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Heating a buffer tank with immersion/heating element

  • 11-07-2017 09:31PM
    #1
    gutteruu
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,064 ✭✭✭


    Anyone done this? Would it be a very costly way to heat ?

    My buffer tank is heated off a multifuel boiler, but I was wondering how expensive it would be if I installed some heating elements in it for the odd days when I don't light the boiler?

    Are there special elements? I'm guessing you would need 2 for a 1000L tank?

    Thanks


Comments

  • #2
    Wearb
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 6,707 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wearb


    gutteruu wrote: »
    Anyone done this? Would it be a very costly way to heat ?

    My buffer tank is heated off a multifuel boiler, but I was wondering how expensive it would be if I installed some heating elements in it for the odd days when I don't light the boiler?

    Are there special elements? I'm guessing you would need 2 for a 1000L tank?

    Thanks

    For the odd days when you don't light the boiler, I think a couple of electric heaters would be more effective than heating the 1000L buffer. A small solid fuel stove even better.


  • #3
    gutteruu
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,064 ✭✭✭gutteruu


    I have chimney flue 'issues' in the house. Oil boiler is old, faulty and mad expensive (inefficient). I was just thinking of ease for the wife etc if I'm not around. I'm just wondering how expensive it would actually be. Twice the price of running an oil boiler? three times?


  • #4
    antoinolachtnai
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,737 ✭✭✭antoinolachtnai


    About 3 times (assuming 6c for a kWh with oil, 18c for a kWh with electricity). I suppose you could run it at night and get a night saver meter if you were really committed to this idea.

    It will take a long time to heat, because the output of the immersion coil will only be 3kWh or so, or 6 kWh for two. That is a quarter of the output of your boiler, maybe less.

    An electric fan heater or radiant heater will have the advantage of only heating the area that you (or your wife) actually want to heat.


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