Thank you all. I’m impressed by your expertise and advice.
To summarise my understanding of the issue based on the comments:
1. The boiler is slightly higher than the thermal store resulting in convection of hot water running in reverse via the boiler flow. This is enough to cause a constant flow of hot water through the boiler.
2. The valves within the boiler panel are slotted but were too tight to turn. Logically, as was suggested, closing the valve would stop the circulating hot water but I don’t have the confidence (nor the experience) to try forcing it.
3. Adding valves (NRV, 2-way etc.) seems to offer the best solution and l will discuss this with the boiler engineer on his next service visit.
However, assumption is the mother of all cock ups as they say and I had assumed electricity (immersion heater) would be cheaper than LPG (the boiler). Someone queried my decision (thanks) which made me check the facts:
Table of heating costs in the average home
- Mains Gas – 4p / kWh
- LPG Gas – 7.5p / kWh
- Heating Oil – 6p / kWh
- Bottled Gas – 14p – 32p / kWh
- Electricity – 15p / kWh
Lo and behold, electricity is twice the price of LPG!!! Even allowing for boiler efficiency issues I suspect using electricity for DHW is still more expensive than LPG.
Guess what? I’m switching back to LPG!
Appreciate all the help. I’ve learnt a lot and will save money in future.
Thanks.
