Then I decided to use the MyEnergi eddi device to control the hot water tank.

PV feeding an immersion made financial sense when exports were "deemed" (e.g. 50% of generated under the old FIT arrangement), but now I think many people are on an smart export guarantee tariff, so every unit not exported means a reduction in income - it effect it costs about 15p/kWh to heat water that way (compared with maybe 6p ish to do it by gas (depending on boiler efficiency etc)). Environmentally it's swings and roundabouts of course, but quite likely your kWh might be better spend displacing a kWh of gas fired electricity generation (at perhaps 60% efficiency)  than gas fired local hot water generation (at perhaps 90% efficiency). Depends on your gas boiler of course - if yours still has a pilot light, I guess it's not in the efficient condensing category...

Another approach (which I've got) - is to have solar thermal panels in tandem with PVs (if you've got the roof space of course) - simple thermal panels get many more kW out of a sq m of roof than PVs, even if it's only "low grade" energy as warm water, it's perfectly useful for heating (even pre-heating) a stored hot water system. In my case it feeds a thermal store that provides space heating as well as domestic hot water - so the thermal panels make a contribution to the underfloor heating in winter too.

   - Andy.

Yes, but the risk of too low a temperature is bacterial growth, e.g. legionella. I set the boiler to 60 ºC, which means that it gets a few degrees hotter, and the water to about 55 ºC, which does not scald.

That's why I said on average. Some do last longer. My brother's lasts longer but he, as an engineer, repairs the problems. My daughter's, in London, lasts about 7 years. I was quoting what technicians told me who are involved in replacing dead condensing boilers

PeterRT said:

I think that condensing boilers need engineering input to extend their lives either by improving the design or make it based on standard components so they can be replaced when they fail.

Give me a cast-iron floor-standing boiler any day, even though thermocouples burn out every few years. Ours is still going after 42 years (or thereabouts). A relay in the control system left us without hot water a fortnight ago, but the tepid shower was acceptable in the hot weather. I was able to collect a replacement from RS (Radio Spares) on the same day. I do, however, worry about the cost of the pilot light.

AJJewsbury said:

it effect it costs about 15p/kWh to heat water that way (compared with maybe 6p ish to do it by gas

Which might alter the equation, but Andy's contribution does change my thinking. The hot water cylinder is a big battery.

I suspect that timing is all - even our 20+ year old dish washer can be set to start at any time. So perhaps a large battery is not necessary.

More pilot light is used during the summer when gas usage is lower. The average usage per day for our Potterton boiler is 3.6kWh which costs about £7.50 per month. So last year I discussed with our maintainer on how to turn if off and we did that this year.

Our boiler uses gravity feed to send hot water to the water tank, which is not very efficient.

Hello Chris:

Where do you get your water from?  For example a deep well or a water supplier that does NOT add (for example) chlorine when necessary to reduce  the bacteria count .

Does your water have fluoride added to protect your teeth?

Peter Brooks

Palm Bay 

PeterRT said:

My daughter's, in London, lasts about 7 years. I was quoting what technicians told me who are involved in replacing dead condensing boilers

Why would you scrap a boiler after 7 years if the manufacturer can supply spares for at least 10 years?  Makes no sense to me.  Unless, of course, if you can make more profit by selling someone a new boiler, rather than repairing the old one.

yes I put ours in in 2006 or so, and its still going strong apart from needing a new set of ignition electrodes in 2019. It is condensing, but not a combi though, so the pump, 3 way valve, cylinder  header tank etc are traditional so most of the bits likely to need repairs are on the outside and the boiler itself is a lot less full.

So far its not showing any signs of doing anything beyond economic repair.

It is running with more than usual strength of corrosion inhibitor and is a bit oversized, so it loafs along rather than revving hard. It may well outlive the economic supply of natural gas

Mike.

Hello Chris:

When we have a water main break we are advised by the water supplier to boil (100 C at sea level) any water drawn from the tap for drinking purposes, for at least 1 -2 minutes, to kill any bacteria and continue to do so until an "all clear" is issued. 

Peter Brooks

Palm Bay  

PeterRT said:

More pilot light is used during the summer when gas usage is lower.

Eh? The pilot light is on 24/7. It does not extinguish when the main burners ignite.

Afraid that I do not know. It probably has both halides. It is hard as nails!

Afraid that I do not know. It probably has both halides. It is hard as nails!

from https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/622ee4518fa8f56c1d3113dd/water-fluoridation-health-monitoring-report-2022.pdf

And for chlorine or Chloramine from  https://thewaterprofessor.com/blogs/articles/chlorine-in-tap-water

It surprised me - I expected more fluoridation but the report shows that relative wealth has more to do with good teeth than water supplier

Mike

PS edited

For those wondering about IMD this " classifies these areas into five quintiles based on relative disadvantage, with quintile 1 being the most deprived and quintile 5 being the least deprived."

for those interested...

https://opendatacommunities.org/data/societal-wellbeing/imd/indices

https://www.bath.ac.uk/publications/undergraduate-bursary-and-scholarship-terms-and-conditions-2023-24/attachments/indices-of-multiple-deprivation-postcode-lookup-guide.pdf

Hello Chris:

There is an old joke in the Orlando theme parks that you can always identify a Brit by their white legs and bad teeth!

Peter Brooks

Palm Bay 

mapj1 said:

It surprised me - I expected more fluoridation but the report shows that relative wealth has more to do with good teeth than water supplier

So would I. I see that none is added to my supply.

Toothpaste is full of fluoride, but I suppose that does not help if you cannot be bothered.

The other great threat to teeth is (cigarette) smoking. Vaping does not help either. Nicotine reduces blood flow in the gums.

Any road, my teeth are sound and my legs are lightly tanned - at least between my socks and the hem of my shorts.

Peter Brooks said:

bad teeth

Perfect-looking teeth aren't always healthy. I'm happy to demonstrate they are still there, few fillings, and all my own, and unaffected by the application of braces etc

Peter Brooks said:

white legs

We also can't trust that tanned legs are because of time spent in the sun either, given the many products that permit us to apply appropriate shades of colour (including orange if we so desire) to give a false outward appearance of our health (or lack of it).

Peter Brooks said:

There is an old joke in the Orlando theme parks

Both of which go to show that maybe the stage-managed glitz has spread beyond the silver screen and theme parts and is now out in the wild ?

Not for me, and if that means I'm a 'Brit' then so be it !

You must have gone "private" for your dental services (such as cleaning) if you still live in the UK.

Peter Brooks

Palm Bay

Peter Brooks said:

You must have gone "private" for your dental services (such as cleaning) if you still live in the UK.

Why? I know there have been problems in some areas of the UK, but all of my family use an NHS dentist no problem ... there are small charges for certain procedures (although these are waived for children and eligible adults).

Having worked all over the world, I never wanted to move anywhere else for a number of reasons. I'm equally happy for ex-pats to tell me they are enjoying their life ... it doesn't mean I would have the same experience, though.

There was a recent news item (May 29, 2024) that stated that the NHS has only 42.3 dentists per 100,000.

It didn't say however, what the waiting time for dental service was.

Where one lives or works for that matter, is a purely personal decision and if you are happy with your life, that is very positive.

Peter Brooks

Palm Bay

gkenyon said:

Why? I know there have been problems in some areas of the UK, but all of my family use an NHS dentist no problem ... there are small charges for certain procedures (although these are waived for children and eligible adults).

AFAIK, the problem is getting registered as a new patient. I have had a look at the NHS search facility for my area: some are simply not accepting new NHS patients, some accept limited categories, e.g. children, some accept on the basis of availability.

I assume that dentists are obliged to continue to provide services to existing patients.

Dentists were always more sensible than doctors. If I could find a private GP locally, I would go there.

My practice has recently put up a sign saying, "New patients welcome". I really have tried very hard not to add with a felt pen, "but what about the existing ones?" 

gkenyon said:

Having worked all over the world, I never wanted to move anywhere else for a number of reasons. I'm equally happy for ex-pats to tell me they are enjoying their life ... it doesn't mean I would have the same experience, though.

Agreed. I think I could settle in France, but there is always the risk that the grass only appears to be greener.

Hello Chris:

There is no such place as paradise.

I will start putting up my hurricane window boards, in the next few weeks.

Peter Brooks

Palm Bay 

oddly I do live in the UK, and like it, but  I will say dentistry is very variable. Twice now, once in Essex and once in Hampshire, I have been told that my current NHS dentist is going private, and I should find another or re-join as a private patient.

In both cases the nearest NHS dentist with space being over 50 miles away, I have reluctantly gone private, and in the second case, when I had children,  there was an offer to keep the children as NHS while still at school, which really meant until 16 ,then the same applied.

There is no obligation, other than reputation, to retain old patients, the decision is purely commercial - private patients clearly pay better. And indeed getting an appointment is now easy, they are seldom unable to fit you in,  just expensive, though I do wonder what is happening to the teeth of those less able to pay.

Being born in Yorkshire I grumble at paying 85 quid each for an inspection and prod about or whatever the next one will be, but having a decent job I can at least afford for all of us to be checked annually. Others I suspect wait for symptoms.

I have not yet reached a state of health where I actually need to know my GP, but I am not convinced that by I am there will be a great deal of support there either.

Considering the no of folk turned away each year applying to study medicine and dentistry, compared to say engineering, part of the answer to me is obvious - not it seems to the politicians.

Mike.