Water tank in new home, how best to use it?

housebuyer143

I have just moved into a new house and it has a boiler and water storage tank. How is it best to use this to save money? It's gas powered, and seems to have a timer I could get to work 👍

We only want the water on in the morning for a 30 min shower, and maybe in the evening 3 or 4 times a week for a 30 min shower at these times? Do you turn the water heater on in advance to warm the water up or leave it on all the time?

I know it's a long shower but hey, you only live once and all that. Got to enjoy some things 🤣

Astria

Surely that depends on if the shower runs off the water storage tank or if it's electric ?

Robin9

Does your boiler also supply the central heating and your other domestic hot water (for washing up, bathroom sink) ?


PS I presume you have done the standard things in contacting the existing gas and electric suppliers, giving them meter readings and are on variable not fixed tariffs . 

Phantom151

I was wondering this too. I had a really old timer attached to the immersion heater that I thought was not working. Turns out it was just turned off! It doesn't appear to have any measurable effect as I still have hot water when the boiler is on but presumably will cost to run. I've left it off switched off.

housebuyer143

Robin9 said:

Does your boiler also supply the central heating and your other domestic hot water (for washing up, bathroom sink) ?


PS I presume you have done the standard things in contacting the existing gas and electric suppliers, giving them meter readings and are on variable not fixed tariffs . 

The boiler supplies the heating but we don't have hot water unless the hot water tank is turned on. 

I have notified British gas as I planned to bring my fixed tariff over to the new place. 

housebuyer143

Phantom151 said:

I was wondering this too. I had a really old timer attached to the immersion heater that I thought was not working. Turns out it was just turned off! It doesn't appear to have any measurable effect as I still have hot water when the boiler is on but presumably will cost to run. I've left it off switched off.

Yeah, I didn't think it was worth leaving it on as then I am paying to heat water i am not using? I didn't sound like the most cost effective thing to do.

Robin9

housebuyer143 said:

Robin9 said:

Does your boiler also supply the central heating and your other domestic hot water (for washing up, bathroom sink) ?


PS I presume you have done the standard things in contacting the existing gas and electric suppliers, giving them meter readings and are on variable not fixed tariffs . 

The boiler supplies the heating but we don't have hot water unless the hot water tank is turned on. 

I have notified British gas as I planned to bring my fixed tariff over to the new place. 

This is sounding like your hot water tank has an Immersion Heater.   Your 30 min showers  will cost you nearly £2 each per shower.


You normally won't be able to transfer your BG tariff. The process is you contact the existing suppliers first.

bagand96

It will depend on the set up. Either your gas boiler will do the central heating and also the hot water tank, or the boiler has no connection to the hot water tank and as Robin says the water is only heated by electricity (immersion heater).

A lot of systems will have the boiler heat the hot water tank but also an immersion heater for back up - so do check that whether the boiler can heat the hot water or not. 

But regardless of whether your tank is heated by gas or electric, the idea is you heat up the tank and then it stores the hot water. So you’d set the hot water to come on for a time period in the morning to heat the tank, and then maybe again in the evening. But it largely depends on how well the tank retains heat and how much water you use. It will take a bit of trial and error, maybe start with an hour in the morning every day and see if you run out of hot water - if you do you need to run it longer (or for another period in the afternoon/evening).  If you never run out then you can reduce that time to 45mins etc 

How old is the tank? May also be worth looking at adding insulation to it if it’s older. 

jimjames

Phantom151 said:

I was wondering this too. I had a really old timer attached to the immersion heater that I thought was not working. Turns out it was just turned off! It doesn't appear to have any measurable effect as I still have hot water when the boiler is on but presumably will cost to run. I've left it off switched off.

It might also be broken, we had one connected to the tank but turning on and off made no difference. Replacing it solved the issue.

housebuyer143

bagand96 said:

It will depend on the set up. Either your gas boiler will do the central heating and also the hot water tank, or the boiler has no connection to the hot water tank and as Robin says the water is only heated by electricity (immersion heater).

A lot of systems will have the boiler heat the hot water tank but also an immersion heater for back up - so do check that whether the boiler can heat the hot water or not. 

But regardless of whether your tank is heated by gas or electric, the idea is you heat up the tank and then it stores the hot water. So you’d set the hot water to come on for a time period in the morning to heat the tank, and then maybe again in the evening. But it largely depends on how well the tank retains heat and how much water you use. It will take a bit of trial and error, maybe start with an hour in the morning every day and see if you run out of hot water - if you do you need to run it longer (or for another period in the afternoon/evening).  If you never run out then you can reduce that time to 45mins etc 

How old is the tank? May also be worth looking at adding insulation to it if it’s older. 

Thank you - very helpful.

The boiler only has heating on it, no water symbol, but the controller next to it has a switch for heating and underneath hot water. You can select each one to either on, off, timed etc. I might trial it next and see if the HW comes on without the heating and then with the boiler off. 
When I turn on the boiler, the tank in the upstairs cupboard sounds like its on, even though the water switch is off... Reckon I need to google for the manual lol! 

Is there a way I can tell if its gas from looking at the tank?

If I only need it on for an hour or so before then that is good. The heating system is apparently 18 years old, but it looks good for that age! I could add some insulation if that will also help. 

housebuyer143

Robin9 said:

housebuyer143 said:

Robin9 said:

Does your boiler also supply the central heating and your other domestic hot water (for washing up, bathroom sink) ?


PS I presume you have done the standard things in contacting the existing gas and electric suppliers, giving them meter readings and are on variable not fixed tariffs . 

The boiler supplies the heating but we don't have hot water unless the hot water tank is turned on. 

I have notified British gas as I planned to bring my fixed tariff over to the new place. 

This is sounding like your hot water tank has an Immersion Heater.   Your 30 min showers  will cost you nearly £2 each per shower.


You normally won't be able to transfer your BG tariff. The process is you contact the existing suppliers first.

BG have said its fine and they will move it  

We have an electric shower now, 10kw running for 30mins plus a day... it cant really be more pricey than that LOL!