2pm it was still showing 4pm... guess that explains why the previous owners just had it on "constant"...!

Hi,

were the timer seals already broken?

martin2345uk

[Deleted User] said:

martin2345uk said:

So it looks like the clock on the control unit doesn't work - I set it at about 4pm yesterday and today at 2pm it was still showing 4pm... guess that explains why the previous owners just had it on "constant"...!

Hi,

were the timer seals already broken?

Hi, I'm not quite sure what you mean by timer seals...?

[Deleted User]

Hi,

you said you set the timer.

The timer is supposed to be sealed to stop folks interfering with it and setting it to their own preferred times.

Edit: oops, sorry, getting mixed up with your 'electricity' thread.

martin2345uk

Ahhh ok that makes sense! Yes, the day-night timer by the meter is definitely sealed so I will not be touching that!

martin2345uk

I have a question that I realise people wont be able to give a definitive answer to but..
How long do you think it will take to heat that tank of water from cold (using the gas), and how long could I expect it to retain the hot water?

Billy_B_North

You could look into getting one of the “Nest” controllers, that lets you set your schedule differently on each day if you want, and that can be controlled from your phone, so can switch off the heat when you go out, for example.

Jeepers_Creepers

Not definitive, but a normal boiler giving a water flow at typically ~80oC should be able to heat a cylinder of that size in, ooh (plucks figure from air) around 40 minutes. If the cylinder is stone-cold, then probably an hour. If luke-warm, a half hour.

Once heated, that level of insulation should keep it nicely & usably hot all day, although a gradual drop in temp will be noticeable. I'd guess that in, say, 2 days, it would just be 'quite warm'. That's if it's not used. As soon as you draw out hot water from the top, fresh cold comes in t'bottom, and there's always a cooling current going on there.

Heat loss is not just through the insulation, but some through convection currents in the outlet pipe at the top. I think you'll find that that pipe is pretty hot (it'll reflect the max temp in the cylinder), and hot water will be constantly rising up and along that pipe, cooling as it goes, and returning along the bottom of the same pipe - a constant rotating current. The pipe looks well insulated tho', so probably no great loss.

Jeepers_Creepers

martin2345uk said:

So it looks like the clock on the control unit doesn't work - I set it at about 4pm yesterday and today at 2pm it was still showing 4pm... guess that explains why the previous owners just had it on "constant"...!

Question - would one of those Nest or Hive smart thingies be able to work with a setup like mine...??

I know little about Nest, but do have a Hive - tho' mine is single-channel for a combi. Yes, it'll work for you (if you have either two 2-port valves, or one 3-port valve. Have you?).

You'd need an SLT3b which handles both DHW and CH. It's wireless, so the receiver would fit in the cupboard where that Sunvic is, alongside a new wiring centre to take all the cables currently going to the Sunvic. Not rocket-science - a competent DIY sparky could do it (tho' and incompetent one shouldn't even try...)

I think the SLT3 is combi and the SLT3'b' the dual, but Hive isn't very clear about this. Suffice to say that the receiver should have two channles with lights: https://www.screwfix.com/p/hive-active-heating-hot-water-smart-thermostat-white/550hg You can also get it with a 'hub' should you want control via your phone. You should be able to pick one up for around half the price second-hand.

Hives are great - super-easy to program and use. A cracking piece of design.