Carnajo

Thanks everyone. Yeah it’s as I thought and suspected. Just wanted to check in case I was missing something but yeah.

Awesome thanks. And yeah my problem seems to be finding a decent electrician/plumber because the first one had no idea and the second one doesn't know how to correct it either but seems to think a 3kw element will make things worse... even though they don't know why it's triggering.

Thanks, makes sense, only time power will be a limiting factor is if it is losing heat to environment faster than the element can heat it. Will it resolve my over-wattage issue though or am I not on the right track in terms of it hitting the power limit on the timer because of the high voltage?

Hi everyone, So I have a 4kw geyser element that was working fine for a while but recently it keeps triggering my geyser timer's auto protection setting which is set to 5kw. Plumbers replaced the element which was supposedly shorting due to water leaking but that hasn't resolved the issue (which didn't occur in the past). Did my own research and seems to me what is happening is that my voltage has been reaching 250V which causes the power draw to be 5kW and that triggers the timer's protection setting. My thinking is that I should replace it with a 3kW element but the electrician the plumbers use seems to think that it won't solve my issue and could apparently make it worse. I'm no electrician or plumber but I know Ohms law and I know there is a relationship between power, voltage and resistance so as far as I know the reason my "4kw" element is drawing "5kw" is because it is rated to draw 4kw at 220V, and 250V it ends up drawing 5kw. Anyone have any advice? Would a 3kw element be enough for a 200l geyser?

Thanks, it's relatively affordable and as you say has the benefit of the sensors to determine whether it is open/closed.

Thanks for the advice an input guys, Sonoff Gate Controller seems like the simplest and easiest and quite cheap. Or one of the ones with open/close sensors that I can be powered at gate motor (either 220V or from motor battery). I have good wifi where the motor is so happy with that. The G-Ultra also seems like a great option but is a fair bit more expensive so happy to just try out the R250 or so Sonoff type things in the meantime. Only reason I'm leaning towards Sonoff/Ewelink is I'm trying to avoid having so many apps to control different things, but perhaps I can consolidate them in google home or something. Do Tuya devices need a hub? I recall seeing that for some of them but these gate controllers don't seem to mention it so I would assume they are stand-alone.

Thanks @Steve87 and @Muttley, unless I’m mistaken those both require wires to be run from my motor to indoors? Kinda hoping to avoid that because there’s no easy way to do that, any existing wiring is all underground with no easy access and no idea how I would draw them, I think it just goes straight to my DB. I was hoping for something like a smart remote (basically the same thing as my current remotes to open close by sending RF to the motor but connected to Wi-Fi), or something I could install inside the gate motor box. Not sure if the G-Ultra could be hooked up near the motor but then it would need to be rated for outdoors use I presume and also not sure how it would be powered? I’m surprised there’s no smart RF transmitters that can control gates, perhaps a remote can be hooked up to some kind of smart switch? Basically the non mechanical version of having a little robot arm hooked up to Wi-Fi push the button on a remote 😂 Perhaps the sonoff thingie is my best bet, was just curious if something else existed, but there’s also no downloadable manual or installation guide for the sonoff gate controller so don’t know how it works, I assume it can be fitted in the motor but perhaps not

Hi everyone, apologies if this has been asked before but doing a search didn't find anything. I'm looking for something that I could you to open/close my entrance gate remotely (i.e. to let someone in/out while I'm at the office etc.). I've seen some smart rf transmitters/remotes but none of them support code-hopping so won't be suitable for my gate motor (Centurion D5 Evo), even better if it can tell me if the gate is open/closed etc. and if I can remotely do full open or just passenger gate open (my motor has a setting where it only opens partially for someone to walk in but won't fit a car. Any suggestions, only one I can find is this unit but there doesn't seem to be much info on it and what it can/can't do etc. https://www.sonoffafrica.co.za/product/ewelink-1ch-wifi-switch/ Or some units that need to be plugged in to a wall socket and cables run from the motor to the controller which isn't really feasible (well, I guess it is doable but I'd need to get someone to install it etc.)

Thanks, yeah makes sense, trying to be a bit smart/automated with this. Geyser has a sonoff geyser timer/switch on it but I've just discovered it isn't great for temperature monitoring, so might consider a geyserwise or something that can do the temp monitoring but will run as is for now, maybe not worth it in the long run. The oven/stove would be on a separate changeover than the geyser and it's already on a manual changeover switch (and manual is fine because I'll be there to control it when I cook etc.). It's an induction stove so I leave use it through the inverter if I'm just making a 10 minute pasta or soup or something, but then put it on grid if I'll be using the oven etc. Don't have a convection oven (maybe will look into those, any recommendations?) but I do use instant pot a lot and that's pretty decent. Air fryer is on my "to buy" list, I believe it's a bit of a cult... 🤣 Geyser is a bit different would be nice to control remotely (have hot water when I get home from work etc. is there a low draw, switch it on and let solar PV top it up, is there a high draw (ironing, kettles, etc.) then turn it off temporarily so as not to overload inverter etc. so the idea would be to (eventually) have things running smartly on solar-assist. For the most part I'm pretty much off-grid at the moment (8kW Deye, 2x5.1kW batteries and 12x550W solar panels) but do need to manage what's on at the same time (so don't have geyser, aircons and then switch on a kettle...) but hopefully the smart/auto solution can manage that for me, so if I turn on a kettle and inverter hits 8kW it will switch geyser off, and then turn it back on 15 mins later, things like that. If it weren't for the large upfront cost I'd just get a heat-pump for the geyser but I don't think it is worth the outlay if I use intelligent time of use behavior and automation.

Ah I see, makes sense. Will chat to electrician about doing something like this.

Ah okay, thanks. Ah good to know, and I suspect that you then put it manual mode to disable the "auto changeover" function and have it fully controlled via app/homeassist etc?

Don't suppose you know the make or who supplies it?

Hi everyone, Got a new setup and am looking to find a smart changeover switch, not one of those automatic ones that changeover during loadshedding etc but rather one I can control remotely via app and even better if it can integrate with google home/solarassistant/IFTTT etc.). I currently have everything running through an 8kW Deye inverter with manual changeover switches for the stove and geyser but I'd like to be able to control these, so for example if the inverter load is high then switch these to run off grid, and if inverter load is low then switch to run from battery or solar. Can't seem to find anything like this, only the automatic type or smart switches (on/off) but not changeover switches. I'm a noob at this though so not sure if there is something (i.e. some sonoff smart switch) that can do this but I didn't know it could. I don't have SolarAssistant yet but ideally I could have this all integrated through automation and it switches from grid to battery/solar when relevant and also depending on battery charge etc. The geyser is on a sonoff geyser timer.