14 tips: Separate hot water from heating

14 tips for homeowners, tradespeople and tenants: To really lower your energy costs, always separate the equipment for hot water from that for heating in winter. Even larger modifications to the building services can amortise within a very few years.

Rising energy costs are affecting more and more people, whether they live in their own homes, are tenants or run a business. One reason for high costs are outdated supply concepts in building services. In the past, a boiler was built into the house that supplied hot water for the kitchen and bathroom as well as the radiators. Modern concepts separate the two systems. And for good reason: only then can the technology work efficiently.

1.      Centralised systems are (almost) always too large!
2.      Hot water: Short-term high output with small buffers!
3.      Heat up directly at the tap!
4.      Do not underestimate start-up losses!
5.      Reduce temperature of hot water to 45 degrees Celsius!
6.      Electrical instantaneous water heaters are hygienic and energy-efficient!
7.      Central supply only makes sense in a few kinds of buildings!
8.      Replace gas flow heaters with electrical appliances!
9.      Avoid hot water storage tanks if possible!
10.  Run the heating system only in the cold weeks!
11.  Design the heating system as a multi-stage cascade!
12.  Heating system: low thermal output for larger storage tanks!
13.  Reduce the flow temperature of the heating system!
14.  Leave the installation to trained experts!