Immersion heater help!

Cyclone_Cyd

Does an electrician need to do it?

NO. But whoever does should be competent.

Cyclone_Cyd

mute_posting wrote: »

Exactly how do you come to that conclusion?

an immersion heater doesn't draw current 24/7 hence WHY a timer will only make a small difference!

http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/home_improvements/heating_and_hot_water/heating_controls

and plenty more sources.

mute_posting

Cyclone_Cyd wrote: »

Pink,
Here's what to do:

1. No matter what fuel you're using, insulate the tank. If it's a plain copper tank get down to Wickes and buy two lagging kits. If it's got foam on it get one lagging kit. Insulate, insulate, insulate. Tank lagging is very easy to fit - you can do it yourself.

Good Advice

2. Contact your electricity supply company and ask if you can be put onto an economy 7 tarrif - if you're not already.

Debateable - OP would need to use enough off-peak units to offset the effects of the more costly peak units

3. Contact a local electrician or plumber. Ask him (or her!) to check whether your immersion heater is an 11 or 27 inch version. What you're looking for here is to make sure that you get a FULL tank of hot from each charge. So you'll need a 27 inch fitted if it's only an 11 inch now.

That will be quite difficult if the cylinder is side entry - I don't know many domestic cylinders that will accept a 27" through the side

4. Set the immersion thermostat to 70C. This is very hot, but should not be hot enough to cause scalding. Reason: to get the most heat energy into the water when using the immersion on E7, thus getting best value.

Again assumes OP is better off on E7 when they may not be. Also the higher the tank temp the greater the rate of heat loss. 60 or 65 max will be fine IMHO

5. .....Only use the boost if you really need it outside the E7 period.

6. Try to bathe or shower in the morning before the end of the E7 period.

7. Try to find free sources of wood for the stove. Also buy a half load of logs in early autumn. Burn mostly wood during the autumn and spring months when it's not so cold. Do not burn tanalised wood (eg decking off cuts)

Good Advice

9. If you're out most days at work / school, then use a couple of 2kW fan heaters in the mornings during the E7 period rather than faffing with the stove.

Or just put an extra layer on

10. Get the stove going as soon as you get home from work. Keep it going as long as it's needed. Add fuel half an hour before bed when it's coldest (so you can check it). Boost with the fan heaters if required (don't burn too much fuel and end up sweating, you'll just be wasting it).

Good Advice

11. Now you've got E7 run your washers and driers overnight on timers.

Economy 7 electricity is quite cheap, so use as much of it as you can. Similarly, wood is cheaper than coal, but has lower heat output, so only use coal when it's coldest. You can buy a device that makes fuel "bricks" out of all those free newspapers and junk mail. The stove will take a while to get going from cold, hence not worth using just for an hour or two in the morning when you've got E7 available.

Assumes it will be beneficial for OP to have E7 - how do you deduce this?

Have the loft insulation checked and get the council to top it up to at least 8 inches if it's less.

Current recomendation is 10 inces isn't it?

MP

beingjdc

mute_posting wrote: »

Unless you are being sarcastic, why re-invent the wheel? There are plenty of IH timers already on the market.

Sure there are, but when you're renting a place you're not generally allowed to start redoing the electricals! Something that would fit over the switch and could then be removed when we move out if it wasn't to the landlord's liking would be a more practical solution to the problem.

mute_posting

Cyclone_Cyd wrote: »

Does an electrician need to do it?

NO. But whoever does should be competent.

Even IF it didn't come under the "work in bathrooms" provision it wouldn't be a like-for-like modification OR adding a new lights / sockets to existing circuit so an electrician WOULD be needed to comply with part P.

mute_posting

Cyclone_Cyd wrote: »

http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/home_improvements/heating_and_hot_water/heating_controls

and plenty more sources.

That is for space heating where the advice is MOST DEFINITELY switched opposed to constant.

Stored water heating (in a sufficently lagged tank) will reach temperature and then switch off via the stat and loose little over the day which is why adding a timer will only have a small effect

MP

Cyclone_Cyd

Debateable - OP would need to use enough off-peak units to offset the effects of the more costly peak units


Which she will if she uses the immersion in the warmer months (which she will 'cos she's got no alternative) when the stove is not required. Also don't forget the whole house will be running on E7 too. That includes the fridge, lights, morning brew etc etc. Then make it even more worthwhile by running washers etc overnight all year round.

Most domestic cylinders are top entry. Often fitted with an 11 inch heater where there is another primary heat source.

I save about £30 a month being on E7 compared to a standard tarriff (using my actual usage figures to calculate).

mute_posting

Cyclone_Cyd wrote: »

Which she will if she uses the immersion in the warmer months (which she will 'cos she's got no alternative) when the stove is not required.

Just because OP has no alternative than to use electric to heat water in summer, it doesn't automatically mean that it WILL pay to be on E7!

Also don't forget the whole house will be running on E7 too. That includes the fridge, lights, morning brew etc etc.

I'm not disputing that, but there's not that much lighting used between midnight and 7am!

Then make it even more worthwhile by running washers etc overnight all year round.

fine if that is convenient - not much use if OP uses the launderette

Most domestic cylinders are top entry. Often fitted with an 11 inch heater where there is another primary heat source.

SOME cylinders are top entry I'd doubt that "MOST" are. Perhaps 50:50

I save about £30 a month being on E7 compared to a standard tarriff (using my actual usage figures to calculate).

Which is all well and good - but those are YOUR figures and usage. Just because it work s for you don't TELL others they should do the same.

By all means give advice and suggestions but to storm onto MSE and start telling people (of whom you don't know the full situation) that they WILL be better off this way or that is not considered good form.

MP

Cardew

Cyclone_Cyd wrote: »

I save about £30 a month being on E7 compared to a standard tarriff (using my actual usage figures to calculate).

Care to give us those actual usage figures please - consumption in kWh and tariff prices.

Cyclone_Cyd

Even IF it didn't come under the "work in bathrooms" provision it wouldn't be a like-for-like modification OR adding a new lights / sockets to existing circuit so an electrician WOULD be needed to comply with part P.

Not so. Simply adding a timer into the flex from the DP switch to the heater constitutes a minor modification to the existing circuit. Therefore it is not notifiable work, unless the tank is actually in the bathroom (inside an airing cupboard with a door is not in the bathroom). Therefore no electrician required.

The phrase "like for like" does not appear anywhere in Approved Document P. If you believe it does, please give us a page reference.