instant hot water boiler thing?

Read article : instant hot water boiler thing?

02GF74

posted on 15/1/17 at 09:21 AM

instant hot water boiler thing?Short summary, viewed house, is small, in main bedroom is a cupboard with biggest hot water tank ever, gotta be 5 ft high. Would be good to get rid for some some. Is a hot water tank required by law? If not, is there some electrical hot water heater thing that can supply hot water on demand? Visit China. Meet the child that made your trainers.

mackei23b

posted on 15/1/17 at 09:26 AM

A combi boiler won't need a tank, I had one in my old flat and it worked well, modern installs these days seem to be back to hot water tanks... Do a search for a combination biller. Cheers
Ian
Barkalarr

posted on 15/1/17 at 09:26 AM

It's called a combi boiler. Had one in my old house and took about 45 mins to fill the bath up. That was about 15 years ago - I'm guessing tech has moved on, but not sure if you could run a shower off it ?
steve m

posted on 15/1/17 at 09:30 AM

Check that the place has a gas supply first, as it sounds like its an immersion tank, and if theres no gas, then a combi boiler will be a waste of time and money Thats was probably spelt wrong, or had some grammer, that the "grammer police have to have a moan at
slingshot2000

posted on 15/1/17 at 09:47 AM

Lots of manufacturers are now offering electric combi-boilers ready for the changes to come in the Building Regs. Lots of advantages over gas.
loggyboy

posted on 15/1/17 at 10:16 AM

Also how many bathrooms(inc ensuites/shower rooms)?
Most Combis only cope with 1. There are those who can cope with more, but they still need a cylinder, albeit a lot smaller and usually contained within the boiler or close by, but adds to cost a lot. Will also mean a heavy replumb of house as everything will be mains fed, so needs a good mains feed to start with, or you will get no pressure. [Edited on 15-1-17 by loggyboy]
Slimy38

posted on 15/1/17 at 10:38 AM

We've had combi boilers in our house since we moved in. The first one was a cheap unit that barely managed to fill the radiators (previous owners were penny pinchers). When we had an extension built we had one that had much higher capacity (higher than we would need). It's been fine, and can fill a bath very quickly with very hot water while still keeping the radiators warm. The only issue we have is that we wanted it out of the way in the utility, which is the farthest point of the house. Which means any tap needs to run for a few seconds before hot water comes out. That's not a weakness of the boiler, more the fact that there is a fair few metres of cold water in the pipe to get rid of each time. As mentioned ours needs a gas supply and a decent pressure water supply. It wasn't overly expensive, and the whole unit fits in a standard 600mm wall cabinet. Two other points. You can't have it in your bedroom (they spend their days and nights doing random clicks, ticks and 'brums' so you wouldn't get much sleep) so it won't be a direct swap. And we actually miss having an airing cupboard. Our previous house had the immersion tank in a cupboard with shelves round it for storing clothes, and we didn't realise how much we used it.
cliftyhanger

posted on 15/1/17 at 11:50 AM

quote:Originally posted by Barkalarr
It's called a combi boiler. Had one in my old house and took about 45 mins to fill the bath up. That was about 15 years ago - I'm guessing tech has moved on, but not sure if you could run a shower off it ? tech won't help. You have just got to get more heat int the water faster. Makes me laugh when the different manufactureres claim better flow rates yet same boiler output, things in reality have changed very little. Just about to run abath from our combi,still takes a while though it is a big old boiler (30kw I think) Back to OP.
If only electric,you can get instantaneous water heaters. Effectively an electric shower unit. Won't be ideal for a bath, but can be fine for showers and washing up etc
02GF74

posted on 15/1/17 at 11:50 AM

already has electric shower, has one bath and two sinks (bathroom and kitchen); not sure if gas is connected hence looking for something electrical that will replace the large immersion heater - another solution would be to fit a much smaller one. Visit China. Meet the child that made your trainers.
coyoteboy

posted on 15/1/17 at 11:51 AM

quote:
posted on 15/1/17 at 09:47 AM Lots of manufacturers are now offering electric combi-boilers ready for the changes to come in the Building Regs. Lots of advantages over gas Like what? Apart from electricity being 2-3 times the cost per kwh of heat I can't see much difference. Also, what change in regs? [Edited on 15/1/17 by coyoteboy] Report your local potholes, it actually works!
slingshot2000

posted on 15/1/17 at 11:56 AM

Electric combi-boilers have less parts to go wrong, don't require an annual gas check. The government keeps talking about no mains gas supplies to new builds, unless connected to a district heating system. How will you power a gas combi with out mains gas ?
mookaloid

posted on 15/1/17 at 12:25 PM

If the property has no gas then the large tank is probably heated overnight using dual rate electric. The idea of a large tank is that you can heat all the water you will need during the day using cheap overnight rates. It probably has a second immersion heater which you can manually switch on to give it a boost if required (at the higher during the day rate) "That thing you're thinking - it wont be that."
SteveWalker

posted on 15/1/17 at 12:32 PM

If the shower is electric and you only need hot water for the taps at the sinks, then yes you can buy electric water heaters that sit under the sink or worse looking ones that sit over it - often used for kitchen areas in office buildings. They'll probably mainly be used during peak periods, so will be expensive to run. [Edited on 15/1/17 by SteveWalker]
coyoteboy

posted on 15/1/17 at 02:10 PM

quote:Originally posted by slingshot2000
Electric combi-boilers have less parts to go wrong, don't require an annual gas check. The government keeps talking about no mains gas supplies to new builds, unless connected to a district heating system. How will you power a gas combi with out mains gas ? Non-landlords don't need an annual check and I can count the number of boiler failures I've witnessed out of 6private properties on two fingers and < 200 total repair costs. Maybe slightly over playing the concerns there?! Also on new builds maybe, but 99.5% of housing stock isn't new builds, so how does that apply to someone wanting a solution in an existing property? Plus talk is just that. Why would you choose to pay more for heat than you need to for the foreseeable future? [Edited on 15/1/17 by coyoteboy] Report your local potholes, it actually works!
slingshot2000

posted on 15/1/17 at 02:24 PM

Ok, a landlord safety inspection isn't required each year in a private property, but an annual service is recommended. I was only suggesting that electric combi-boilers are available as an alternative to gas. Other contributors have suggested using 2 electric immersion heaters plus the new cylinder to suit, how economical would you suggest they are compared to an electric combi-boiler? Manufacturers will not have done all the R&D on electric combi-boilers unless they thought there was going to be a developing market for them.(Edited for a ghastly spelling error) [Edited on 15/1/17 by slingshot2000]
coyoteboy

posted on 15/1/17 at 02:29 PM

quote:Originally posted by slingshot2000
Ok, a landlord safety inspection isn't required each year in a private property, but an annual service is recommended. I was only suggesting that electric combi-boilers are available as an alternative to gas. Other contributors have suggested using 2 electric immersion heaters plus the new cylinder to suit, how economical would you suggest they are compared to an electric combi-boiler? Manufacturers will not have done all the R&D on electric combi-boilers unless they thought there was going to be a developing market for them.(Edited for a ghastly spelling error) [Edited on 15/1/17 by slingshot2000] Totally agree, I was just questioning the sanity of the option in any current property that has gas supply. In 10 years when it's becoming enforced on new properties people will have to suck up the massive running cost. Report your local potholes, it actually works!
slingshot2000

posted on 15/1/17 at 02:50 PM

. Thanks for that !
02GF74

posted on 16/1/17 at 06:43 PM

It does have two immersion heater, so ^^^ is spot on. I was originally going to mention thar but didnt think it was significant. All makes sense, seems best option is leave it. Visit China. Meet the child that made your trainers.
BangedupTiger

posted on 16/1/17 at 07:04 PM

Interested in these electric combi. How do they rate to conventional Gas combi? Our combi has struggled ever since I installed designer radiators that carry vastly more water. Average size, 5 bed, 3 bathroom. 20 rads. Our biggest issue is cold water pressure is only around 13 lpm. [Edited on 16/1/17 by BangedupTiger]

Slow Travel United Kingdom - Household Appliances, washer/dryer, plugs, tea kettles, phones

Read article : Slow Travel United Kingdom - Household Appliances, washer/dryer, plugs, tea kettles, phones

> SlowTrav > United Kingdom & Ireland > Instructions for Visitors

Pauline Kenny updates by Susan (aka Panda)

This page is an overview of the appliances you will find in most vacation rentals in the United Kingdom.

Plugs

UK plugs are not the standard plugs used in much of Europe. They are as pictured below. You need a plug adapter for the electrical things you bring to the UK. See our Europe Trip Planning - Electronics page for more information about plug and power adapters.

Plug and AC Adapter for my notebook with the United Kingdom Adapter plug

Where to Buy Plug Adapters

Purchase plug adapters from our affiliate Amazon (see details at bottom of page).

Wall Switches/Plugs

Plugs in England have an extra level of safety - an on/off switch for each socket. In the photo below, you can see the socket with the plug in it is turned on (on the left), but the other is off. Put the plug in the socket with the socket turned off, then turn on the socket. Remember the voltage is much higher in England and you do not want to get a shock when putting in the plug. Turn the socket off when the appliance is not in use.

Wall socket with two sockets and two on/off switches

Telephones

Many vacation rentals in England do not have phones. Most holiday cottages are used by people from England and it is assumed that they either want to "get away from it all" or will have their own cell phone. If a cottage does have a phone, it will be one of the following types:

• Coin Box Phone: You can make out going calls using coins, but you cannot receive calls and you cannot use it with your computer to go online (there is no place to plug in the phone line).
• Incoming Calls Only: This is a regular phone, but it has been set up so that you can only receive calls, you cannot make any calls. You cannot use it with your computer.
• Telephone: Usually this means a phone that you can use to receive or make calls, but always check to be sure. If you need to connect your computer to a phone to go online, be sure to tell the agent/owner and confirm that you can do this. Some phones are hardwired into the wall and you cannot unplug the phone and plug in your computer modem.

Coin Box phone in a vacation rental

Stovetops and Ovens

In England, most vacation rentals have stovetops and ovens. Some ovens have a fan setting for defrost or for oven cooking. If the oven does not turn on, check the fan setting.

Water Heaters

A common type of water heater in vacation rentals is an "on demand" heater; the water is heated as it runs. It can be slow to get the hot water started, but usually these work very well. In our Winchcombe cottage in 2004, the water heater was used for the heating system as well as the hot water. Beware if you are trying to run two showers or a basin tap and a shower at the same time since from one of these ‘combi’ boilers, as they are known, as the flow rate will be very disappointing. We have also run across immersion water heaters. These you turn on 30 minutes before you have a bath or shower, but you may not have to do this as they are often on timers to ensure that there will be sufficient hot water in the morning or for bedtime.

Washing Machines and Dryers

Many vacation rentals have a small washer/dryer combination; this is one machine that looks like a washer, but it also a dryer. You put in the laundry and it washes, spins, rinses, and then dries. These are usually small machines and you do not want to fill them too much, or the dryer will not work. Fill them about 2/3s full. You can often get a better result by doing the wash, taking out the clothes and dividing into two shorter drying sessions.

The photo to the right is a Hotpoint washer/dryer in our Somerset vacation rental.

How To Use

On the control panel you find the following: a drawer to pull out and add soap (on the left), buttons for economy wash or half load, the descriptions of cycles, settings for the dryer (length of dry time), settings for the cycle, on/off button.

For adding the soap, usually there are two places labeled 1 and 2. If you select a prewash, put soap for the prewash in compartment 1. For the regular wash, put soap in compartment 2.

Set the cycle, set the time for drying (usually 60 or 90 minutes), put in the soap, load the clothes, close the front loading door, press the on/off button. Make sure the power is switched on (at the wall). Many of the cycles are quite long (two hours for the wash alone is not unknown): unless you are washing sheets or towels, use the Half Load option. The ‘Quick Wash’ cycle on most machines of between 25 and 45 minutes gives a perfectly adequate result for clothes unless it has been a particularly muddy hike! The Economy button often means either a reduced heat or water just as it comes from the water tank or pipeline – fine for the summer months or if using the latest low temperature washing detergents.

The control panel. Click for a larger image.

Electric Kettle

All English vacation rentals have an electric kettle and they are fabulous. They boil water in just a few minutes! Put the water in the kettle, put the kettle on its base, turn it on (there will be a switch, usually on the handle, and a light comes on), and the water is boiled before you know it. The kettle turns off once the water has reached a rolling boil. (Make sure the socket is turned on at the wall!)

Electric kettle. Put it on the base and flip the switch under the handle.

Cafetiere

You will find "cafetiere" coffee makers in most cottages. They are also called a "French Press".

To use: Take the top and the filter off, rinse with warm water, put in the ground coffee, pour boiled water over the grounds (make sure it is "off the boil"), put top and filter on and let sit for a few minutes. Then gently push the plunger down so the filter and coffee grounds move to the bottom and the coffee sits above. Pour when the plunger is all the way down.

Electric kettle and cafetiere - coffee and water are in, plunger is up.

How much coffee? Use the same amounts as for a drip coffee maker. The caffetiere in this photo holds 4 cups (5 oz. per cup, total of 20 fluid ounces). I put one tablespoon of ground coffee for each cup - 4 tablespoons. This might be a bit strong.

Other Appliances in Vacation Rentals

In most English vacation rental cottages, you will find a toaster and a microwave.

US to United Kingdom Plug Adapters

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