Will switching off geysers prevent loadshedding?

[maumau]

I know this is slightly OT but in Toronto and presumably the whole of Canada electricity is cheaper after a certain time in the evening.

Everybody runs their washing machines, dryers, dishwashers etc late to benefit from the lower rates.

 

[Nerfherder]

1 valid thing you can take from this however is if everyone disabled their heavy loads at startup (hello heaters/geysers) there would be less nuisance trips post-loadshed due to heavy inrushes tripping subs
I have my changeover-notification set to 10minutes post-loadshed

Ya, I think it would help if we uplugged everything during loadshedding so that there is not a spike but at some point you have to charge all those batteries, cook that dinner and heat that geyser.
There is no net gain.

 

[Nerfherder]

I know this is slightly OT but in Toronto and presumably the whole of Canada electricity is cheaper after a certain time in the evening.

Everybody runs their washing machines, dryers, dishwashers etc late to benefit from the lower rates.

We will get there.... but will have to sort out the current issues first.

 

[maumau]

We have massive spikes at peak times, 5am to 8am and 5pm to 9pm.

That is a problem, and for some of them it take hours to get their machines running again after they've been switched off.

 

[Intox]

I believe COJ wanted to do something like this some years ago with the smart meter roll out
Seem to remember that they wanted to notify users that they need to reduce load and turn off non essential appliances to avert load-shedding , if they didn't comply the power would be disconnected remotely.

Never heard anything about it again so must not have worked.
Found the article announcing it load-limiting initiative

 

[jun_tao]

I know COJ have also installed geyser ripple relay switches in some areas, that control when their geysers are able to turn on.

 

["D"]

Would that work?

Yeah, household geysers are the collective problem. (Note: SARCASM!)

 

[Pak Fa Fui]

The government or municipality can switch off some geysers remotely, could be a good way or interim measure to manage electricity usage

 

[Moosedrool]

No, just like your fridge. If you don't use hot water much the power to keep up the heat is very little.

Same applies for your fridge, keep it cold.

^This. Your geyser will use more power heating from extended periods of shut off than maintaining temperature. Unless you don’t shower for a week or something.

 

[Not_original]

Geyser is on of the biggest power consumers. Especially if it is badly insulated.

So he is sort of correct. But it's not something that can be reasonably implemented.

Well it was reasonably implemented back in the days and could stil have been if properly managed. The good old ripple relay (plenty of old towns had these). Then again, I wouldn't trust my nice hot shower to the current crap show going on.

 

[Geoff.D]

Also remember they used to have ripple switches to turn on and off geysers which stopped.

On that subject, I notice quite a few homes in CT still have those damn ripple relays installed. The problem now is the relays can take from 20 - 30 minutes to start up after an LS session, which messes up load management quite a bit until you find out about these things and where they are installed.
I have been trying to find out if one can bypass those ripple relay installations?

 

[Geoff.D]

In a perfect SA there would be tax incentives and rebates for people that switch to solar geysers.

The UK has several programmes that encourage households to improve energy efficiency such as house insulation, water pumps etc.

That said those that I know who switched to solar geysers are saving thousands on their bills. Geysers use a crazy amount of energy so it's worthwhile for everyone to invest

IFF the dwelling lends itself to installing solar water heating systems correctly and optimally. Our neighbours have one of these installations (which cost him a packet), installed on a West facing roof, and the system is next to useless. In winter he gets zero benefits, and in summer the water overheats and the system just switches itself off. He has long since simply bypassed the system entirely and left it disconnected with no water flowing through it.

 

[Geoff.D]

I do switch mine off and only turn it on 1 hour a day. Feel like a lone candle bearer though because I'm sure nobody else does. Maybe my 0.001% mw will make a difference somewhere LOL. I do it anyway. It's something positive to do I guess.

Well, then there are 2 of us. The geyser in our home is set to come on for only 1 hour a day ( the geyser is never on for the full hour, only about 40 minutes in winter and 20 minutes in summer).

All the pipes are extra insulated now ( I have just completed that exercise). The time is deliberately chosen to be outside of the peak hours (as listed in a previous post). I have also installed peak power control, as well as major appliances, do not come back on immediately after LS.

 

[Geoff.D]

^This. Your geyser will use more power heating from extended periods of shut off than maintaining temperature. Unless you don’t shower for a week or something.

It is all about hot water usage management. This business of maintaining water hot 24/7 is just BS.

 

[Geoff.D]

So if you have yours at ten minutes and everyone else does, that's why sometimes it trips again after being on for ten minutes.

Ja it is not as simple as it is made out to be. Peak power management is about ensuring that heavy consumption appliances do not all draw power at the same time regardless of the time of day or state of the incoming power.

 

[RedViking]

The problem with Eskom is management and maintenance, incompetence and corruption. Even if the whole country stops using electricity, Eskom will still fall apart and loadshed. Just easier to loot without the extra burden of supply to its citizens.

If the useless employees don't pitch up for work, they get rewarded for it.

So no, switching off your geyser will have zero to no impact on loadshedding.

 

[RVQ]

IFF the dwelling lends itself to installing solar water heating systems correctly and optimally. Our neighbours have one of these installations (which cost him a packet), installed on a West facing roof, and the system is next to useless. In winter he gets zero benefits, and in summer the water overheats and the system just switches itself off. He has long since simply bypassed the system entirely and left it disconnected with no water flowing through it.

Planning and Design, such an important element in our personal and professional lives yet so often missed. Theres lots of cowboy engineers/ amateurs in the energy space and heard a decent amount of stories of people wasting money installing in the wrong place or using the wrong solutions. I'm sure a professional with the relevant experience/ qualifications amd intergrity could have identified issues before he dished out all the cash.

 

[wingnut771]

I know this is slightly OT but in Toronto and presumably the whole of Canada electricity is cheaper after a certain time in the evening.

Everybody runs their washing machines, dryers, dishwashers etc late to benefit from the lower rates.

That’s because they have brains.

 

[Mystic Twilight]

amen, on the contrary we should switch as much shyte ON as we can at all times, take this mofo to stage 20 and maybe, just maybe, some ANC cnuts will swing from trees in our lifetime as befits their corrupt souls

I think all you've done is have the anc laugh at you while they collect their tender money selling a replacement transformer for the one your neighbourhood has blown from overload.

 

[lkswan747]

Looks as if I fell into a trap, he must've been joking

Hmmmmm, I need revenge.

Get all your friends around to your house when loadshedding, then ask them to put their arms in the air, count to five . Many hands make light work.