Solar geyser basics

[Meister-Man]

Hi guys

We have a 150L solar geyser.
A setup that can be found at lots of complexes.
No inverters, batteries or extra panels.
I'd appreciate your guys' input to the below.

1. What are some of the fundamentals I need to know, to ensure I make the best use of it as possible, by saving on our electricity bill.

2. Can I fit a geyser timer without needing an electrician needed to sign it off? I've heard a story of a person's house being on fire and apparently they had a geyser timer installed at the DB board that wasn't installed by a qualified electrician, so claim was rejected. I don't know if this is true.

3. If manually or by timer, what times should I put the geyser on eskom power at the DB board?
My general idea is, when sun is down geyser on, sun is shining geyser off?

4. What do I do on non sunny days or over the colder months?

5. If hot water is emptied at midday and it's a hot day, geyser switched on at DB board, how does the system decide between using eskom or the sun to heat up the water?

6. What temp to set geyser to?
I know 55 degrees is usually ok, but if I'm getting the sun to do it for me (or most at least), why not let the sun heat all the way up 70?

7. How best to structure our lifestyle and timing of showers, washing dishes etc to maximize on the solar? Again, my general idea is do as much as possible while the sun is shining.

Thanks
MM

 

[MidnightZA]

Do you have an evactuated tube solar geyser?
Or a PV panel connected to a normal electric geyser?

 

[isie]

Hi guys

We have a 150L solar geyser.
A setup that can be found at lots of complexes.
No inverters, batteries or extra panels.
I'd appreciate your guys' input to the below.

1. What are some of the fundamentals I need to know, to ensure I make the best use of it as possible, by saving on our electricity bill.

2. Can I fit a geyser timer without needing an electrician needed to sign it off? I've heard a story of a person's house being on fire and apparently they had a geyser timer installed at the DB board that wasn't installed by a qualified electrician, so claim was rejected. I don't know if this is true.

3. If manually or by timer, what times should I put the geyser on eskom power at the DB board?
My general idea is, when sun is down geyser on, sun is shining geyser off?

4. What do I do on non sunny days or over the colder months?

5. If hot water is emptied at midday and it's a hot day, geyser switched on at DB board, how does the system decide between using eskom or the sun to heat up the water?

6. What temp to set geyser to?
I know 55 degrees is usually ok, but if I'm getting the sun to do it for me (or most at least), why not let the sun heat all the way up 70?

7. How best to structure our lifestyle and timing of showers, washing dishes etc to maximize on the solar? Again, my general idea is do as much as possible while the sun is shining.

Thanks
MM

What type do yo uhave? thermosiphone, Pumped (220 or 12) etc etc eyt
But no matter what type you have - First of all get Geyserwise , if your Solar geyser does not have that or something similar - you wasted money and are not using the solar geyser efficiently. it pretty much answers most of your questions. It will do all the thinking for your system
SO
answers
1. get a geyserwise
2.get a geyserwise - you can DIY it if you want the manual is pretty easy to understand and their suprt is quick - ,mailed them a query on something i want to try got a message for my phone number and a call back within an hour - on how i should do it.
3.get a geyserwise it will control this for you
4.get a geyserwise it will control this for you
5. you know what i'm going to say
6. you change these depending on your usage and season the temp set is not for the sun heated water its for electric heated water - ill explain below
7. once you get a geyserwise and you see how it goes you can work around it but most of the time you can still shower in the morning or evening depending on your preference but like i said you will have to look at it based on your lifestyle.

Ok so why Geyserwise - the system comes with a controller for in your house and had temperature probes for your tanks and collector. you then set 4 temperatures based around a 6 hour cycle (midnight to 6am, 6 am 12pm, 12pm to 6pm and 6pm to midnight) this temp is for your electric element not solar.
you can then set a timer to switch on the element and it will then reach the temperature assigned to the above time slots but only if the water is not at those temps at those times weather by solar or just stayed that temp in the geyser .
The solar components then run all during the day - this is based on the type of geyser yo uhve, if thermosiphon then the water will circulate naturally with the geyser on top the water in the pipes as it warms moves up into the tank. if you have a pumped type the geyserwise will look at the temp of your water and the temp of your collector and if it's about 7c different (you can set this variance) it will pump water to the panels until the panel and water temp are the same or panel is lower.

 

[The_Ogre]

Get a Geyserwise.

It's summer now so I'm not using Eksdom at all. Just make sure that you get the water over 60 degrees at least once a week to prevent Legionnaire's Disease.

My geyser is currently on 79 degrees and I don't even know when last I needed to put the GW on to warm the water

 

[Meister-Man]

Thanks guys.
I don't know what type, the geyser is on the roof with a solar panel, I would've thought it's kind of a standard setup for most newer complexes.
A geyserwise is something on the cards, but not something I want to financially commit to right now.
I am after all trying to save money on electricity right away.
I'd appreciate more feedback (other than get a geyserwise) to my previous questions.

 

[isie]

Thanks guys.
I don't know what type, the geyser is on the roof with a solar panel, I would've thought it's kind of a standard setup for most newer complexes.
A geyserwise is something on the cards, but not something I want to financially commit to right now.
I am after all trying to save money on electricity right away.
I'd appreciate more feedback (other than get a geyserwise) to my previous questions.

There is no standard setup so without a picture at least no one can tell you. Is there nothing inside the unit to control this already?

Honestly you wasting money on anything for now if you not going geyserwise. I probably sound like i work for them ( i don't )but it's honestly a godsend of a product. might as well save up for it and not waste your time with anything else. You Need to spend this little and you will save - what you wanting to do is going to cost you for not much return (if any at all)


As for installing a timer - yes you can do it yourself - but say you have a thermosiphon then sure the timer will only stop the element kicking in but timers in this case is much of a muchness as the thermostat wont come on when water is already hot. but say you have a 220v pump and you install a timer - you realised you just turned your whole system off and it wont warm up by the sun unless you set the timer to come on during the day - but then so will the element

 

[Obieone]

Get a Geyserwise.

It's summer now so I'm not using Eksdom at all. Just make sure that you get the water over 60 degrees at least once a week to prevent Legionnaire's Disease.

My geyser is currently on 79 degrees and I don't even know when last I needed to put the GW on to warm the water

Legionannaire's disease ? I thought this only applied to standing water.

 

[isie]

Legionannaire's disease ? I thought this only applied to standing water.

legionella bacteria can be in any water source -
Quick guide - don't quote me but its pretty accurate

in cold taps its fine 25c below they lay dormant drinking water with em wont have any affect on you- between 25c and 32c they can grow but still considered safe for us more or less-
between 32c and 48c they grow and multiply and think about taking a shower of water that's been sitting at that temp for a few hours you pretty much inhale the buggers.
48c-50c they survive but can't multiply - but still safish maybe - depends how long water been sitting
50-60c they die in about an hour or so if you don't have a timer you can set the temps here because they will be killed in the water between uses , but if you have a timer rather set temp higher.
60c-70c killed in like under 5 minutes - so hence if have a timer set it this temp
70c+ MF's die instantly but that scalding hot so be careful


and this is just my thinking but with a solar the water passes through the collector (if direct not indirect) so there's a better chance of them being killed then as well

 

[Obieone]

Thanks for clearing that up, now I need to up my geyser to 60 deg c.

 

[Meister-Man]

There is no standard setup so without a picture at least no one can tell you. Is there nothing inside the unit to control this already?

Honestly you wasting money on anything for now if you not going geyserwise. I probably sound like i work for them ( i don't )but it's honestly a godsend of a product. might as well save up for it and not waste your time with anything else. You Need to spend this little and you will save - what you wanting to do is going to cost you for not much return (if any at all)


As for installing a timer - yes you can do it yourself - but say you have a thermosiphon then sure the timer will only stop the element kicking in but timers in this case is much of a muchness as the thermostat wont come on when water is already hot. but say you have a 220v pump and you install a timer - you realised you just turned your whole system off and it wont warm up by the sun unless you set the timer to come on during the day - but then so will the element

Hi

Geyser is a 150Litres Kwikot Superline Dual 600KPA Geyser. See Pic.

 

[isie]

Hi

Geyser is a 150Litres Kwikot Superline Dual 600KPA Geyser. See Pic.

Looking at the pic i don't see any pump connectors and the way its set up it looks like flat panel thermosyphon.

Is this a pic from your complex or one you found? - because just having the Geyser tank model number isn't going to give you the type of solar set up , they compatible with all types.

But if it is this then just use it as is for now and save up for a geyserwise TSE (they like under 1k) you going to spend a few hundred bucks on a dumb timer and set it to only go on at night or early morning but IMHO a waste of time and effort as Knowing the temp makes life so much easier and helps in saving you money.

You could go and change the temp on the thermostat as well as i advised on the temps depending on with timer or without.

 

[Meister-Man]

Looking at the pic i don't see any pump connectors and the way its set up it looks like flat panel thermosyphon.

Is this a pic from your complex or one you found? - because just having the Geyser tank model number isn't going to give you the type of solar set up , they compatible with all types.

But if it is this then just use it as is for now and save up for a geyserwise TSE (they like under 1k) you going to spend a few hundred bucks on a dumb timer and set it to only go on at night or early morning but IMHO a waste of time and effort as Knowing the temp makes life so much easier and helps in saving you money.

You could go and change the temp on the thermostat as well as i advised on the temps depending on with timer or without.

Thanks for your feedback, much appreciated.
Under R1k, I will look into this, I was under the impression a geyserwise setup is R5k+.

 

[Pineapple Smurf]

Get a Geyserwise.

It's summer now so I'm not using Eksdom at all. Just make sure that you get the water over 60 degrees at least once a week to prevent Legionnaire's Disease.

My geyser is currently on 79 degrees and I don't even know when last I needed to put the GW on to warm the water

ive had my geyser on 55 degrees for 10 years
i didnt catch any diseases
is it maybe because i drink everyday that i am self sanitized?

 

[Grouter]

Gas geyser. No tank - it's on demand. Ours is set to 44 degrees. That way, we use NO cold water in a shower, just hot.
I like 43 degrees, but 'she-who-must-be-obeyed' stipulates 44. When I change it, she knows. I get told to reset it. It's a thing with us. It could escalate to divorce, but I have been stealthy.
Summer is coming and I plan to go down to 42 degrees like I did last summer.
She didn't notice - I didn't tell her.

My point - apart from the legionnaires thing, what other reason do you need to heat water up so much, only to get in the shower and cool it down again with cold? If we could find some other way of killing the little legionnaire bug(ger)s, we'd save a heck of a lot of energy.

 

[isie]

Thanks for your feedback, much appreciated.
Under R1k, I will look into this, I was under the impression a geyserwise setup is R5k+.

Different Models different prices - the most expensive is the Max and that's under 2k - but even with installation 5k is insane - not sure who is quoting you.

Just one places costs

Geyserwise - Solar Water Heating Solutions - Sustainable.co.za

Cut your monthly electricity bill by installing a Geyserwise geyser electricity monitor today, and make smart decisions about your household’s geyser usage.

www.sustainable.co.za

the PV ones are are different story that's like a solar power kit hence the 13k+

 

[isie]

Gas geyser. No tank - it's on demand. Ours is set to 44 degrees. That way, we use NO cold water in a shower, just hot.
I like 43 degrees, but 'she-who-must-be-obeyed' stipulates 44. When I change it, she knows. I get told to reset it. It's a thing with us. It could escalate to divorce, but I have been stealthy.
Summer is coming and I plan to go down to 42 degrees like I did last summer.
She didn't notice - I didn't tell her.

My point - apart from the legionnaires thing, what other reason do you need to heat water up so much, only to get in the shower and cool it down again with cold? If we could find some other way of killing the little legionnaire bug(ger)s, we'd save a heck of a lot of energy.

gas geyser can be set low - the water isn't stagnant its going from base temp to 40ish then out your tap - legionella don't have time to wake up let alone multiply - again this is just my interpretation but it is logical.

 

[Jladan]

So I have a geyserwise setup but don’t seem to have a pump, going to check that it’s actually doing anything during the day

 

[isie]

So I have a geyserwise setup but don’t seem to have a pump, going to check that it’s actually doing anything during the day

If you have a thermosiphon type geyser it doesn't use a pump.
tank is on top of the panels like the pic the OP shared or EV tubes depending on collector.
Hot water rises, cold water sinks
cold water goes out the tank to the bottom of the collector as it warms up it rises and gets pushed back into the tanks - goes around a few times and slowly but surely the temp rises.

 

[Jladan]

Yup makes sense, that being said it doesn’t seem to raise / or keep the temp that high. Maybe time for a good old clean of the panels.

 

[The Lost Engineer]

Get the Geyserwise Max and you won't have any issues going forward. It's fully programmable right down to the temperature, time of day and you can have different settings for weekdays and weekends. You can view the tube temperature and geyser temperature and it usually pumps when there's a temperature differential of 7C.

I've had mine for 2 years now and we only use electricity in Winter and if we have guests in the house.