Kettle or water heater?

[Pudsey Bear]

Discounting the volume of water heated and you only need enough to wash the dishes, which is the best use of gas?

Liz says that the kettle is best because it uses less gas for the same amount of water, kettle is 0.5L so not enough in one hit.

I say the water heater will be better as the gas only heats the water not the room and you get all the water required to do a better job.

Plastic washing up bowl used.

 

[oppy]

Our water heater died, can we manage without it? yup, the kettle works for us

 

[Val54]

Or you could not worry about and just wash up once a day ........ just saying

 

[wildebus]

Or you could not worry about and just wash up once a day ........ just saying

I tend to rinse stuff after use but leave any "proper" washing up until the morning and either before or after I've had a shower, so will have hot water available.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

We use kitchen roll to clean plates as much as possible to reduce the need we carry enough so as not to need washing up for 4 days or more we stack them in the bowl with WU liquid so they get a partial wash as we drive.


But the question was about gas use.

 

[andyjanet]

I tend to leave stuff on the table and call Janet

 

[marchie]

Discounting the volume of water heated and you only need enough to wash the dishes, which is the best use of gas?

Liz says that the kettle is best because it uses less gas for the same amount of water, kettle is 0.5L so not enough in one hit.

I say the water heater will be better as the gas only heats the water not the room and you get all the water required to do a better job.

Plastic washing up bowl used.

We use the surplus solar around late morning/early afternoon to fill 2 thermos flasks via the Induction Hob, so use no gas at all for the 'first thing in the morning' routine. Run the Induction Hob until late afternoon for hot water needs [unless bike batteries need charged], so gas usage has fallen a fair bit

Steve

 

[marchie]

I tend to leave stuff on the table and call Janet

But what does she call you, Andy? ... 'Late for dinner' is not the right answer ...

Steve

 

[SimonM]

It’s all about division of labour. I do the driving, Sue does the food, Molly does the dishes, water hot or cold not needed. Problem solved

 

[Sonar]

We use the hot water when on electric hookup. And the kettle on gas .

 

[TJBi]

Discounting the volume of water heated and you only need enough to wash the dishes, which is the best use of gas?

Liz says that the kettle is best because it uses less gas for the same amount of water, kettle is 0.5L so not enough in one hit.

I say the water heater will be better as the gas only heats the water not the room and you get all the water required to do a better job.

Plastic washing up bowl used.

Depends on your type of water heater. Heating an entire tank for a small amount of washing up takes a lot longer and presumably uses more gas - difficult to be sure as I don't have a meter. And while the question was about best use of gas, there is also the matter of water usage; I have to draw off a lot of cold water before the hot gets through the hose - and it's a separate hose for each tap (sink, basin, shower). Generally only use the water heater for showers and the kettle for hot water requirements at other times.

 

[Cooperman]

I use an electric kettle in the day or early evening if hot water required.
Tend to save washing up until morning and use residual water from water heater after shower/wash.

 

[Campervanannie]

Paper plates is the way to go no water needed

 

[DTDOG]

Is it just me that turns on the water heater once I get to my destination and it stays on until I move off?
It's thermostatic controlled so gets up to temperature and then I've got a constant supply of hot water.

I suppose it's like the old argument. Is it best to keep a tank of hot water constantly topping up the heat or to start from a cold tank 30 minutes before needing it?
I choose the former.

 

[wildebus]

We use the surplus solar around late morning/early afternoon to fill 2 thermos flasks via the Induction Hob, so use no gas at all for the 'first thing in the morning' routine. Run the Induction Hob until late afternoon for hot water needs [unless bike batteries need charged], so gas usage has fallen a fair bit

Steve

Using a thermos to use any spare water boiled when making a cuppa can be very useful as well

As far as surplus solar, I actually have a setup where the electric water heater will kick on when the battery hits a certain state of charge so I can put this to use rather than wasting it. this situation doesn't happen that often as I tend to be in Scotland, but for those who travel south it can be very handy indeed.
The same kind of principle would work for having a fridge switch from gas to electric and I know a couple of people at least on the forum have/had this type of setup.

We all love a chart (well I do anyway ) and I thought I would whack up a chart showing Wednesday past, which is the day I filled the water tank for the first time this year and also put on the electric water heater to check it out. This chart shows how long it took to heat the 10L tank to 60C (the default temp) and how long it took to recover the battery with the solar. (Wednesday was not a great day for solar and it was mostly cloudy and raining for some of the time).

(co-incidentally, the fridge 'on-time' happens to exactly coincide with turning the boiler on, so that 900W peak includes 50W for the fridge)

 

[Sonar]

Is it just me that turns on the water heater once I get to my destination and it stays on until I move off?
It's thermostatic controlled so gets up to temperature and then I've got a constant supply of hot water.

I suppose it's like the old argument. Is it best to keep a tank of hot water constantly topping up the heat or to start from a cold tank 30 minutes before needing it?
I choose the former.

I use the electric for hot water while on a site. But that’s not often

 

[Greengrass]

And I thought I was tight, If you need hot water use it and the sod the cost

 

[Pudsey Bear]

And I thought I was tight, If you need hot water use it and the sod the cost

I think the point is being missed altogether.

Which one is the most efficient?

 

[Lee]

In answer to your original question.
I would say heating a kettle of water will use less gas as you're only heating what ever water you have in the kettle, if you put the water heater on you have to heat all the water in it which is 10 litres.
Also if you put an extra bit if water in the kettle you can make a cup of tea aswell

 

[trevskoda]

Never tried teaaswell but up for anything.