Hot water boiler on all time or just when needed?
hello could i ask if members leave their hot water boiler on all the time or just when you are going to use it for washing up or shower etc? Is it similar to an immersion heater ? What you would just switch on when you wanted a bath at home or is it like
a combi boiler ? Cheers mrs bc a caravan beginner 
( i ve only been switching mine on when i need hot water)
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The hot water heats up so quickly that we switch it on as & when needed. Having said that we have gone out for the day and left it on by mistake. The tank is thermostatically controlled so I hope it hasn't gobbled up too much gas It works like an
immersion tank holding a limited amount of hot water - as you'll discover if you stay in the shower for too long!0 -
In summer we leave it switched on when we are in the caravan but swutch off when out for the day. In winter as we leave the heating on the water heater stays on too.
What type of water/space heating do you have? It is not on demand like a combi boiler at home (even if its called a combi - this refers to water and space heating all in one). Ours is thermostatically controlled so it won't be heating (water or space) all
the time only when it falls below a certain temperature. If you're on EHU, you can keep the van and water heated quite hot on the 1Kw setting.0 -
i think either is fine...the thermostat will stop the unit overheating but, if you are out for the day and its heating and cooling (insulation not as good as at home) then it will be using fuel (gas or leccy) to maintain this heat.
you could also just heat on demand, say early in the morning for a shower, turn on for 20 mins to give a full tank of hot water.
for washing up, we generally boil a kettle as it will take a while to run the hot through from the tank to the tap, wasting quite a bit of water considering you just want a bit to wash up in.
so, if you're paying for fuel (gas or metered leccy) i would just turn on when needed for a shower.
similarly, if having to fetch water, why waste it by running it down the sink waiting for the water to run hot? try a kettle instead?
good luck.
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We always leave ours on all the time. Boilers are more fuel efficient and, therefore, cheaper to run if left on. Leaving it on only allows the temperature of the water to drop slightly before the thermostat kicks in and the heating element turns on for a
short time. Turning it off allows the water to cool considerably and then the element has to work far longer to bring the water up to temperature.0 -
We always leave ours on all the time. Boilers are more fuel efficient and, therefore, cheaper to run if left on. Leaving it on only allows the temperature of the water to drop slightly before the thermostat kicks in and the heating element turns on for a
short time. Turning it off allows the water to cool considerably and then the element has to work far longer to bring the water up to temperature.good post, I'll think I'll leave it switched on too from now on.
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We always leave ours on all the time. Boilers are more fuel efficient and, therefore, cheaper to run if left on. Leaving it on only allows the temperature of the water to drop slightly before the thermostat kicks in and the heating element turns on for a
short time. Turning it off allows the water to cool considerably and then the element has to work far longer to bring the water up to temperature.good post, I'll think I'll leave it switched on too from now on.
Thanks. We leave our gas boiler on all the time at home for the same reason and have differering temperature settings throughout the day. The boiler doesn't fire up a lot but it would burn for ages to heat the house from cold.
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but once you've had your showers (two in our case) the hot tank will be cold.
so, if it were left on permanently, then each day, the water has to be heated fully from cold (and maintained at that temperature) even though you arent necessarily going to use it.
if the next time you need hot water from the tap is the following morning (we wash up using a kettle) its more efficient to heat it once the next day (morning) than have it heat/cool/heat all day when its not needed.
however, if you wash up from the hot tap, or must have hot water in the washroom sink, then you might as well keep the water boiler on as TW says.
the thing is, as the water in the hot pipe cools quickly after use, it then takes a while for hot water to make the trip from boiler to tap, so when washing hands or doing washing up, much cold water is wasted while waiting for the hot to come through, hence
our use of a kettle to wash up, only using whats required.im happy to wash hands in cold(ish) water.....rather that than watch litres run unnecessarily down the waste...
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But if you use the superb site facilities for showering it saves using your own hot water and filling/emptying tanks so often.
Our hot water is instant so we dont waste water by running off cold and have no need to boil a kettle for dishes, or to wash our hands in luke warm water.
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but once you've had your showers (two in our case) the hot tank will be cold.
so, if it were left on permanently, then each day, the water has to be heated fully from cold (and maintained at that temperature) even though you arent necessarily going to use it.
if the next time you need hot water from the tap is the following morning (we wash up using a kettle) its more efficient to heat it once the next day (morning) than have it heat/cool/heat all day when its not needed.
however, if you wash up from the hot tap, or must have hot water in the washroom sink, then you might as well keep the water boiler on as TW says.
the thing is, as the water in the hot pipe cools quickly after use, it then takes a while for hot water to make the trip from boiler to tap, so when washing hands or doing washing up, much cold water is wasted while waiting for the hot to come through, hence
our use of a kettle to wash up, only using whats required.im happy to wash hands in cold(ish) water.....rather that than watch litres run unnecessarily down the waste...
here endeth the first lesson
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But if you use the superb site facilities for showering it saves using your own hot water and filling/emptying tanks so often.
Our hot water is instant so we dont waste water by running off cold and have no need to boil a kettle for dishes, or to wash our hands in luke warm water.
this thread isnt about site showers is it?....nice though they may be..
however, would i want to get out of bed, get dressed, walk to a shower block (certainly not this past fortnight in our interesting english weather..needing an outdoor coat for the artcic winds and lashing rain/snow) get undressed, shower, get dressed incl said overcoat, return to van, remove overcoat etc....when i can slip out of bed straight into the shower and only get dressed once for breakfast...
what sort of 'instant hot water at each tap' system is available in vans....? some domestic kitchens have them. so, i take it that you dont have an Alde or Truma system like most other vans?
irrespective of what boiler system is used to heat the water, any water in a pipe from that boiler to a tap some distance away will cool if the tap is not used for some time.
perhaps all your water pipes are lagged?
either way, the OP (like you and i) is at liberty to choose which way they operate their van. i have just provided a little more info to help them make that decision.
as it happens, this past three weeks, i have used the 'leave it on all the time' approach.
i cant say its better or worse, for some it might be more convenient to have the water in the tank hot all the time, for others its not necessary.....for them to choose.....
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but once you've had your showers (two in our case) the hot tank will be cold.
so, if it were left on permanently, then each day, the water has to be heated fully from cold (and maintained at that temperature) even though you arent necessarily going to use it.
if the next time you need hot water from the tap is the following morning (we wash up using a kettle) its more efficient to heat it once the next day (morning) than have it heat/cool/heat all day when its not needed.
however, if you wash up from the hot tap, or must have hot water in the washroom sink, then you might as well keep the water boiler on as TW says.
the thing is, as the water in the hot pipe cools quickly after use, it then takes a while for hot water to make the trip from boiler to tap, so when washing hands or doing washing up, much cold water is wasted while waiting for the hot to come through, hence
our use of a kettle to wash up, only using whats required.im happy to wash hands in cold(ish) water.....rather that than watch litres run unnecessarily down the waste...
here endeth the first lesson
just extra info, Corners....no more, no less.
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We pay for the electricity, in the pitch fee (that is always higher on a CC site than a commercial site, in our experience of caravan ownership) so we will use it!!
That
was the reason for joining the Caravan Club, with 16 amp supplies; the electric ring on the cooker to boil the kettle in place of gas as in our previous motorhome. Full heating throughout the caravan, c/w hot water tank and shower. Why pay for gas when you've
paid for the electricity in the pitch fee?We have had more nights away over the winter than last summer, so have used the heating.
When the heating is required, it is on all the time on electric. Whilst occupying the caravan we put the temperature up to a comfortable level, turn it down overnight, and down when out for the day. Usually on 1Kw setting, after initial warm up on 2 or sometimes
3Kw.When hot water only is required, ie in the summer; we only put it on 3Kw to heat sufficiently to shower x3, then turn it off. Takes 20 minutes to heat sufficient quantity of water.
The remaining hot water in the kettle from making a drink, on the electric hob, is used to wash up.
In case readers can't interpret the context of this post, there are some comments in jest
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BC - just do what suits you best. I've given you some info long accepted by the industry, some have given you the benefit of their own experience and some have enjoyed writing.
Only you can decide what's right for you.
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As the boiler takes about 20 – 30 minutes to get the water hot from cold and I can’t predict exactly when I will need hot water I leave it on all the time. As others have said, the boiler is thermostatically controlled so is not consuming energy all the
time.0 -
BC - just do what suits you best. I've given you some info long accepted by the industry, some have given you the benefit of their own experience and some have enjoyed writing.
Only you can decide what's right for you.
hope you enjoyed writing this as much as i enjoyed reading it
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We've always switched off things that we are not using. Probably comes from our childhood. I'm not a member of the 'I paid for it so I'm going to use it' brigade. There doesn't seem to be much harm in leaving it switched on so you can make your own mind
up.0 -
BC - just do what suits you best. I've given you some info long accepted by the industry, some have given you the benefit of their own experience and some have enjoyed writing.
Only you can decide what's right for you.
hope you enjoyed writing this as much as i enjoyed reading it
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BC - just do what suits you best. I've given you some info long accepted by the industry, some have given you the benefit of their own experience and some have enjoyed writing.
Only you can decide what's right for you.
hope you enjoyed writing this as much as i enjoyed reading it
Well I enjoyed reading it.
I go for the switch on when needed option and I use the onsite showers. My sister on the other hand leaves hers on all the time. The choice is yours.
Having said that, in the colder months I leave the Truma caravan heater on low all the time, nothing to do with “I’ve paid for it so I’m using it”, just that I like to return to a warm caravan.
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BC - just do what suits you best. I've given you some info long accepted by the industry, some have given you the benefit of their own experience and some have enjoyed writing.
Only you can decide what's right for you.
hope you enjoyed writing this as much as i enjoyed reading it
I'm sooo pleased, BB. Hope you found it an informative addltion to your vast knowledge.
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BC - just do what suits you best. I've given you some info long accepted by the industry, some have given you the benefit of their own experience and some have enjoyed writing.
Only you can decide what's right for you.
hope you enjoyed writing this as much as i enjoyed reading it
I'm sooo pleased, BB. Hope you found it an informative addltion to your vast knowledge.
of course, and likewise im sure....
every day is a learning day, for all of us....
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BC - just do what suits you best. I've given you some info long accepted by the industry, some have given you the benefit of their own experience and some have enjoyed writing.
Only you can decide what's right for you.
hope you enjoyed writing this as much as i enjoyed reading it
I'm sooo pleased, BB. Hope you found it an informative addltion to your vast knowledge.
of course, and likewise im sure....
every day is a learning day, for all of us....
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My water heater is switched on when we arrive and turned off when we are packing up. We like it when a tap is turned on and hot water is there within seconds.
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