Immersion Heater

[mikey4444]

I have an immersion heater, in my hot water tank, that has been there for at least 30 years. I use it most days, to heat up water for a bath, rather than use my gas central heating. But I am trying to work out if its cheaper than the gas. What wattage would this immersion have ? I can't see any label anywhere.

I am guessing about 3 kilowatt.

[EDDIE51]

I do the same , the gas boiler is in the kitchen so there is a loss of heat from the boiler to the water tank. The immersion heater is in the tank itself so no heat loss. As long as you just use the immersion for hot water and remember to turn it off once the water is hot it will be cheaper. The wattage does not really matter as a higher wattage will heat the water faster but take less time, so it works out the same in the end. A well insulated tank is more important than the heating method used as well.

[Old_Geezer]

If you are heating up a whole tank purely for the shower might an instantaneous shower be more economical ? Or are you wed to baths ?

I say that but I too heat up the tank for showers and little else. Washing up, maybe. The washing machine is cold fill, washing one's hands it's a race as to whether one is done before the hot water has got through. Probably more heat lost through the pipes (the upstairs cold runs warm for a while). But the tank is lagged so I trust keeping it hot is a relatively small cost.

[ummmm]

My OH is adamant that the immersion is more expensive than the central heating.

[EDDIE51]

^^all modern washing machines are cold fill only OG. I recently spent a long time searching for a hot fill machine on behalf of an elderly man who lived in a sheltered housing flat where hot water was included in the rent. There were none anywhere.

[mikey4444]

OG...yes, I am a bath man rather than a shower....I find the G+T gets very diluted in a shower !

Actually, some mornings I just boil a kettle, if I only need to shave. I have tried shaving in cold or lukewarm water and its not a good experience.

What I wanted to do was to switch off everything, except for the immersion, run it for 45 mins and then take an electric meter reading. But I guess I can do that without knowing the wattage of the immersion I suppose.

[Old_Geezer]

You need a longer straw.

[Old_Geezer]

I'd suspect he is probably right ummmm. It heats the whole tank anyway, and I haven't checked recently but isn't joule for joule more expensive from the electric company than the gas company ?

[ummmm]

OG...our heating system is dodgy. Turn the hot water on and the radiators come on. Considering I rarely put the heating on in the winter it's a killer for me.

He dishes out cash like he's a cashpoint machine but won't turn the immersion on!!!

[New Judge]

Longer term solution, Mikey, is to change your boiler and system to one of the "combi" type. You only heat water as and when required and do not need a hot tank.

[The Builder]

3 kilowatts, Mikey. Similar to some kettles.

[mikey4444]

Thanks The Builder....thought it was.

[EDDIE51]

If your immersion' has lasted 30 years that must be close to a record , we have had 3 in 12 years. But our water is very hard & limescale is a problem.