A dark Africa lays ahead.....load shedding

[eccc whippet]

What i did learn over the weekend is how a non grid inverter reacts to heavy loads...it doesnt go down well.

 

what happens is the marine deep cycle lead acid batteries doesnt play nicely when a heavy load is applied.

 

we had a standard house connected to 3 x 5 kva units connected in parrallel with 3 banks of 4 batteries connected in series to make up 48 VDC (300 amp/hr) as required by the inverters.

 

loaded the inverters to 65 % (40 amps on the AC side) ...10 minutes later the units switch the power off...what gets me is and this could be why people say dont use lead acid batteries... thank goodness we werent load shedding...i switched the mains power back on...10 mins later the batteries indicated 100%...it takes more than 10 minutes to charge a flat deep cycle battery ...i know i ran them on my bass boat for years...this is now the challenge...i need to figue out and understand why this happened and if it just means a few tweeks to the setting in the inverter.

 

I have similar setup in a different location...which is only  loaded 10-15 % ...we have had power cuts lasting more than 12 hours and the system never cut out....this is where i believe the lithium batteries will shine...because they can maintain a full load for at least 80 of the battery discharge compared to a lead acid only 50 % max and even that drops as the voltage drops . 

 

after doing some research i found people complaining that the software used by the axpert/meccer (watch power) is not very reliable...it is better to upgrade or use other software to monitor your system....which can be done remotely. 

 

spoke to a few people in the know today...the response was what i expected ...just add more batteries. 

[the nerd]

Has any one seen a considerable drop in utilization after fitting a geyser timer? 

[Wannabe]

Has any one seen a considerable drop in utilization after fitting a geyser timer? 

 Not really. I fitted one about two years ago, and it did not make a big difference. After replacing my geyser with a modern high pressure one, I took the electronic timer off, and I now see an marked improvement in usage, even though my geyser is on 24/7 (except for loadshedding times, lol) 

[Capricorn]

In short, marine batteries are designed to give enough current in a short burst to start a motor, and then be able to supply power to electronic circuits (lights, radar etc)

 

https://marinebatteryguy.com/difference-marine-battery-car-battery/

What you refer to I understand as battery capability: it can handle short duration, high power draws, as well as continuous substantial power draws afterward. This is the nature of a deep cycle battery, which is perfect for solar power applications. Coupled to charge controller appropriate for the battery, it will do just fine in a domestic application.

But i fear the costs simply because of it's robust design.

 

Edited March 25, 2019 by Capricorn

[The Ouzo]

Has any one seen a considerable drop in utilization after fitting a geyser timer? 

yes I have.

I fitted a geyser wise about 10 years back. electricity usage dropped by 30%.

Whether this is all up to the geyser being off when not needed or the more accurate thermostat that comes with the geyser wise I cant say, but for me it works.

[i24]

the reason we call a cord with a plug top on both sides a suicide cord is because it is just that...as people say to me they have been doing it ever since they bought the generator and it works fine doesnt make it any less dangerous.  

 

I know of a sad incident where a cord like this killed a technician.

 

The high voltage overhead wires to a rural location were damaged by cable thieves. The consumer had a small generator for this eventuality. The operator got hold of a cable with two male plugs on it and wired the generator into the DB. The part he got wrong was to fail to isolate the main switch on the DB.

 

The technician was repairing the cables when the operator started the generator. The 220V from the generator went backwards through the substation transformer and got converted to 1000's of volts and killed the technician.

 

The investigators blamed the technician for failing to ground the cables before working on them, as required by standard procedures. A very sad outcome for all.

[Let's Ride]

Has any one seen a considerable drop in utilization after fitting a geyser timer? 

 

You get the ones that fit onto your db board, real pain to work. Geyserwise is wonderful and easy to work.

 

Mother in law has a timer and I have to come over to set it. I might just disconnect it. Real pain. Even with the instruction manual I battle. 

 

 

At our house with 2 Adults, we have our geyser on every 3 to 4 days in the morning for an hour before we shower. Wait till we have finished and I can see no units being consumed so I know the geyser is up to full temp. Then switch off for another couple of days. Really no need to have your geyser on everyday. 

Edited March 25, 2019 by Let's Ride

[Let's Ride]

Generator for home use. 

[the nerd]

You get the ones that fit onto your db board, real pain to work. Geyserwise is wonderful and easy to work.

 

Mother in law has a timer and I have to come over to set it. I might just disconnect it. Real pain. Even with the instruction manual I battle. 

 

 

At our house with 2 Adults, we have our geyser on every 3 to 4 days in the morning for an hour before we shower. Wait till we have finished and I can see no units being consumed so I know the geyser is up to full temp. Then switch off for another couple of days. Really no need to have your geyser on everyday. 

 

 

Is this with the geyser wise?

[The Ouzo]

Back in around 2006 / 2007 our substation blew. Our are was without power for just over a week.

many of my neighbours went out and bought generators at the time, we moved out and went to stay with my folks.

 

I stay in a cul-de-sac, at the end of the cul-de-sac is a small complex with 6 units, they are laid out with a double garage leading into a kitchen and living area and the bedrooms upstairs.

The one day during the blackout we came home to check on things and noticed emergency services at the complex.

Turns out the elderly couple that stayed there had a generator running in the garage with the garage door open, somehow the garage door closed without them knowing, the house filled with exhaust fumes and they both died.

[The Ouzo]

Is this with the geyser wise?

doesnt sound like it, sounds like he is turning it off manually.

 

With the geyserwise you can see what temp the water is at in the geyser, so if you wish you can manually turn it off.

What I have noticed by checking this is that even when the water drops to mid 30s you can still have a nice shower.

[Let's Ride]

Is this with the geyser wise?

 

Manual turn on and off, parents have the geyserwise, useful so you know the temp before showering and can turn on geyser if needed. 

[eccc whippet]

something to consider...i have installed loads of timers for customers...in fact i had a timer on my own geyser after monitoring it because i wasnt convinced it was in my best interest.

 

what i thought was how am i going to save electricity by installing a timer ...if the geyser has a thermostat which controls the temp...it gets to temp...and switches off.

 

i generally disconnect the timer at customers properties within 2 months of installing them...one example (ther eare mnay)...because the wife gets home from the beach at 13.00 in the afternoon on a saturday after spending a day at the beach...guess what the geyser timer is set for off  ...water is cold...because the weekend routine is not the same as the week day routine...people gey up later and shower or bath later...geyser is already turned off...water cant heat up until the next cycle. 

 

if you are single person living by yourself...turn the thermostat down (55-60 max) and fit a timer set on 1.5 hrs before shower time and you will always enjoy a warm shower.

 

blankets...i am yet to prove if there is a ROI...lagging pipes i agree 100 %...touch the sheel of your geyser and tell me if you can feel the 55-70 degree water temp inside the tank...there is a thermal seal between the tank and the skin...it may not be the case if you live in a -20 degree climate...or the geyser is outside in the snow.

 

in my house...

 

I dont have a geyser blanket...the geyser has thermal insulation between the tanks the the outer skin...if i were smart i would insulate the pipes between the geyser and the outlet...ever noticed how long you run the tap before it gets warm? or fit a geyser (gas in SA) closer to the bathroom or kitchen...mine is in the middle...silly idea waste of water and heat...hot water cools in the pipe...then wasted again as the tap is switched on. 

 

I have replaced my 3 KW element (12 amps) with a 1 KW (4 amps) the reason...if i need to i can use my 22 kva generator to keep my fridge cold and i get warm water...plan to replace with a smaller gas geyser and relocate closer tho the bathroom and do the same for the kitchen...closer and gas....already replaced my stove a couple of years ago (huge saving in electricity...because my wife bakes ...oven is also gas.)

 

i have reconnected my timer...the reason...we have a maid who only uses the hot tap for some reason...after doing a 1 month recording on my house...i found that the geyser literally stayed on all day for some reason...monitored the maids movements during the day....bingo...timer switches the geyser at 7.30 am and on at 4.30 pm...huge saving....now she gets hot water for washing dishes in the morning...by the time i get home in the afternoon the hot water is used up and the water is cold.

 

understand your consumption and regulate accordingly...you can get simple monitors which can be viewed on your PC.

[MrJacques]

https://www.businessinsider.co.za/legionella-in-south-african-geysers-at-lower-temperatures-2019-2

[eccc whippet]

The good news: healthy people are unlikely to develop Legionnaires' disease from such exposure, the researchers say. 

[urbanroyal]

So no load shedding again....now what to do with all this batteries and solar panels..????