Timer or No Timer? A Guide to Saving Money and Energy with Your Unvented Water Cylinder

If you have an unvented hot water cylinder, you know just how beneficial it can be. There’s no variance in hot water pressure or flow from tap to tap, and no need to install the cylinder at the top of the home, either. However, you might still have questions about how to get the most out of your system, such as whether or not you should use a programmer or timer on the immersion heater power supply.

The short answer is, yes, you should. Using a timer is an excellent decision that can make a significant difference in your usage experience. However, understanding why that’s the case requires a bit more explanation.

Because an unvented hot water cylinder can provide heated, mains-pressure water on demand, many people wonder why they should bother with a timer or programmer. There are two primary reasons:

1. Using a timer or programmer can help you save money. Every time the immersion heater turns on to warm up the water, you use electricity. Over time, that adds up to a significant amount of money through use. By using a timer or programmer, you are able to focus on heating the water during peak usage times, rather than leaving the heater to turn on and off in an endless cycle as the water naturally cools.

2. Using a timer or programmer can also help improve energy efficiency and reduce your carbon footprint. Generating electricity affects the environment, whether that’s through a coal-fired powerplant, a hydropower dam, or something else. The less energy you use, the better it is for the environment. By setting a timer on your water heater, you use less energy overall, which reduces the load on the grid and the power plant that supplies your energy.

Many people would like to save money while making their homes more energy efficient, but they are concerned that using a timer or programmer will limit their access to hot water. However, that’s not really the case. While your unvented cylinder may only actively heat water during the range of hours you set, today’s water heaters are very well insulated. That means they’re capable of maintaining hot water for very long periods – even after hours without active heating, you will still have hot or very warm water at the taps.

With a timer or programmer, you can easily set a period of the day when the heater will actively warm water. To determine which times of the day are right for your home, you’ll need to do some investigating. When do most people shower? When do you usually run the dishwasher? Determine when peak demand is and then adjust your timer around those needs. You can also change your usage habits to better fit with a programmer or timer, as well.

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Need more information about setting a timer for your unvented cylinder? Contact us at EasyFlow.

We cover the areas of Greater Manchester, Liverpool, Chester and surrounding area. Call us on 0161 941 5571