Switching your geyser off, does it save money?

[noxibox]

I switch on my geyser when I get home from work around 5 or 6pm... I switch it off around 9pm. There's hot water for an evening shower and enough again for the morning. I have prepaid electricity so I have noticed the saving when the geyser is switched on an off daily... When it is constantly on it is constantly eating up electricity rapidly! Maybe I just have a crap geyser or something...

Then there is either something wrong with your thermostat or your geyser is leaking a lot of heat.

People on prepaid electricity, where the consumption is really noticeable, insist that switching the geyser off results in a huge saving.

Not me. I've tried it at two residences and at best it made no difference, at worst it might have been using slightly more.

I have spoken to various plumbers. they all say it is bad for the geysers.

Then they should also say using hot water is bad for the geyser.

[noxibox]

You can also use a timer to maintain your geyser at some suitable low temperature. If for example allowing the temperature to drop below 25 degrees were harmful then you could set that as the target temperature during the 'off' period.

[Sensorei]

Just try this out and see for yourself. We have a prepaid meter and after a week of turning our 2 geysers off during the day, we noticed almost no difference (if any) in our electricity consumption. You are only helping eskom.

[BLIXEMPIE]

I can confirm that switching the geyser on and off on a daily basis will use significantly more electicity than just leaving it on. 10 units used in 3 hours just to heat from scratch, yet only 3 to 5 units to keep water heated for a day.

[Sinbad]

My fiancee and her daughter are out of the house this week, so I've just turned mine off totally...

[bboy]

A geyser should hold heat for like 3days.
The basics apply to save money.
Turn down the temp of the geyser.
Get a better showerhead that uses less water, and shower.
Make sure the geyser is properly insulated.
Don't do silly things like run the hot tap in the kitchen for a minute just so you can wash your hands in warm water, you've just wasted all that heat on warming up the pipes all the way from your geyser
Only bother with turning it off when going away for extended periods.

[BLIXEMPIE]

A geyser should hold heat for like 3days.
The basics apply to save money.
Turn down the temp of the geyser.
Get a better showerhead that uses less water, and shower.
Make sure the geyser is properly insulated.
Don't do silly things like run the hot tap in the kitchen for a minute just so you can wash your hands in warm water, you've just wasted all that heat on warming up the pipes all the way from your geyser
Only bother with turning it off when going away for extended periods.

Then again, what's the point of having warm water if I'm not going to use it?

[StonerStuart]

I switch on my geyser when I get home from work around 5 or 6pm... I switch it off around 9pm. There's hot water for an evening shower and enough again for the morning. I have prepaid electricity so I have noticed the saving when the geyser is switched on an off daily... When it is constantly on it is constantly eating up electricity rapidly! Maybe I just have a crap geyser or something...

There must be a leak in your hot water outlet somewhere on the line. If the water in your area gets turned off for a period of time, when you open your hot tap does air come out?

[bboy]

Then again, what's the point of having warm water if I'm not going to use it?

Use it, don't waste it.

[Zewp]

I can confirm that switching the geyser on and off on a daily basis will use significantly more electicity than just leaving it on. 10 units used in 3 hours just to heat from scratch, yet only 3 to 5 units to keep water heated for a day.

Same here. We use a lot more just to get the geyser reheated than getting it on.

Also, if I need hot water, I don't want to wait for it. Earlier this week a friend got really sick and threw up on me while we were out on town. When I got home, reeking of vomit, I had to wait 45mins for the water to heat up so I could wash it off me. Let's just say my flatmate hasn't switched the geyser off again yet and leave it at that.

[bekdik]

Also, if I need hot water, I don't want to wait for it. Earlier this week a friend got really sick and threw up on me while we were out on town. When I got home, reeking of vomit, I had to wait 45mins for the water to heat up so I could wash it off me. Let's just say my flatmate hasn't switched the geyser off again yet and leave it at that.

That's got to be the best reason for leaving the geyser on!!!! Classic!

[Nerfherder]

Same here. We use a lot more just to get the geyser reheated than getting it on.

Also, if I need hot water, I don't want to wait for it. Earlier this week a friend got really sick and threw up on me while we were out on town. When I got home, reeking of vomit, I had to wait 45mins for the water to heat up so I could wash it off me. Let's just say my flatmate hasn't switched the geyser off again yet and leave it at that.

leer hom.


It annoys me when people are indignant about these things. IF a geyser was meant to be turned off then they would install switches next to your shower.

[Devill]

I also can't imagine that it can be good for the geyser. If left on throughout the day, the element never has to work very hard because it only has to heat the water up if it drops slightly. Now instead the geyser has to heat the water from icy cold every morning.

I highly doubt a geyser can withstand doing that day after day for a very long time.

Why not leave your kettle on boil throughout the day? It turns off automatically right?

Also I do not know about you guys but the kettle in my GF's house has now lasted 4-5 years without replacing the element... are geysers not suppose to be a tiny bit more durable than a R100 kettle?

[Zewp]

Why not leave your kettle on boil throughout the day? It turns off automatically right?

Also I do not know about you guys but the kettle in my GF's house has now lasted 4-5 years without replacing the element... are geysers not suppose to be a tiny bit more durable than a R100 kettle?

Does the average household's heater have to heat water to 100 degrees celsius? No.

[GreyBush]

If you used all the water in your geyser so there was no warm water left after your household was done showering, then switching it off would make sense... otherwise not.