Boiler help

[Fitfunfab]

Hi
I live in a house that was built in 1996/1997
I have the boiler serviced every year
i have an airing cupboard with what there is a tank/cylinder that’s is set to 60 degrees.
So I looked at the temp settings on my boiler and the water setting was less than 60 it was over 50 though so I turned it to 60 as I guess that’s what it needs to be? Minimum for safety? But now the water seems really too hot. I am reading conflicting information online And that some boilers now can be set lower in really confused ?
I think there may be something in the loft too as something leaked once but that may have something to do with the immersion heater that I never use I don’t know ??? I have a valiant 415 ecotec plus. Surely a boiler would have a sign or warning to say don’t set less than 60? The airing cupboard doesn’t have a sign either ?

The thermostats aren't all that accurate. I would guess it was hotter than 60 to start off with. I would just turn it down a bit in the boiler again.

The thermostat on the cylinder must always be set lower than the thermostat on the boiler.

Try setting the cylinder stat to 50C

Because hot water rises, the water at the top of the cylinder will be hotter than the water at the bottom. The feed to the taps comes out of the top. The cylinder stat is usually near the bottom (but higher than the thick boiler pipe that heats it). Use a thermometer to test the temperature of your tapwater. Modern houses have extra controls on bathroom taps to prevent scalding.

BTW, legionella is rare in a hot water cylinder, but 50C will kill it. Keeping the water hot kills most organisms, so water from the hot tap is pasteurised. Lukewarm water is less safe.

@Fitfunfab "I think there may be something in the loft too as something leaked once but that may have something to do with the immersion heater"

This is very alarming. Sometimes the thermostat in an immersion heater is faulty, and does not turn off once the water is hot, so it can boil. This sends boiling water up into the loft which can be very dangerous. There have been (very rare) horrible fatal accidents when boiling water has cascaded through a ceiling.

Test your immersion heater to see if it overheats, or get a plumber in. If it is less than 50 years old the thermostat can easily replaced from outside without draining water (it is inside a waterproof tube). If the immersion heater itself needs to be replaced, and is old, an old plumber is often more experienced than a young one. You do not need a gas engineer.

If you post photos of the cylinder, and the round cap of the immersion heater at the top, I may know more.

EDIT
Turn off the immersion heater and do not use it again until you are sure this is resolved. Put a warning label on the switch,