Turning The Water Temperature Down On My Boiler To Save Money

[dave50]

What is the point in having the water so hot you have to add cold water to make it bearable, surely that's wasting money. Adjust it so it comes out at the temperature you want. Am I correct?

[bobbinwales]

Or leave it on the higher setting but for a shorter time?
Am not sure which's more efficient.... bit like is it best to leave heating on lower temp for long time or on high temp in shoreter bursts??

[davebro]

yer not wrong - but for some things you might want it hotter, say washing up as against washing your face. So you have it at the hottest setting required & dilute with cold if necessary.

[nescio]

I think domestic hot water has to be at 60degC, to prevent bacteria like Legionella from growing.

[Canary42]

But if you dilute it, you use less of the (expensive) hot than you would if it was cooler. But of course the cooler "hot" water wouldn't be as expensive. It possibly balances out more or less (although the physics aficionados would probably be able to quantify it). One may well be along soon.

[bhg481]

I read of an organisation who discovered it was cheaper to have water too hot to keep your hands under so people had to run some in a basin and add cold; with cooler water people left the tap running whilst they washed their hands.
In general the best method for domestic use is to have the water at the temperature you want to use it.

[dustypuss]

Dilute water! Canary42 what with? .

[Old_Geezer]

If you can find the control you are probably right, but more from a convenience point of view than financial. I'm no expert but combis heat as required don't they, in which case they aren't going to lose much heat, and if set high you just mix with cold water to get what you want. Traditional tank systems tend to be well insulated so will not waste a great deal either. The downside of course, is that if you did want to fill a bath or other container with hotter water in the future, then you have a problem.

[Canary42]

||| Dilute water! Canary42 what with? .|||

Hot water with cold - stop winding me up :-)

[davebro]

//Dilute water! Canary42 what with? .//

About 50/50 with Glen Morangie!

[The Builder]

Ok unless you have thermostatic mixer showers, Dave.
A thermostatic will probably fail to get a nice mix between Cold & Hot.
Or in your case... Cold & Tepid.

Also.. if you have stored hot water (immersion cylinder), Nescio is right.
60 degrees is needed to avoid Legionella and other nasties.

[gingejbee]

It may sound odd, but water suppliers CAN dilute water with water.
For example...there may be a supply (borehole perhaps) that is OK apart from a very high (say) nitrate level. This can be blended with another supply that has a very low nitrate level to give a resultant supply with an acceptable level. So, you have diluted water with more water!