Getting the best out of this heating/water system
fat controller
Posts: 13,757 Forum Member
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We've lived in our current house a year now, and I must admit that we didn't really get to know our heating and hot water system properly last winter, and all summer it has been on for water only.
So, I am looking for advice as to how to set this system up to get the best balance of efficiency but also usability please.
The system consists of:
A Glow Worm 18HXi system boiler.
A Horstmann H27XL controller
with 2 x 4ft double rads in the living room downstairs, 1 x 3ft single rad in each of the two bedrooms, and a heated towel rail rad in the bathroom, and a hot water cylinder stored in an airing cupboard.
Each of the rads, with the exception of the towel rail one, has a TRV, all of which seem to work fine.
The heating side, I think we pretty much have nailed - periods when we are in, run the heating with the TRV's set to the desired room temp (the controller allows for up to three timed periods per day, and allows different timings to be made for different days of the week) - am I correct in assuming that its best to run the heating fairly constantly to maintain temperature rather than have a warm/cold/warm cycle?
The water, I just don't get (mainly because I am used to 'on demand' systems. We've not yet been without hot water (except when we use loads of course), but I am not convinced that I am heating it efficiently. At the moment, its set to come on during the night and heat for about an hour, and then again in the afternoon for half an hour or so to boost it before we get in from school/work - weekends have an additional period in the middle of the morning, as we tend to use more at weekends.
Now, my understanding of the system is that the controller switches the boiler on whenever there is a demand for heat, regardless of whether that heat is to heat water or to heat the house, and then there is a three way valve (recently replaced) that decides where that heat is directed?
Does that mean that I can (or should) be heating the water whilst the heating is on? Or is that inefficient?
If I did set the two to come on and go off together, would the hot water simply reach a temperature and then stop taking heat from core in the tank, allowing that heat to continue round the system into the rads?
Or should I be running the two separately in cycles? If so, how long does it take on average to heat a cylinder of cold water?
So, I am looking for advice as to how to set this system up to get the best balance of efficiency but also usability please.
The system consists of:
A Glow Worm 18HXi system boiler.
A Horstmann H27XL controller
with 2 x 4ft double rads in the living room downstairs, 1 x 3ft single rad in each of the two bedrooms, and a heated towel rail rad in the bathroom, and a hot water cylinder stored in an airing cupboard.
Each of the rads, with the exception of the towel rail one, has a TRV, all of which seem to work fine.
The heating side, I think we pretty much have nailed - periods when we are in, run the heating with the TRV's set to the desired room temp (the controller allows for up to three timed periods per day, and allows different timings to be made for different days of the week) - am I correct in assuming that its best to run the heating fairly constantly to maintain temperature rather than have a warm/cold/warm cycle?
The water, I just don't get (mainly because I am used to 'on demand' systems. We've not yet been without hot water (except when we use loads of course), but I am not convinced that I am heating it efficiently. At the moment, its set to come on during the night and heat for about an hour, and then again in the afternoon for half an hour or so to boost it before we get in from school/work - weekends have an additional period in the middle of the morning, as we tend to use more at weekends.
Now, my understanding of the system is that the controller switches the boiler on whenever there is a demand for heat, regardless of whether that heat is to heat water or to heat the house, and then there is a three way valve (recently replaced) that decides where that heat is directed?
Does that mean that I can (or should) be heating the water whilst the heating is on? Or is that inefficient?
If I did set the two to come on and go off together, would the hot water simply reach a temperature and then stop taking heat from core in the tank, allowing that heat to continue round the system into the rads?
Or should I be running the two separately in cycles? If so, how long does it take on average to heat a cylinder of cold water?
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Comments
You don't say if you have any operating instructions, if not maybe you could get some, a friend of mine bought a property and the previous owners did not leave her any so I phoned the company and they e-mailed me instructions which I was able to print off for her.
I had a new boiler last year, it is guranteed for 5 years but I must have it serviced once a year which I would anyway, gas is dangerous.
I told my gas man how I wanted the heating/hot water set up, which he did and he said to give him a ring should I need any help but so far (fingers crossed) no problems.
On the whole people are very kind and will help if they can.