Instant hot water in city and suburbs (availability)

pigletpetr

Hello everyone.
As I understand Galway city and its suburbs (Barna, Oranmore) have a gas pipe. So house owners in some areas can install gas boilers if they want. I am going to move to Galway so I am wondering if it is possible to find a flat/house with instant hot water (heated by gas from a main pipe). I thought it was always a case if you had a gas pipe in Ireland. But letting agent told me that I would never find it in Galway. Even if gas pipe is there you will have a tank and you will wait for water heated. Currently I have a gas boiler (not sure if it is condensing or combi) in my flat. I get hot water whenever I turn on the hot water tap.
Can anyone advise on that?

GerardKeating

pigletpetr wrote: »

Hello everyone.
As I understand Galway city and its suburbs (Barna, Oranmore) have a gas pipe. So house owners in some areas can install gas boilers if they want. I am going to move to Galway so I am wondering if it is possible to find a flat/house with instant hot water (heated by gas from a main pipe). I thought it was always a case if you had a gas pipe in Ireland. But letting agent told me that I would never find it in Galway. Even if gas pipe is there you will have a tank and you will wait for water heated. Currently I have a gas boiler (not sure if it is condensing or combi) in my flat. I get hot water whenever I turn on the hot water tap.
Can anyone advise on that?

"Mains" gas is available in several parts of Galway, but one can have mains gas and not have "instant" hot water".

One can also have instant hot water with Electric heating.

Tends not to be "popular" here for some reason.

pigletpetr

Thanks for info.

GerardKeating wrote: »

One can also have instant hot water with Electric heating.

Do you mean electric shower? Or is there any other technology behind instant hot water?

Tiercel Dave

An 'under sink' water heater.
Example:
http://www.mech-elec.ie/electrical_products_details.php?number=250

yer man!

You can usually set the boiler to turn on like twice a day for a while to heat the tank and that generally gives you hot water right throughout the day really. Now I've a fairly good insulated tank installed in my house that keeps the water hot for ages so it is different from house to house.

pigletpetr

Thanks everyone for tips. So I guess in 95% of flats I won't get instant hot water in Galway. So agent didn't lie.

yer man!

pigletpetr wrote: »

Thanks everyone for tips. So I guess in 95% of flats I won't get instant hot water in Galway. So agent didn't lie.

Kinda yeah, I had American friends renting a house here last year and nobody thought to inform them what an immersion was, they ran up a monthly electricity bill of €300, couldn't understand how they were using so much electricity until I told them it's not to be left on 24/7.... They always had hot water tho.... :-P

beardybrewer

I thought most modern immersions had an internal thermostat so they new to switch off. If your bill is normally much lower perhaps the temp for the thermostat needs adjusting, it needs a better jacket for insulation, or the thermostat is plain broken which I read they're prone to do. Leaving your immersion on 24/7 should cost more than €30/month more. IMO, worth it.

boardzz

I was always under the impression that gas boilers provide instant hot water. You do not need to turn on the boiler in advance.

Mrs OBumble

beardybrewer wrote: »

Leaving your immersion on 24/7 should cost more than €30/month more. IMO, worth it.

Should, or shouldn't?

NB if you are thinking of lowering the temperature, think twice. Your boiler should come up to 60-degrees once a day, to kill off the bugs.

Webbs

Its nothing to do with the gas and all to do with the type of boiler you have if you want instant hot water.
Unfortunately there are very few combi boilers installed in Ireland as this is the type you need to look out for.
Turn on the tap, gas fires up heats water instantly, gas turns off when you turn tap off. (plus you get advantage of not needing a hot water tank)

BeardySi

boardzz wrote: »

I was always under the impression that gas boilers provide instant hot water. You do not need to turn on the boiler in advance.

Combi boilers do - they're the norm in the UK and the parts of NI which have mains gas. As soon as there's flow on the hot tap the boiler lights and heats the water as it's going to the tap. Very very handy and something I really miss in my current place (oil/immersion heating and water)