Morning folks.
We're really struggling with our hot water.
Situation currently - 300L solar/electric geyser (3Kw). 4 people in the main house, 2 in the domestic workers quarters. We struggle endlessly with providing enough hot water.
While it would be great if everyone showered/bathed at the end of the day when solar had done most work, practically this isn't possible - we exercise in the mornings and we need hot water in the am.
The geyser is controlled by Home Assistant using a Sonoff temp probe - I have it set to go on in the early afternoon and off in the late evening. Then it goes on again at 04h00 and off at 09h30 or 10h30 depending on the wife's schedule and whether she needs hot water later in the am. The temp is set on the Sonoff to 49deg - which feels plenty hot coming out of the geyser.
What we find is that after an average bath, or two (not long) showers, the geyser temp falls rapidly and it's >1h before its warm enough to have a shower with no added cold water.
I've been considering some options:
1. Gas geyser on the bathrooms in the main house to supplement (ie further heat the geyser heated water) the hot water. So the water from the geyser will pass through the gas geyser and get boosted if need be. This will kepe the tribe of the long hair happy in that there will always be hot water. - COST: ±R30000 for a 20lpm gas geyser, 2x19kg cyliners and the installation. - then gas prices (but I'd think the usage would be lower because the water would already be somewhat heated?
2. Increase the geyser setpoint temp so that more cold water needs to be added and less hot water drawn from the geyser - my theory is that the average water temp after a bath/shower event should be higher? But maybe I don't understand how geysers work.... COST: Who knows - but the I suspect this may not help because the geyser is barely getting to temp before it's raided anyway.....
3. Reactivate the old 150L electric geyser languishig in the roof and use it exclusively for the top of house (kitchen) and domestic quarters... COST: whatever the replumbing cost is plus the electricity cost of running that geyser in addition to the 300L solar.
Is anyone able to make any sense of this conundrum or have any other ideas? The solar geyser has been a disappointment and water heating costs are killing me (but not as much as the long faces around insufficient hot water.....
)
Mike
We're really struggling with our hot water.
Situation currently - 300L solar/electric geyser (3Kw). 4 people in the main house, 2 in the domestic workers quarters. We struggle endlessly with providing enough hot water.
While it would be great if everyone showered/bathed at the end of the day when solar had done most work, practically this isn't possible - we exercise in the mornings and we need hot water in the am.
The geyser is controlled by Home Assistant using a Sonoff temp probe - I have it set to go on in the early afternoon and off in the late evening. Then it goes on again at 04h00 and off at 09h30 or 10h30 depending on the wife's schedule and whether she needs hot water later in the am. The temp is set on the Sonoff to 49deg - which feels plenty hot coming out of the geyser.
What we find is that after an average bath, or two (not long) showers, the geyser temp falls rapidly and it's >1h before its warm enough to have a shower with no added cold water.
I've been considering some options:
1. Gas geyser on the bathrooms in the main house to supplement (ie further heat the geyser heated water) the hot water. So the water from the geyser will pass through the gas geyser and get boosted if need be. This will kepe the tribe of the long hair happy in that there will always be hot water. - COST: ±R30000 for a 20lpm gas geyser, 2x19kg cyliners and the installation. - then gas prices (but I'd think the usage would be lower because the water would already be somewhat heated?
2. Increase the geyser setpoint temp so that more cold water needs to be added and less hot water drawn from the geyser - my theory is that the average water temp after a bath/shower event should be higher? But maybe I don't understand how geysers work.... COST: Who knows - but the I suspect this may not help because the geyser is barely getting to temp before it's raided anyway.....
3. Reactivate the old 150L electric geyser languishig in the roof and use it exclusively for the top of house (kitchen) and domestic quarters... COST: whatever the replumbing cost is plus the electricity cost of running that geyser in addition to the 300L solar.
Is anyone able to make any sense of this conundrum or have any other ideas? The solar geyser has been a disappointment and water heating costs are killing me (but not as much as the long faces around insufficient hot water.....
)Mike
