Kero or Imersion Heater for Summer Hot Water

[Lazy Sod]

When I was at the farm, I had an oil fired AGA which also provided the hot water and a separate oil boiler just for the central heating. We did have an imersion heater, but only used it if the AGA was turned off during very hot weather.

When I bought my current house, I had it refurbished before moving in and an Everhot electric range cooker, which does not provide the hot water, was installed. The existing CH oil boiler was replaced with a condensing one which can also do the hot water on a separate programmer channel. We've also got an imersion heater but in ten years, we have hardly used it.

I've got more than a years worth of kero, bought at 104 p/lt, and the electricity is protected by the cap at about 28 p/kwh until October, when it will go up. Which should I use for the summer hot water, kero or electricity?

 

[Lincs Lass]

I leave my Immersion on when the rayburn is of ,,it only heats what you take out .

 

[fudge]

Roughly your kero is costing 10p per kWh. Therefore heating water with kerosene is likely to be the best option until kero is over £2.50/lt. Condensing boilers are pretty efficient though maintenance should be less with an immersion heater!!!

 

[Adeptandy]

Kero, its better for the boiler and its controls to keep running over the summer, will save a callout from someone in my other job in the autumn.
Immersions are best saved for emergency use when the boilers broken down

 

[feilding]

My place was built in 2004. Emmersion never been used. I leave the oil boiler on all year round on timer, just a hr a day on hot water. Keeps the boiler from rusting up through the summer.

 

[Timbo]

When I was at the farm, I had an oil fired AGA which also provided the hot water and a separate oil boiler for the central heating. We did have an imersion heater, but only used it if the AGA was turned off during very hot weather.

When I bought my current house, I had it refurbished before moving in and an Everhot electric range cooker, which does not provide the hot water, was installed. The existing CH oil boiler was replaced with a condensing one which can also do the hot water on a separate programmer channel. We've also got an imersion heater but in ten years, we have hardly used it.

The boiler will be the cheapest way ( at the moment ) to heat your cylinder of water. If its a foam covered conventional cylinder, put another jacket on it. If its a pressurised cylinder itll be about as good as it can get already.

 

[Lazy Sod]

I leave the oil boiler on all year round on timer, just a hr a day on hot water. Keeps the boiler from rusting up through the summer.

That's exactly what happened to my original wall flame type boiler that was fitted in the farmhouse at the same time as I had the AGA put in. It was always only run for the winter period. When I fired it up one September, water started coming out of the bottom. It did last 20 years though, so I suppose that was not too bad. I put in a pressure jet boiler and fitted it myself. I got my regular boiler engineer, who did the annual servicing on it and the AGA, to commission it. I wouldn't be allowed to do that these days, I imagine.

 

[feilding]

That's exactly what happened to my original wall flame type boiler that was fitted in the farmhouse at the same time as I had the AGA put in. It was always only run for the winter period. When I fired it up one September, water started coming out of the bottom. It did last 20 years though, so I suppose that was not too bad. I put in a pressure jet boiler and fitted it myself. I got my regular boiler engineer, who did the annual servicing on it and the AGA, to commission it. I wouldn't be allowed to do that these days, I imagine.

As you've found out. Boilers don't like being switched off. Mine has never been switched off since 2004. Other than services. So far so good.