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Just moved - help with new boiler!

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I've just moved to a new flat on rent. And got charged a whopping £140 for electricity this month. Our boiler is an Oso 20 RD and has 2 switches - One on the thermostat and one on the wall. What are these switches and what's the best way to use them to still get hot water to shower only?


Comments

  • Mark_d
    Mark_d Posts: 2,401 Forumite
    1,000 Posts First Anniversary Name Dropper
    Have the boiler off by default and use manual boost when you want a shower...though you might need to heat your entire hot water tank before you can take a hot shower.
  • matelodave
    matelodave Posts: 9,076 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 9 September 2024 at 1:10PM
    What electricty tariff are you on. What sort of heating system do you have. How often do you shower and when.

    An off peak tariff would enable you to time your water heating to use cheaper energy and perhaps just heat the tank for an hour or so to provide sufficient hot water for morning ablutions during the off-peak period with perhaps just enough hot water left for a lick and a promise before bedtime. However it also depends on what heating you've got and how much energy you use during the day.

    If you dont need a whole tankful of hot water then just heat as much as you need when you need it - we get away with heating our tank to just 45 degree once every two days and theres more than enough hot water for both of us to have a quick shower on both days (although the last one is a bit lukewarm). We have an eco shower head and only spend around 2-3 minutes each in the shower. Long hot showers under a deluge of water can clear the tank in less than ten minutes.

    We do have a dishwasher for most stuff and just boil a kettle if we want really hot water for a stubborn crust pan


    Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large numbers
  • Alnat1
    Alnat1 Posts: 3,840 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Third Anniversary Photogenic Name Dropper
    Another thing to check, does the shower actually use water from the hot water tank? There have been people heating a full tank every day when their shower heats directly on electric. If that's the case you might manage without heating the tank at all and boiling a kettle to wash up etc.
    Barnsley, South Yorkshire
    Solar PV 5.25kWp SW facing (14 x 375) Lux 3.6kw hybrid inverter installed Mar 22 and 9.6kw Pylontech battery 
    Daikin 8kW ASHP installed Jan 25
    Octopus Cosy/Fixed Outgoing 
  • Rodders53
    Rodders53 Posts: 2,660 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Oso 20 RD  is a series of HW cylinders with different capacity... That capacity will be marked on it somewhere.

    It'll have two heating elements behind the cover panels (only one shown, above)... top one is usually daytime 'boost' and the lower one used on an overnight timer to take advantage of cheap(er) rate electricity.
    Costs will depend on your tariff - and if it is E7 or similar or not.

    The Installation/User manual is this
    https://osohotwater.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Manual-20-series-RI-production-dates-2000-2010.pdf

    The timer manual is this https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Technical/DataSheets/Horstmann/EL7_U.PDF

    I have the same cylinder (without the snazzy logo printed) in indirect form, heated by a kerosene boiler (but used the bottom immersion element in anger when the boiler was out of action for a while).

    Not the unvented HW tank needs regular maintenance.  It has a user-maintainable air bubble that needs replenishment (instructions in the manual) and a qualified G3 technician should be used to check operation of the safety controls (and check / replenish the bubble) annually.

    If renting the Landlord should be doing all this along with supplying operating instructions and advice.


  • Have a look on YouTube on the benefits of cold water showers, save you fortune by the sound of it.
  • Yeah, cold showers, very invigorating and clears the mind allowing a rational train of thought.

    Or maybe not.
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