Immersion heater settings

Thinking of taking a bath, only to find the hot water tank is cold?

Yes, it's probably time to switch on the immersion heater; and I guess you know that immersion heaters and the subject of energy saving are not comfortable bedfellows!

Some baths, like the older cast-iron models can use a lot of hot water if you going to have a decent soak. However, if the thermostat setting on your hot water tank is too low, once you've turned it on, you could end up emptying all the hot water in your tank to fill the bath.

That will probably mean boiling the kettle should you wish to do some washing up, but maybe that's more energy efficient than putting the immersion heater back on again

In future you may wish to look at raising the temperature setting slightly on the hot water tank thermostat. This will mean using less hot water to fill your bath as you'll need to add some cold water to get the bath temperature just right. And then you'll have some hot water left over for those luxury moments, like washing up and cleaning your teeth. But do make sure you preserve that heat by having a hot water tank jacket fitted

But please don't raise the temperature of the immersion heater too much if you have any concerns about the water being too hot, especially where children and the infirm are concerned.

(this used to be our original Tip8 for those who have linked through to us)

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