Hot water is a necessity in almost every modern home. Although essential, there are times when the water will be lukewarm and others too hot to touch. Ensuring your hot water system delivers water at the right/preferred temperature is the key to a healthy and safe system. That said, adjusting your boiler or water heating system to the right temperature settings is always advisable. This will, of course, depend on the condition of the water heater and hot water cylinder.
It is common for some of us to want water running in the kitchen taps boiling hot to make cleaning utensils easier. You, however, do not want the same in your bathroom or handwashing stations as this only increases the risk of scalding. Below are a few tips and a guide from tradeplumbing.co.uk on ensuring your boiler or water isn’t too hot to your liking.
1.Check The Water Temperature With A Thermometer
There’s no better way to check water temperature than using a thermometer. Although poking your hand in the running water may give you a rough idea, you risk getting burned/scalded if the water is boiling hot. To be on the safe side, put some water from the hot water tap in a plastic or measuring jug, then dip a thermometer in. Note down the thermometer reading for future reference. You can quickly get a good thermometer from baby and child shops and cooking shops.
2.Determine Your Boiler Type
The type of boiler will determine how hot the water will be. For instance, homes with a combi boiler get hot water in their taps directly from the boiler. A conventional heat-only or system boiler feeds using a mesh of pipes within the hot water cylinder to heat fresh water inside. The hot water in your taps thus isn’t from the boiler but instead from the mains or cylinder.
How To Adjust Water Temperature from Combi Boilers
Most combi boilers make it possible for one to adjust/set temperatures using a dial (rotatable or sliding) or, even better, a digital control panel. This allows you to adjust the water temperature to the taps. It is worth noting that combi boilers have two sets of controls, one for the tap and the other radiator. Adjusting one will not affect the other.
Identify where the controls are, then turn the temperature down a few degrees, say 20. Wait a few minutes, fill up the plastic jug once again, dip the thermometer, and note the temperature. Keep fine-tuning the dials until a preferred temperature is attained. One of the advantages of a combi boiler is that it heat up water as required/demanded. The results should thus be almost instantaneous.
Some combi boilers may have an additional third dial/control – most used to regulate pre-heat or circulating water temperature. This ‘third’ dial will be set a bit higher than the rest. Resetting this dial will not have a significant impact on the water temperature in the taps.
How To Adjust Water Temperature from Heat-Only or System-Only Boiler
A conventional or system boiler can be a bit intimidating to adjust the water temperature. This is because the adjuster and thermostat are both on the boiler itself. Although some of these boilers will have an additional remote feature (optional), most people hardly use it since they rarely need to adjust anything. Some boilers will have the temperature setting within reach and visible, with some having it tucked away under a panel. The adjuster can be anything from a slot for a screwdriver (manual knob) to a digital panel. Consult your boiler manual to determine the position of the controls.
Turning the knob tells the cylinder when to shut/open the flow of water when a specific temperature is reached. The cylinder turns off the water flow when the set temperature is attained. This explains the waiting period for the cylinder to refill. It is worth noting that hot water cylinders take time to cool, especially if it was set to the maximum temperature setting. Depending on how well-insulated the cylinder is, it could take minutes or even hours before the temperature can drop. Some patience is needed when calibrating it to the preferred temperature.
How To Adjust Water Temperature from An Immersion Heater
Some hot water cylinders have built-in immersion heaters bundled with thermostats for effective and efficient heating. If the thermostat is however set too high, the water will be too hot and sometimes override the indirect boiler-heated water heating system. With the thermostat tucked inside, you will need to find the access panel, then adjust the knob with a screwdriver. Water already in the cylinder might be hot and could take several hours to cool down. The best approach here is to run the hot water tap until the cylinder is dry, then run your tests. Test the temperature momentarily while adjusting until satisfied.
Room Temperature and Water Temperature: Are They Any Different
Water temperature and room temperature are entirely different on many levels. The room thermostat controls water flow into radiators to heat the room. Pumping hotter water in the radiators will only heat the room faster, though the results will be the same.
Tap Temperature and Radiator Temperature: The Difference
Radiator temperature shouldn’t be confused with tap temperature. Each of these is controlled differently, with tap temperature determined by the separate loop inside the radiator system. This allows for only fresh water to be delivered to your taps – meaning the water in your Cuadrato polished black stone bath will be from a different source. On the other hand, water in radiators is recirculated to help keep the room warm and heat up the line carrying tap water.
Tips To Prevent Legionnaires Disease
Legionnaires disease is a disease commonly caused by legionella disease. Anyone can get the disease as long as they breathe in water containing the legionella bacteria. These bacteria infect the lungs causing the disease. Legionella bacteria thrive in water between 20 °C and 45 °C, a factor everyone should consider when setting a hot water temperature. Although the disease might be rare, the risks shouldn’t be ignored. Health experts recommend flushing the hot water system at least once every few months to keep the containers and reservoir clean. Allowing the water to heat up above 60 °C can also help kill the bacteria, lowering the risks even further. For this reason, health organizations and experts recommend storing hot water at temperatures not lower than 60 °C.
Can An Electric Or Mechanical Failure Cause The Boiler To Run Too Hot?
A faulty or malfunctioning boiler system can cause it (or water)to run too hot. A good example of this is low/slow water flow over the heat exchanger, resulting in it getting too hot. A faulty thermostat is the most common reason for water running too hot. Keeping your hot water and boiler system well-serviced and adequately maintained can however help prevent most of these issues. If dialling down the thermostat doesn’t seem to help, it might be time to call a qualified gas safe engineer.
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