How to get a better temperature bath in cold weather
Ideally what we all expect when running a bath is to fully open the hot bath tap and receive an instant supply of hot water. In most instances, this will be the case, unless a fault occurs to disrupt the smooth operation of the hot water process. Hot water can be generated separately using a different source of energy to the heating system, on some systems both heating and hot water is incorporated together using a single source of energy, i.e., gas.
A boiler combination boiler uses gas to produce instant hot water from the incoming mains supply, the maximum hot water temperature is determined by the temperature of the incoming water supply.
Some combination boilers have a temperature rise of 35c; this figure is the temperature added to the incoming water supply after going through the boiler. The mains water supply temperatures can vary seasonally between 4°C in the winter and up to 20°C in the summer. However, depending on the depth of the pipes below ground, the water temperatures may be less affected by seasonal changes.
By reducing the speed, the water goes through the boiler will increase the hot water temperature. This is an easy way how to get a better temperature bath in the colder months. Rather than fully opening a hot water bath tap reduce it slightly and you will see a noticeable difference in the temperature.
Hot water in storage cylinders
It is important to understand hot water systems that incorporate a cylinder use preheated water, which will have temperature control at the boiler it is also limited to a maximum via a cylinder thermostat. Hot water cylinder storage temperatures are 60°C/140° a reduction in the flow rate through a tap will not affect the hot water temperature because the water contained in a cylinder has been preheated and is not instantaneous.
What to do about a luke warm bath?
If you’re getting a noticeable decline in the hot water temperature when you run the hot water tap, firstly ensure that your hot water controls are turned on. If your controls are turned on, but your hot water is noticeably cooler, it’s time to contact one of our engineers for an inspection.
