Immersion heater switches?

sarahlucy · Dec 12, 2012

Hi,

I have recently moved and the flat is heated by storage heaters and the water tank is an immersion heater. I'm not sure I understand exactly how it works because there are 2 switches both at the bottom of the heater and they both read exactly the same thing. We don't have any instructions apart from an installation booklet that is obviously for people who know what they're doing. And the picture in the booklet doesn't even match the water tank we have. I'd like to know why there are 2 switches and when/why we need them on please! We use an Economy 7 tariff for our electricity. I have attached a picture of the 2 switches at the bottom of the tank. The tank is called "Tornado 2" and the manufacturer is "Telford Copper Cylinders"

Thank you very much for any help!

snowhead · Dec 12, 2012

Your picture show the 2 immersion heaters, the switches are somewhere else.
There would normally be 1 heater on Economy 7 which would come on overnight, if the switch is left on.
The second heater would be available for use in the daytime and switched on by you when / if needed.
There may be a control box nearby with a timer and switches?

chris watkins · Dec 12, 2012

If you follow those white flex cables back you will get to the switches that control the immersions which are pictured, as snowhead states above the cables will go to switch's or a controller with a time clock.
The lower of the immersions is the Economy 7 (overnight) one which should be left switched on or come on under the control of the time clock. The other one further up is the boost & is only used if you run out of water during the day & need a top-up.
Hope that helps.

sarahlucy · Dec 12, 2012

There aren't any switches in the cupboard that the tank is in..
Would there be switches anywhere else? Like in the box with the water and electricity meters in it? This is located outside our front door in the communal hall way of the building. Do the switches I've taken pictures of just control the water temp then?

AWheating · Dec 12, 2012

the red bit in the middle is to adjust the temp setting from what i can see.

have your neighbours got the same set up? id knock on next door and request a demo while making friends.

sarahlucy · Dec 12, 2012

Thank you everyone..
The reason I couldn't find anything is because the tanks installed so that its impossible to get to the back of the tank - where the white cables lead to. The tank is located in a cupboard barely bigger than itself so its absolutely impossible to locate the switches or timers! I will just keep the immersion heater "switches" I took pictures of as they were when we moved in. And I'll try and make contact with our elusive landlord to ask if its set up correctly to take advantage of the Economy 7 tariff.

Thank you everyone very much for your help!

R1CKY · Dec 12, 2012

Check your consumer unit (box with all the electrical trip switches), I've seen timers built in to these before. Took me bloody ages to figure out how to turn the immersions on!