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View the thread, titled "Immersion heater problems!" which is posted in Central Heating Forum on UK Plumbers Forums.

E

EvieB1

Good evening everyone 🙂,

I’ve recently moved into a new flat that is completely electric (It’s got a dual immersion heater) and just had a smart meter installed.

The dual immersion heater and has two separate switches - one is labelled top. I’ve had them both on since moving in but just seen on the smart meter that it’s costing me about 1p/ minute! Dread to think how much that’s been costing, but also it had only been giving me about 15mins of hot water before going cold.

It also has two separate controls, I assume one for each part of the heater, where you can set ‘on’ and ‘off’ times.

I set them both to the same times (a few hours in the morning), as I don’t know which one controls which part and turned both switches on. But when I turned both the switches on the energy meter starting rapidly increasing even though it wasn’t within the ‘on’ periods I set.

Just to add I’m not on an economy 7 tariff, though may switch to one just need some advice on how to use the system in the interim!


I have a few questions is anyone is able to kindly answer because I am completely clueless!

1. Should I be keeping keep both switches on or turn the top (expensive one), or do both need to be on for the heating elements to work?

2. Is this the correct way to set the times, I.e same times for both parts?

3. Is there a possibility the bottom heater isn’t working as I was only getting 15mins hot water even when I had both switches on

Thanks so much for your help!
 
If you’re only getting 15 minutes hot water, I’d say something is amiss. Can you post photos of your setup?
 
It’s possible the lower element is connected to economy 7 supply and thus your new smart meter isn’t allowing it to work

Why don’t you have economy 7 ?
 
Is it an unvented cylinder? Sounds like issue with bottom heater. Maybe thermostat. It may have just gone out on high limit and you may be able to reset it.

Ideally bottom heater works overnight to heat tank on cheaper rate. Then the top one is a boost if you need additional hot water through the day.
 

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Immersion heater problems!
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Central Heating Forum
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EvieB1,
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SimonG,
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