August 23, 20187 yr 18 minutes ago, gallderhen said: ... even in winter, we're down by about 4-6KW a day ... Took me about 22 months back in 2012 - after the subsidizing via Eskom - to pay it off with the savings made ... after some "family training". For the last year, now coupled with forced water savings, geyser has maybe had to revert to Eskom MAYBE 20 times the past year. Plug and forget has never been so simple. Ps. I do have it serviced (read checked) every couple of years. Tubes can lose the vacuum after going on 7 years. ;-)
August 23, 20187 yr Author 1 minute ago, The Terrible Triplett said: (read checked) every couple of years. Tubes can lose the vacuum How can one tell if it is the case
August 23, 20187 yr 2 minutes ago, PaulF007 said: How can one tell if it is the case Best indicator is when you see the previously high temps attained are not being attained anymore. Note the geysers control panel. Have been told tube may feel hotter than the others, with vacuum being gone, the air inside heats up a bit more. Not too sure about this one though. Or hail has cracked the glass. Tube/s may "look" different as dust may be entering or rainwater gets inside.
August 23, 20187 yr 6 hours ago, PaulF007 said: in fact hubby mentions it in the second video 1:22 into the Hubby's video he says something I don't understand at all, please help me out here? He says that his system is producing upwards of 20-25 kwh per day and they are only using maybe 5 kwh of that, being off grid, where does the excess power go?
August 23, 20187 yr 9 minutes ago, Jaco de Jongh said: ... being off grid, where does the excess power go? Nowhere. If you draw it, it is there. If you don't draw it, it is not "there".
August 23, 20187 yr 55 minutes ago, The Terrible Triplett said: Nowhere. If you draw it, it is there. If you don't draw it, it is not "there". Yep, that's my point exactly, so why say your system produces upwards of 20-25kwh a day if you only use 5.. Newcomers to the solar world can easily be derailed and put off solar listening to these 2 , I wished they have waited a bit before posting these vids, I am sure by now they are a little bit more informed and would love to see an updated video in a few months time. I guess their opinion might have changed a bit from back then to now.. Edited: I am sure the system might be capable of producing that. They can definitely get so much more out of that system, if they fix the 1 Circuit only issue..
August 23, 20187 yr Just now, Jaco de Jongh said: Yep, that's my point exactly, so why say your system produces upwards of 20-25kwh a day if you only use 5.. Maybe they tested the capacity on one day by running lots of things... but on most days they only use 5.
August 23, 20187 yr 3 minutes ago, Jaco de Jongh said: ... why say your system produces upwards of 20-25kwh a day if you only use 5. One can do the maths based on array size and optimal sun at 5.5 hours per day (depending on where in the world you are) that the array CAN generate.
August 23, 20187 yr 22 minutes ago, Jaco de Jongh said: He says that his system is producing upwards of 20-25 kwh per day and they are only using maybe 5 kwh of that, being off grid, where does the excess power go? Think he might have meant capable of
August 23, 20187 yr 11 minutes ago, The Terrible Triplett said: One can do the maths based on array size and optimal sun at 5.5 hours per day (depending on where in the world you are) that the array CAN generate. Okay TTT, you are missing my point, my point was, don't report back to the world that you ARE PRODUCING upwards of 20-25kwh PER DAY, but only USE 5kwh PER DAY, because doesn't matter what calculations you use it just doesn't make sense. "Capable of" and "Producing Daily" are worlds apart. I should have just be blunt in my first post on this issue instead of asking a silly question about it. I was merely pointing out the error in his explanation of his system, whether it was as result of miss presentation or the lack of knowledge on his part for thinking if its there waiting to be used for 5.5 hours a day He can add it to the math..
August 23, 20187 yr 6 minutes ago, Jaco de Jongh said: "Capable of" and "Producing Daily" are worlds apart. I heard the same you did, and I immediately though they could produce Y, but only use X. Good buffer I thought. Every single one of us have been where they are, made the same discoveries, mistakes. :-) And some of us are still getting there. For them those 2 vids are golden, seeing as they had the balls to put up a both videos. Respect for that. Just a thought.
September 8, 20187 yr On 2018/08/23 at 10:39 AM, Riaanh said: I have about 18 of them around my kitchen and other areas. Had 2X50W of those and the rest 20W. You get LED version, Got mine from ACDC and will be the first to admit Better light at like 8-10% of the energy. one string of 10 aka 200W was replaced with LED, and now sit on less than 20W for all. (little expensive I know, but they LAST) I just replaced these 24 bulbs with LED ones at R40 each, dropped the usage from 480 watts to 30 watts!!!
September 8, 20187 yr 10 hours ago, Antony said: I just replaced these 24 bulbs with LED ones at R40 each, dropped the usage from 480 watts to 30 watts!!! Well done, that is a huge energy saving..
September 9, 20187 yr 13 hours ago, Jaco de Jongh said: Well done, that is a huge energy saving.. Now if I could just find a "LED version" for my underfloor heating
September 10, 20187 yr On 2018/09/08 at 1:28 PM, Antony said: I just replaced these 24 bulbs with LED ones at R40 each, dropped the usage from 480 watts to 30 watts!!! Morning, The weirdest thing happened, one of my lights blew the transformer... Model GET-0812 Output is AC11.5V 160W. I stripped the light, (what a job) and found this part completely blow away. What would have caused this, oh and the isolator switch tripped as well.
September 10, 20187 yr 3 minutes ago, Antony said: and found this part completely blow away. Hi Anthony, Can you please post a picture?
September 10, 20187 yr 15 minutes ago, Jaco de Jongh said: Hi Anthony, Can you please post a picture? 3rd attempt to post picture hope this one works Looks like a fuse? on the 220V input
September 10, 20187 yr 19 minutes ago, Antony said: Looks like a fuse? on the 220V input Indeed it does.. Right next to the Diode Bridge. What is the rated input voltage of this device. And where is the step down transformer. Please take a picture of the complete circuit? Is this the light or the transformer? You are refering to this transformer?
September 10, 20187 yr 8 minutes ago, Jaco de Jongh said: Indeed it does.. Right next to the Diode Bridge. What is the rated input voltage of this device. And where is the step down transformer. Please take a picture of the complete circuit? Is this the light or the transformer? You are refering to this transformer? It is the same one, identically.
September 10, 20187 yr 37 minutes ago, Antony said: The weirdest thing happened, one of my lights blew the transformer... Model GET-0812 Output is AC11.5V 160W. I stripped the light, (what a job) and found this part completely blow away. What would have caused this, oh and the isolator switch tripped as well. I am confused. You say the transformer blew but you had stripped the light and found the fuse blown. Can you please take a picture of the complete circuit. I just want to confirm something.
September 10, 20187 yr 3 minutes ago, Jaco de Jongh said: I am confused. You say the transformer blew but you had stripped the light and found the fuse blown. Can you please take a picture of the complete circuit. I just want to confirm something. pictures uploaded, its a fuse inside the transformer.. The casing states Max. 35 - 160W. I have 8 x 12 LED bulbs on this light. ps, I have 3 such lights, the other 2 are ok. so far...
September 10, 20187 yr 1 minute ago, Antony said: transformer That looks like a cheap SMPS to me (switch mode power supply). The power comes in and goes through a fuse and then 4 x 1N4007 diodes (rated at 1Amp each), so very clearly it's taking it to DC first. There is a varistor across it in that area (RV1?), which is a surge suppression device. It is difficult to say, but it looks like it is wired in such a way that if RV1 breaks down it will blow the fuse (as it did). Cheap SMPSes blow all the time. This might just be bad luck. I have boxes full of these things...
September 10, 20187 yr 7 minutes ago, Antony said: I have 8 x 12 LED bulbs on this light. Firstly what is the total wattage of the LED's? the minimum wattage you can connect to this transformer is 35Watt Secondly, The output is 12 Volt Ac and the LED's normally operate on DC, please check the input requirements for the LED light , This is an Electronic Transformer, dont you see some flickering in the lights?
September 10, 20187 yr 6 minutes ago, Antony said: pictures uploaded, its a fuse inside the transformer.. The casing states Max. 35 - 160W. I have 8 x 12 LED bulbs on this light. ps, I have 3 such lights, the other 2 are ok. so far... Soldered a bridge across "fuse pins" and tested with multimeter across + & - and I get a dead short on the 220 input circuit...
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