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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Would you have the hot water on all day?

167 replies

LittleBookofCalm · 30/10/2018 07:48

I have it on a timer, same as the heating
however if you want a shower or bath in the middle of the day in my house, you need to make sure there is hot water.

do others do the same?
this is a money saver in my eyes

OP posts:

pinkhorse · 30/10/2018 10:24

Mine heats water as it comes out of the taps so i always have unlimited hot water. I didn't realise there were any other options.

MrsMWA · 30/10/2018 10:35

Thanks for the advice everyone, I’m in a remote village with very dodgy water pressure and long lengths of pipe in a very odd shaped house. I have a small commercial system as opposed to a domestic set up. And I would love to move but DH is hanging on to his dream of being a country squire. One day I will have my lovely little flat or bungalow! I grew up in a huge Victorian villa that has no central heating at all so I’m used to being cold. I always have hot water though. Only comes on once a day and my cylinders are very large and well insulated.

Powerless · 30/10/2018 15:44

I don't understand how you can NOT have hot water on? I don't have that option on my Worcester Bosch boiler? Just a dial to switch the heating on 1-9 etc. I don't think I'm able to switch hot water off?

There isn't even one of those fiddly timer dials!

phucit · 30/10/2018 15:46

You need a 4 pipe system to be able to heat hot water separately (if you have a hot tank and airing cupboard) not a 2 pipe system.

dementedpixie · 30/10/2018 15:51

I have a little timer box in my kitchen. It has buttons for hot water and heating. I can have either or both on. I don't have a combi boiler, I have a conventional boiler with feeder tanks in the loft and hot water cylinder in a cupboard. If you have a combi boiler you have no need for water to be on or off as it is heated as it is used. I need water to be on at some points so water is heated and stored in the cylinder for use when required

Powerless · 30/10/2018 15:53

@MsMightyTitanAndHerTroubadours I've been in my house for 3 years and it has the same Worcester Bosch that was installed when house was built in 2007 - Never a single issue!

Oh actually it had a new fan once apparently. Before my time here. It's an amazing boiler and you only need to look at it and the whole house is scorching!

havingabadhairday · 30/10/2018 21:47

Combis do have more that can go wrong, but they're more efficient. Never had any problems with ours when we had one!

BrickByBrick · 30/10/2018 22:07

Gracious me I know I have just turned 40, but I didn't realise I was that old by knowing what a HW tank is.

Our last house had a HW tank, we had it on in the morning and evening (time depended on whether we had the heating on too) The only time it did run out was when I had a shower and then the kids had a bath after it had gone off and dh would get a cold shower.

I can't see how it is better to have it on all day, surely as soon as you let hot water out to wash your hands it would need to kick in again - and in winter this would mean having your heating on all day too.

I now have a combi, it is a nightmare, so often there is no hot water coming out the taps. Plus I have nowhere to dry my socks as I used to hang them in the airing cupboard

MojoMoon · 30/10/2018 22:18

This is eye opening.

So you wash your hands with cold water if you go to the loo in the middle of the day?
What if you sleep in and want a shower in the middle of the day?

Why don't you just have a normal combi boiler?
I am in my 30s and had no idea so many of you live Iike this. Even my crappy student flats 15 years ago had hot water on demand.

Aaaahfuck · 30/10/2018 22:18

I'm in my 30s and this thread makes me think I don't understand heating and hot water. I thought hot water just 2as heated by the boiler as it was needed ( hot tap turned on). I know the boiler has a hot water and heating setting. But I thought it wasn't heating any water if I wasn't using any. Is this right?

dementedpixie · 30/10/2018 22:26

It depends what sort of heating system you have. I have the hot water storage cylinder and it stores a lot of water so once the hot water has been on for an hour or 2 there is plenty of water for washing your hands or having a bath or washing dishes. I am perfectly happy with the system I have. Combi boilers aren't the answer to everything

dementedpixie · 30/10/2018 22:27

If the water is heated as you use it and you have no water tanks or cylinders then you have a combi boiler. It is not the only type of boiler system that exists!

dementedpixie · 30/10/2018 22:29

P.s. if you have an electric shower it heats its own water so it doesn't affect the amount of hot water in the cylinder

Bunnybigears · 30/10/2018 22:30

Im so happy we got rid of our back boiler with water tank for a combi. Best £3000 I ever spent.

PatC35 · 30/10/2018 22:33

I've tried both. I find if its left on all day, it will heat water that is not going to be used, then when you do have a bath, it heats it up again ready to not be used. Its nonsense that its cheaper to keep it on all day, unless you are actually going to be using it!

dementedpixie · 30/10/2018 22:35

www.boilerguide.co.uk/types-boiler-explained

possumgoddess · 30/10/2018 22:48

We're all electric with an immersion heater and economy 7. Water heats up overnight, we have electric showers and a dishwasher, but there is enough water in the tank for hand washing during the day, some washing up, warm baths for 2 small girls and a hot bath for me with some left over. We also have a smaller booster tank we can switch on it we want it. Also we have solar panels so any electricity generated during the day and not being used for anything else goes into heating the water a bit more as well. Lots of lovely hot water for us.

PinguDance · 30/10/2018 22:56

so... if this thread makes no sense to you do you definitely have a combi boiler?

BrickByBrick · 30/10/2018 22:58

So you wash your hands with cold water if you go to the loo in the middle of the day?

No, you use the hot water that is in the tank. It doesn't go cold as soon as the timer goes off.

What if you sleep in and want a shower in the middle of the day?

See above, worse case and more than say 2 of you need a shower, you boost it up for an hour.

Why don't you just have a normal combi boiler?

I have nowhere to dry my socks with a combi boiler.

I am in my 30s and had no idea so many of you live Iike this. Even my crappy student flats 15 years ago had hot water on demand.

It is hardly a hardship, there is hot water, it just sits in a tank. The biggest issue is that you need a space for the tank.

Gooseygoosey12345 · 30/10/2018 23:10

We only have electric so it's whatever has heated up over night or keep the immersion on. We found it cheaper to just leave the immersion on all the time as it keeps the water hot which means it never has to reheat it from cold. We use a fair amount of hot water with two kids in the house so we'd run out by afternoon anyway probably and have to have it on.

WhirlyGigWhirlyGig · 31/10/2018 07:27

Mojo I have a condenser system boiler according to demented's link. I rarely run out of hot water just having it on in the morning and evening unless my husband decides to have a bath.

Havaina · 31/10/2018 07:32

So you wash your hands with cold water if you go to the loo in the middle of the day?

From what I've read washing your hands in hot water is no better at killing germs than washing in cold water. It's the action of rubbing soapy water on your hands that removes germs.

Spam88 · 31/10/2018 07:35

I don't understand why people are so confused still, it's been explained plenty of times 😂 those of us with a cylinder really don't need your pity, we're not having to survive with only cold water apart from the 30 minutes the boiler is on for!

anniehm · 31/10/2018 07:59

Highly recommend a combi boiler - the water is demand heated rather than stored, ideal for a busy family and in summer you don't have to heat water twice a day just to have hot water.

reallybadidea · 31/10/2018 08:00

This is hilarious It's like the threads where posters don't understand realise that there's more than one type of front door lock

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