Most homes have a few ways to heat water - the central heating system (oil or gas) or an immersion that uses electricity. And some homes have solar thermal panels installed so they are using renewable energy to heat their water. There can be significant differences when it comes to how much energy each option uses and what it can cost.
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The price of electricity is about three times the price of gas or oil. It's generally much cheaper to heat water using your central heating system, rather than using electricity with an immersion. The exception might be during the summer, when you have your central heating turned off, or if you have an old inefficient boiler.
If your boiler is over fifteen years old, it could be time to replace it. A modern combi-boiler, which provides instant hot water, is generally considered to be more energy efficient than a 'stored' hot water system. It heats the water you need to use rather than heating a large tank of water that might not be used and then left to cool down again.
You could install solar thermal panels to heat hot water. Check your budget and how much you're willing to spend. SEAI has a grant to help towards the cost of installing solar thermal. They are sized to ensure you'll have about 60% of your hot water needs over the course of the year.
If you have solar PV installed, and you have an existing hot water cylinder with an electric immersion heater, then you can divert any excess energy from your panels into heating your hot water, using what's called a solar immersion heater.
Out of habit, many of us heat water and then store it for when we need it. But it would be better if we changed our behaviour and only heated water when we need it and when it will be used. For example, in the morning and evening when we take showers or clean up after dinner. That way the heat losses from the tank can be kept to a minimum.
The amount of time the water needs to be heated depends on how big and how well-insulated your hot water cylinder (tank) is, and how much water your household uses. Heating water at the same time as you have the boiler on to heat the house will be the most efficient. Try setting it for an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening. If you don't run out of hot water you may be able to reduce the length of time that the water heating is turned on.
If you heat your water using an immersion and you don't already have a timer, you should think about fitting one. This will allow you to set specific times to heat your water, ensuring it is never left on too long (insert the 'who left the immersion on' gag here). A boost button can be very useful if you just need to top up the heat.
It's best not to leave your immersion heater running all the time. No matter how well-insulated the tank is, it will still lose heat and the drop in water temperature will cause the immersion heater to run repeatedly, like your kettle coming back to the boil over and over again.
If you have an old cylinder that isn't insulated, then fit a lagging jacket. This should pay for itself in just a few months. You can add to the insulation effect by storing bedding and pillows around it.
If your hot water cylinder is very old, consider replacing it with a modern insulated one. Water can stay warm for up to two days and they perform much better even compared to an old-fashioned tank with a jacket on it.
Where accessible, insulate the 'downpipes' - these are the pipes that lead from the tank to the taps.
It may sound obvious - but if you are quick in the shower you'll use less energy.
Doing this regularly can save you money. The average shower time is 8 minutes.
Most modern showers use between 10 and 12 litres per minute. That can make an eight-minute shower a 96-litre experience, so cutting the time to five minutes is one of the best ways to help save water and energy. Our top tip is to turn the water off when shampooing and then back on when rinsing.
Manufacturers have improved the performance of showerheads and taps so you can conserve large amounts of water without compromising on water pressure. If you have older, water-guzzling systems, consider replacing showerheads with newer low-flow models. Have a look at the Eco shower heads buying guide.
As a building owner or manager, you may encounter a variety of different heating systems on your property. Large buildings have different types of heating systems compared to what you might see in an individual home. Hydronic heating systems, which use water as the medium to transfer heat, are the most common systems you will see in buildings.
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These are the most efficient heating systems for buildings, because they transfer heat using a fluid that can be easily controlled and regulated. This makes it easy to maintain a consistent temperature throughout the building.
Hot water heating systems and steam heating systems are both types of hydronic heating, which means they use water as the medium to transfer heat.
A hot water heating system recirculates heated water through a system of pipes to radiators or air handler units, which then release the heat to the surrounding air. The water is usually heated by a boiler, which burns a fuel such as natural gas or oil to generate heat. The heated water is then circulated through the system using a pump.
Once your system is full of hot water and your coils are filled, an air handler unit with a fan blows over your coil that has been heated with that water. Thus, all of the heat that is radiating from the water through the coil is transferred into the air. In order to stay hot enough, the system must maintain supply temperatures between 140 and 190 degrees Fahrenheit.
A steam heating system, on the other hand, uses steam to transfer heat. The steam is generated in a boiler, and is then distributed through the piping of the building. Contrary to the recirculating loop, the steam gives up its heat as it cools and condenses back into water, which is then returned to the boiler to be reheated.
Steam travels to coils throughout the building and through the heat exchange equipment (radiators or air handler units) and heat is transferred into the building. To do so successfully, the system must maintain steam pressure between 15 and 75 PSI. Water returns to the boiler system in the form of condensate so it can be reused.
Steam creates pressure, and the system maintains this pressure between 15 and 75 PSI (pounds per square inch). The hot steam used for heating returns to the boiler system after it has condensed back into droplets, so it can be reused.
Because of this consistent steam-to-water reclamation cycle, water treatment is more sophisticated, and water loss is common&#;often between 1% and 10%.
Both hot water and steam heating systems have their own advantages. However, in order to make the best choice for your building, you&#;ll need to understand some of their most significant differences.
Hot water heating recirculates water through a loop. It needs a boiler or heat exchanger in order to bring the water up to temperature for heating purposes. Conversely, in a steam system, the water is evaporated through a boiler to produce heat. While it does return in the form of condensation, the steam itself does not recirculate throughout the system.
In general, hot water heating is more consistent. Because steam is a gas, it will follow the path of least resistance. You might have spots in your building that are cooler because it&#;s more difficult for steam to get there. Hot water, on the other hand, can be reliably directed through hard and fast piping channels to exactly where you need it to go. This means less energy spent to bring those areas up to temperature.
On the other hand, once a steam boiler has heated up the water, it uses very little energy to transfer the heat. Steam is very efficient for heating, so it can be more efficient for large buildings or areas where the temperature is extremely cold.
Both hot water and steam heating systems require regular maintenance, but steam systems may require more frequent attention due to the higher pressures and temperatures they operate at. Water treatment for both hot loops and steam systems are also a critical part of maintenance.
Steam boilers specifically are more prone to scaling and corrosion which can reduce the efficiency and life of the system. Overall, more monitoring is needed for a steam system vs a hot water loop though both need to be protected against corrosion. This includes monitoring temperature, pressure, and water levels.
Hot water heating systems are efficient and consistent, though they may not provide a solution for your entire building. Steam heating systems are powerful even in the bitter cold, but they use a lot of energy to initially turn water into steam.
Maintenance for a steam system might be a bit more work, but can certainly provide an efficient and powerful solution to heating your entire building. In the end, most building managers and engineers will focus on efficiency and cost to determine which system they think works best.
If you&#;re running a medium sized building with a few closed loops it may be more cost effective vs a much larger building that needs steam because it requires a more effective and powerful heating solution.
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