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hot water

Water heating is a heat transfer process that uses an energy source to heat water above its initial temperature. Typical domestic uses of hot water include cooking, cleaning, bathing, and space heating. In industry, hot water and water heated to steam have many uses.
Domestically, water is traditionally heated in vessels known as water heaters, kettles, cauldrons, pots, or coppers. These metal vessels that heat a batch of water do not produce a continual supply of heated water at a preset temperature. Rarely, hot water occurs naturally, usually from natural hot springs. The temperature varies with the consumption rate, becoming cooler as flow increases.
Appliances that provide a continual supply of hot water are called water heaters, hot water heaters, hot water tanks, boilers, heat exchangers, geysers (Southern Africa only), or calorifiers. These names depend on region, and whether they heat potable or non-potable water, are in domestic or industrial use, and their energy source. In domestic installations, potable water heated for uses other than space heating is also called domestic hot water (DHW).
Fossil fuels (natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, oil), or solid fuels are commonly used for heating water. These may be consumed directly or may produce electricity that, in turn, heats water. Electricity to heat water may also come from any other electrical source, such as nuclear power or renewable energy. Alternative energy such as solar energy, heat pumps, hot water heat recycling, and geothermal heating can also heat water, often in combination with backup systems powered by fossil fuels or electricity.
Densely populated urban areas of some countries provide district heating of hot water. This is especially the case in Scandinavia, Finland and Poland. District heating systems supply energy for water heating and space heating from combined heat and power (CHP) plants, waste heat from industries, incinerators, geothermal heating, and central solar heating. Actual heating of tap water is performed in heat exchangers at the consumers' premises. Generally the consumer has no in-building backup system, due to the expected high availability of district heating systems.
Today in the United States, domestic hot water used in homes is most commonly heated with natural gas, electric resistance, or a heat pump. Electric heat pump water heaters are significantly more efficient than electric resistance water heaters, but also more expensive to purchase. Some energy utilities offer their customers funding to help offset the higher first cost of energy efficient water heaters.

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  1. M

    Hot water from tap leaves smell on things it comes into contact with

    We’ve noticed a wet dog type of smell on items that have been in contact with hot water from our taps. This doesn’t happen with cold water from our taps. Do you have any ideas what this could be and how the issue can be resolved please?
  2. Eddiez

    Hot water balancing issue

    What position should hot water valve be as my kids have tampered with it and hot water isn't as hot anymore
  3. Tom020

    Hot water back flowing

    Hi, I've got a cold water storage tank which feeds the hot water cylinder below. The hot water is backflowing up to the cold water tank and then overflowing now and again. If i put a non return valve on the cold feed to the cylinder would this just push the water up to the vent pipe? There are...
  4. J

    Hot water tank worth keeping?

    I've just moved into a house with an old Potterton Profile P60e (75% efficient). The hot water tank is currently taking up the space in the bathroom that would be perfect for a shower enclosure. So we have a choice, 1) Upgrade the boiler to a combi, rip out the tank and replace with shower...
  5. I

    Honeywell Evohome hot water control for new boiler

    Looking for a quick bit of advice since I'm trying to wrap my head around what work I need done. Right now I have an old conventional boiler that heats my hot water tank. The water tank has manual open/shut valve so that I can only heat the water tank and not the heating. I'm replacing this...
  6. C

    Hot water service in home

    Please forgive the length of this post, but I must provide all the information to fully explain the issue. I am completely perplexed! My 43 year oldhome is in the country, on a well. Recently, I had a 20+ year old 40 gallon propane hot water heater professionally replaced. The house service line...
  7. M

    Taking hot water feed from expansion pipe.

    I fitting a new Mira shower in a slightly different position in the bathroom. It’s going to be easier to feed it with cold water from main cold cylinder feed and from a connection to the hot water cylinder expansion pipe. These are just above the shower position. the pipes are both 22mm and I...
  8. D

    Where is the water coming from?? Hot water tank keeps dripping....

    Hi all - hoping someone knowledgeable can help as I'm super confused by this.... I have a standard system / gravity fed boiler, large cold tank in attic, hot water tank in airing cupboard etc. I recently found that the hot water coupling into my shower pump (salamander) had sheared (the...
  9. A

    Hot water OK, CH not working!

    I have a Potterton Promax combi 28HE Plus A. Hot water fine, heating not working. If I remove the diverter motor and press the valve manually, the radiators heat up! I have replaced the motor (diverter valve) and the PCB. The thermostat is a Danfoss wireless RET B-RF conected to a Danfoss RX 1...
  10. V

    Hot water system not calling for heat?

    Hi. I'm hoping someone can help me to understand how our hot water system works (or maybe isn't!). We have had a new unvented system for hot water and heating put in. The gas boiler is the original one. Our problem is with the hot water. We get a cylinder full of hot water, which is good. But...
  11. R

    Hot water system issue

    Hi there, We have a standard gravitational system at home and a Salamander pump CT force 30pt is part of the hot water system for the 2nd floor. For the last three months, the pump didn't work well and wasn't starting to generate pressure each time we opened the taps/shower handle. At the...
  12. K

    how can i get a hot water tap in garden building with only a cold feed

    hi. i am putting a loo in my garden office but only have a cold water feed. can i get hot water without using one of those triton wall mounted mini electric heaters? eg is there an electric mixer tap or something i could use instead. saw something on amazon that maybe looked ok? cheers
  13. M

    No Heating or Hot water AlphaCD25C

    My partner has an Alpha CD25C fitted and worked until a couple of weeks ago. Intermittently it will switch off after working for 4-5 days. When checking the boiler lights A + B flashing red alternately and light D is green. Tried doing a reset and switching off the main power and restarting...
  14. A

    Hot water very slow new mains pipe fitted

    Hi all Just had a new mains water pipe fitted and the hot water is very slow almost a trickle. We have a combi vaillant ecotec pro 824 and it seems to come out fast to begin with then slows down considerably. It seems the boiler is struggling to provide hot water at the adequate rate that it...
  15. G

    Best economic way to heat hot water no heating

    Purchased property, all electric heating has combination cylinder doing hot water for 1 bathroom only , updating bathroom to have a shower, bath a basin and kitchen sink that needs hot water with no gas main or boiler , what’s the cheapest system to install to heat this property’s water...
  16. D

    Boiler shutting off during heating hot water

    I have a Viessman Vitodens combi boiler. When running the hot tap (or shower), the water comes through hot but then the boiler shuts off, water gets cool, boiler fires up, water gets hot, and so on... Only started happening a few weeks ago. I have replaced the flow sensor, checked voltage where...
  17. A

    Rayburn 499k heating working but no hot water

    Hi all, just this morning seem to have a new problem to us with our Rayburn. Oven and central heating all operating as normal, however we have no hot water from any taps. We would normally hear the Rayburn kick in when hot water is demanded… however it is not. Any help hugely appreciated
  18. M

    Hot water solution for cafe??

    Hi guys. Do any of you knowledgable lot have any recommendations for hot water in a small cafe kitchen? They have a combi boiler which serves the property but she’s been having issues with it which then means she can’t open due to having no hot water? Any advice would be great.
  19. R

    loosing hot water flow when macerator pump goes?

    Hello I have a salon and the plumbing for the hair wash basins is taken from the toilet, so when we are washing hair and the water is a good temperature, when the pump goes the water goes cold it takes a wile to come back. It used to do it a bit and now its much worse. A plumber said it cant be...
  20. K

    No hot water if the heating is running, but otherwise okay.

    I have a strange fault with a Vaillant EcoTec combi-boiler. It's 100% reliable whenever the heating is called for, ie. by the room-stats. It's also 100% reliable when hot water is called for, ie. hot tap or shower, as long as the heating isn't running at the time. But if the heating is already...
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