HotBot

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jezzad

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Saw this online - https://plentify.io/individuals/

Seems like a smarter version of Geyserwise with a month to month costs and the ability to tell you how much you have saved.

Not sure what happens after the 24 month period.

Anyone have this, used it got some more info?
 
jezzad said:
Saw this online - https://plentify.io/individuals/

Seems like a smarter version of Geyserwise with a month to month costs and the ability to tell you how much you have saved.

Not sure what happens after the 24 month period.

Anyone have this, used it got some more info?
Click to expand...
I'm getting one installed on Monday. Will let you know how it goes, I'm getting the one that has the cut off valve.
After the 24 month period it becomes a month to month contract
 
50 bux a month x24 for a time switch?
And how does a time switch suddenly become A.I. :laugh:
 
So you pay R1000 extra for a shutoff valve.

Does the 200L+ in the geyser just magically evaporate when it turns the water off?

R10 month for it to figure out your schedule of showering I could go for, but R50? Nee fok man.
 
SauRoNZA said:
So you pay R1000 extra for a shutoff valve.

Does the 200L+ in the geyser just magically evaporate when it turns the water off?

R10 month for it to figure out your schedule of showering I could go for, but R50? Nee fok man.
Click to expand...
It's actually a pretty simple concept. If you put your finger on the top of the straw and lift it out of the water, no water will fall out the straw. In the same way, if you shut the inlet to a geyser, no water will exit the leak.

As for the pricing, it seems like a great deal to me. A sonoff costs you R1,000 + R500 - R800 to install. This will cost you R1,400 over 2 years and deliver up to double the savings you get from a Sonoff. Plus you effectively get a lifetime warranty (vs Sonoffs and Geyserwises which are dropping like flies due to the strain caused by surges from loadshedding so you'll be lucky to even get 2 years out of them).
 
jezzad said:
Saw this online - https://plentify.io/individuals/

Seems like a smarter version of Geyserwise with a month to month costs and the ability to tell you how much you have saved.

Not sure what happens after the 24 month period.

Anyone have this, used it got some more info?
Click to expand...
I have a HotBot and am saving hundreds of rands per month. I previously had a Geyserwise and didn't save nearly as much (and tbh never ended up changing my settings because the interface is so bad). I wouldn't even put HotBot in the same category as Geyserwise -- the experience and benefits are sooooo much better.
 
RonSwanson said:
50 bux a month x24 for a time switch?
And how does a time switch suddenly become A.I. :laugh:
Click to expand...
It's not a time switch. Let me give you a few examples from my own experience, having used a variety of these products.

With a timer, you need to set when your element turns on. With HotBot you set when you want hot water and the system figures out an efficient heating plan.

With a timer, you heat water no matter what during your schedules. With HotBot, it learns how much hot water you want and eliminates unnecessary heating.

With a timer, you have no idea if you are saving. With HotBot, you can track your savings in real time. I was even surprised to find that they send you a report at the end of each month comparing your savings to others, and giving you some really useful tips for saving more based on your specific behaviour.

With a timer, the relays die frequently and the whole unit needs to replaced. With HotBot, you have a warranty as long as you subscribe.

With a timer, you add strain to the electricity grid by concentrating your usage during for the periods you have set (which are often during peak times). With HotBot, it works with other HotBots to shift demand away from times when the grid is struggling, helping to fight loadshedding.

With a timer, you get a static piece of dumb hardware. With HotBot, it's continually improving. Just over the last few months, they have released several great features (e.g. setpoint control) and it sounds like they have a lot more in the works.

Timers are dumb pieces of hardware (whether connected to the internet or not). HotBot is a smart service.
 
Wow, a company shill.

HotBot is the name of a former search engine that was around in the 90s. Nice, we couldn't come up with an original name so we plagarized the name of a 1990s search engine.

With a timer, you add strain to the electricity grid by concentrating your usage during for the periods you have set (which are often during peak times). With HotBot, it works with other HotBots to shift demand away from times when the grid is struggling, helping to fight loadshedding.
Click to expand...
LOL... so you've basically marketed an already existing IoT mesh network.... you took some Arduino stuff, snarfed some code from Github and marketed as your product. At any rate just adding a timer to whatever does work. When I lived in SA I used to do it.. and it did help so just calling it a "dumb piece of hardware" is not accurate.

With a timer, the relays die frequently and the whole unit needs to replaced. With HotBot, you have a warranty as long as you subscribe.
Click to expand...
So what are you using... triacs? solid state relay modules? And no they don't die frequently. They die when Koos at home fancies himself a sparkie and installs it himself without regard for the rating of the time switch. Electricians are needed for a reason. Here in the EU this kind of BS is not allowed.

With a timer, you heat water no matter what during your schedules. With HotBot, it learns how much hot water you want and eliminates unnecessary heating.
Click to expand...
GeyserWise was successful because it had a probe to measure the temperature in the cylinder. Trying to predict shyte like this ain't going to work, especially when there's kids in the house and the teenagers bath at arbitrary times.

With HotBot you set when you want hot water and the system figures out an efficient heating plan.
Click to expand...
Does your system know about the standing loss of the particular cylinder, do you have a facility to program the make/model, standing loss, efficiency numbers and other technical data from the manufacturer into your fancy algorithm? I bet you don't!
 
TechFTW said:
I have a HotBot and am saving hundreds of rands per month. I previously had a Geyserwise and didn't save nearly as much (and tbh never ended up changing my settings because the interface is so bad). I wouldn't even put HotBot in the same category as Geyserwise -- the experience and benefits are sooooo much better.
Click to expand...
You should register as a company rep for your AI/Timer company.
 
PaulMurkin said:
Wow, a company shill.

HotBot is the name of a former search engine that was around in the 90s. Nice, we couldn't come up with an original name so we plagarized the name of a 1990s search engine.


LOL... so you've basically marketed an already existing IoT mesh network.... you took some Arduino stuff, snarfed some code from Github and marketed as your product. At any rate just adding a timer to whatever does work. When I lived in SA I used to do it.. and it did help so just calling it a "dumb piece of hardware" is not accurate.


So what are you using... triacs? solid state relay modules? And no they don't die frequently. They die when Koos at home fancies himself a sparkie and installs it himself without regard for the rating of the time switch. Electricians are needed for a reason. Here in the EU this kind of BS is not allowed.


GeyserWise was successful because it had a probe to measure the temperature in the cylinder. Trying to predict shyte like this ain't going to work, especially when there's kids in the house and the teenagers bath at arbitrary times.


Does your system know about the standing loss of the particular cylinder, do you have a facility to program the make/model, standing loss, efficiency numbers and other technical data from the manufacturer into your fancy algorithm? I bet you don't!
Click to expand...
Just a happy customer. I know some of the answers but not all. HotBot uses a temperature probe too. I don't think the issue with timers is who installs it - the issue seems to be that these units are not adequately protected from surges (which is understandable given that loadshedding wasn't really a thing when they were designed).

Awesome to hear that there is an already existing IoT mesh network that does this. Can you please point me towards that? I would love to read more.

Not sure what type of relay they use, and I don't really care. They cover any replacement costs, so that's their problem.

That's a good question about standing losses of a particular cylinder. I'll ask and get back.
 
Snyper564 said:
Yay mlm hot bot kek

They need ppl to refer this kek cause no one would pay for it...
Click to expand...
You said it!
I asked some difficult questions there... lol do I detect a hint of backpedaling?
And yes, he/she needs to register as a Company Rep.

Any more shill posts and I will report them to a mod.
 
PaulMurkin said:
You said it!
I asked some difficult questions there... lol do I detect a hint of backpedaling?
And yes, he/she needs to register as a Company Rep.

Any more shill posts and I will report them to a mod.
Click to expand...
I see "just a customer" lurking the thread :p
 
TechFTW said:
It's actually a pretty simple concept. If you put your finger on the top of the straw and lift it out of the water, no water will fall out the straw. In the same way, if you shut the inlet to a geyser, no water will exit the leak.

As for the pricing, it seems like a great deal to me. A sonoff costs you R1,000 + R500 - R800 to install. This will cost you R1,400 over 2 years and deliver up to double the savings you get from a Sonoff. Plus you effectively get a lifetime warranty (vs Sonoffs and Geyserwises which are dropping like flies due to the strain caused by surges from loadshedding so you'll be lucky to even get 2 years out of them).
Click to expand...
CBI astute is under R500 and any half-decent DIY guy can install it for free.
 
You don’t need AI to save money on a geyser.

Just know when you need it and set timer accordingly.

In doing so you automatically restrict geyser to your pretty exact figures and you never have any surprises, while cutting out unnecessary running time (like the middle of the night).

If you have a 3kW geyser that runs 2hours a day then it can’t ever use more than 6kW.

The main benefit with Smart switches is you can add some dynamic attributes to this concept by letting it turn off when nobody is home or when the sun goes down etc.
 
SauRoNZA said:
You don’t need AI to save money on a geyser.

Just know when you need it and set timer accordingly.

In doing so you automatically restrict geyser to your pretty exact figures and you never have any surprises, while cutting out unnecessary running time (like the middle of the night).

If you have a 3kW geyser that runs 2hours a day then it can’t ever use more than 6kW.

The main benefit with Smart switches is you can add some dynamic attributes to this concept by letting it turn off when nobody is home or when the sun goes down etc.
Click to expand...
Read this man's words.... this is why timers work effectively.
Using a smart switch is an added bonus, say for example if you go to Joburg for a week and then when you get on the plane to go back to Cape Town you can turn the stuff back on from the convenience of your phone so that when you get home a hot shower awaits. That's what I did when I used to live in CT.

Its not rocket science either. If you're smart enough to debate on this forum, you're smart enough to put together some code and create your own solution like this.
 
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