July 3, 20233 yr Hi All, My solar geyser recently packed up. I am debating whether to replace it with another solar geyser or add more panels to my solar power system and run a normal electric geyser. I should have enough capacity to run the electric geyser during the day through my solar system. What's a better option?
July 3, 20233 yr Hi @MNK1234 What's the cost of a new solar geyser? I would guess +-30k which buys quite a few panels, would be tempted to go more panels if you have the capacity on your inverter. I have a hybrid copper coil geyser which works really well. It is essentially a low pressure geyser with a copper pipe coiled through it to heat up the high pressure water as it passes through the geyser. Because only the copper coil is pressurised it is very reliable and not susceptible to bursting the way that normal high pressure geysers do. Have had my one for +10yrs. Also way cheaper than a high pressure geyser. https://solargeyserstechnology.co.za/sa-solar-technology-coiler-solar-geysers.html Edited July 3, 20233 yr by Sc00bs
July 3, 20233 yr In theoretical terms, direct solar heating of your water with a solar geyser is more efficient because you are turning solar radiation straight into hot water without the intermediate steps of AC->DC->heat in the element. BUT once your water is hot, there is nothing else that you can use that solar geyser for. If you add extra panels, once you have heated your water, you can use the solar panel to charge batteries or run other appliances in your house.
July 3, 20233 yr 2 hours ago, MNK1234 said: Hi All, My solar geyser recently packed up. I am debating whether to replace it with another solar geyser or add more panels to my solar power system and run a normal electric geyser. I should have enough capacity to run the electric geyser during the day through my solar system. What's a better option? Go with extra panels on your solar PV system. This should not even be a debate. Just use a 2kW AC element.
July 3, 20233 yr 4 hours ago, MNK1234 said: Hi All, My solar geyser recently packed up. I am debating whether to replace it with another solar geyser or add more panels to my solar power system and run a normal electric geyser. I should have enough capacity to run the electric geyser during the day through my solar system. What's a better option? It depends on the space on your roof, a standard solar geyser panel does the same heating as can be achieved with 3 solar PV panels, so if space is a concern, go with solar geyser, otherwise, the PV panels sound a bit better.
July 3, 20233 yr 5 hours ago, MNK1234 said: Hi All, My solar geyser recently packed up. I am debating whether to replace it with another solar geyser or add more panels to my solar power system and run a normal electric geyser. I should have enough capacity to run the electric geyser during the day through my solar system. What's a better option? My solar geyser is as helpful as a trap door in a canoe this winter. Hot sunny day yesterday and when I switched it on at the DB board, around noon, it pulled power as it was not warm enough. Same story today as I just switched it on at 14:15 and it is drawing power. I will replace mine with a collector and pump and add more panels. Will be better as in winter I get an ice-cold wind cooling my unit down in the evening.
July 3, 20233 yr I'd say add more panels to your solar and then power the geyser via the inverter. This is what I will be doing, although with a geyser timer to turn the geyser on in the afternoon after batteries have been charged and the load is reduced.
July 10, 20232 yr What about fitting a standard geyser and using a geyser wise? My solar geyser is 15 years old. In winter the cold ambient air really cools it down. I'm considering a new in roof geyser and a geyser wise with a few panels.
July 10, 20232 yr 2 hours ago, Chris_S said: What about fitting a standard geyser and using a geyser wise? My solar geyser is 15 years old. In winter the cold ambient air really cools it down. I'm considering a new in roof geyser and a geyser wise with a few panels. I am not sure whether Geyser Wise has a timer option? Without having your geyser on a timer, you run the risk of the geyser turning on during a period when there is no sun and drawing either from your battery or Eskom. If you are fine with this, then it's not a problem. As for a newer geyser in your roof, if this will help keep the water hot for longer and offers better insulation I feel it will be a good thing although costly. My geyser is on my concrete roof - so I do not have any "in roof" space so decided to add a geyser blanket and put some lagging on the hot water pipes which are exposed on the roof and this made a difference and it was cheap - I think under R500 for the kit. I also have a very old geyser, but do not feel it is worth my while spending money to increase the efficiency slightly. I do not think the costs will add up (new geyser and moving the location vs the cost saving of slightly better efficiency and insulation).
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