Using hot water

harderthanf

I've only switched on my PV array and obviously with the good weather the hot water tank is full all the time. We have a couple of electric showers at the moment so we can't benefit from using them after hours. However, the big hot water tank will still have plenty of hot water for an evening shower.

Anyone got any tips/tricks for using this water!? Is there such a thing as a dual gravity and electric shower. Say, with a switch for the input? Summer months you can switch to the hot water tanks and gravity feed and winter switch back to the electric heating?

cnocbui

Dispose of the electric showers and install a 3 bar pump to provide pressure to the whole system, then you can avail of the hot water from the tank, have a far more pleasant showering experience, and not waste years of your life waiting for water to flow and fill things.

harderthanf

https://boards.ie/discussion/comment/117632009#Comment_117632009

But during the winter months there wouldn't be enough hot water in the tank so we'd need to wait that way too - for the grid power to heat the tank!

magicbastarder

what was the intended use of the hot water? surely being able to use it in the shower would have been one of the key benefits?

cnocbui

My central heating does most of the heating of the HW tank in winter, and the electric element in the tank is run off a programmable timer to come on for a few min at useful times of the day, so no 'waiting'. Since the electric element is also governed by a thermostat, if the water in the tank is already hot from the CH, it won't actually come on anyway when the timer turns it on, so it's not wasting power.

By using a timer, there is no 'waiting', as you just set it to heat just before those times when you tend to need it so it's already hot when you turn the taps. My CH is also governed by a programmable timer/thermostat, so it only comes on as needed. Basically it's technically 'on' year round, and even comes on in 'summer' in brief spurts on chilly evenings.

If your hot water cyclinder isn't insulated, then maybe a power shower makes sense, but a fully pumped system makes for a far more enjoyable showering experience than those things, and the overall benefit in terms of time not spent waiting for water to trickle into things is substantial.

harderthanf

https://boards.ie/discussion/comment/117632162#Comment_117632162

Absolutely.

Just trying to see if there is any lateral thinking to be done to avoid some extra cost. I do like the idea of using the electric to heat the water in the winter too, would just need to invest some time setting it up so there are no whinges when there is no hot water!

magicbastarder

when i was getting an electric shower replaced a few years ago, i asked the plumber was there such a thing as a shower which can pump hot water when available, and heat cold water when there wasn't. he told me there was no option for that, i can't remember the exact reason he provided, but i suspect safety was an issue.

dathi

we have solar hot water so what i did about 12 years ago was to use a triton aspirante electric shower with a remote power pack located in hot press and a thermostatic shower which uses the hot water from the cylinder we have solar hot water April to October and and use the thermostatic shower and rest of year we either

20210720_100407.jpg

heat water with oil or use the triton

My plumber suggested gets an extra shower head in the shower to take water off the tank for showers when available.

Central heating heats the tank in winter

We have night rate so could heat it during those periods if we wanted.

Currently have a Triton electric and use it in the mornings so it's still night rate.

Just got solar pv in yesterday so still work to be done to economise