How Does the Boost Button Work?

You might ask, How does the boost button work? Well its actually part of the electrical controls and should be connected to the upper immersion heater. Water heaters offer us access to hot water with the turn of a tap. With most of them being supplied with two immersion heaters. Typically the lower immersion heater is connected to the timed electrical supply and the upper to either an on and off switch or a boost control.

When people say, ‘I will turn on the boost’ they are just referring to turning on the upper immersion heater. Its called boost for two reasons. Firstly it is used on demand and secondly it does heat-up the top part of the cylinder more quickly than turning on the lower element. But this is purely because the upper element is located higher in the cylinder and heat rises.

The boost function is designed to provide you with additional water heating solutions. It can be used in conjunction with your regular water heater timer, or it can be used instead of it. Some of the better immersion heater programmers, such as the Secure immersion heater programmer combine the two and can be operated from one 16 amp 24 hour supply. 

Using boost instead of keeping the unvented cylinder heating throughout the day and night can provide you with financial and energy savings. Additionally, if you have significant hot water needs each day, boost can give you that little nudge beyond what the water heater is capable of on its own.

A lot of the functionality of your boost button depends on where the heating element(s) is located in the system. With dual element systems where the upper element is designated for boost, then you’ll be able to warm only the very top of the system. Where both elements are located close to the bottom of the tank. Which is often the case in thermal store water cylinders. The temperature of the water will depend more on the amount of time the power is left on, rather than which of the elements you decide to use.

If you’re experiencing problems with your boost button, make sure to call a heating engineer certified to work on unvented cylinders. Call EasyFlow for an engineer to visit your property in Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Chester and Warrington.