List Of Things To Do

[Houses4Rent]

I haven't checked out the Duratherm yet, I haven't seen them in the local plumbing suppliers so I'll have to track them down and go look at one. Have you got first hand experience with them?

Not yet, but I start building in January and shall research it a bit more.

[tec0]

I checked Phil and the geyser isn't covered, it was an option that carried an extra premium and we chose not to cover it. The extra premium worked out to roughly the price of a new geyser every 4 or 5 years so we've come out on top in the long run but obviously now we need to foot the bill

H4R, I looked at the Tecron copper geysers and they're good looking unit but not cheap. For a 200l 4 Bar copper cylinder you're in the ballpark of R10K materials only which is probably to be expected with copper prices being what they are. At the moment I'm leaning toward one, I'd rather pay the money and only have to do the job once. I haven't checked out the Duratherm yet, I haven't seen them in the local plumbing suppliers so I'll have to track them down and go look at one. Have you got first hand experience with them?

Maybe it is a good opportunity to consider gas? After all you are going to spend the money. Why not get something that can help you in the long run? That said go for the R10K copper geyser. They last long and really with regular maintenance and a simple filter you can get more out of the product...

i personally use gas and yes it is expensive and you don't really save as much money as many say... I guess we do use ours more but my power bill and the gas bill combined you don't really win. BUT that said when the lights are out hot water is still available to you. Something to think about.

[Justloadit]

The way electricity cost is climbing, gas will be the better solution.

Anyone with a plot could produce gas very easily for general use.

Check out Gas from Wood
There are a number of drawings available on google search to build.

[tec0]

The way electricity cost is climbing, gas will be the better solution.

Anyone with a plot could produce gas very easily for general use.

Check out Gas from Wood
There are a number of drawings available on google search to build.

very cool

[AndyD]

I did some investigations into gas and for a family of 4 in a largish dwelling where there's multiple simultaneous points of consumption they're not ideal. If you can rearrange your life so people shower at staggered set times when there's nobody doing dishes for example or if you live alone or maybe just 2 people then they're definitely worth considering. The other option is to split your plumbing into zones and install 2 or even 3 smaller LPG units each heating water for an area of the house. Our house isn't very suited, it's 3 storey with 5 bathrooms if you include the garden flat. If you take a holistic view of LPG heaters versus electric geyser then they're actually marginally cheaper to run at todays gas prices. The downside is the inconvenience factor of changing gas bottles and the limited water volume an LPG heater can deliver at it's set temperature.

With the fiberglass cylinder I mentioned earlier it is designed to have solar heaters connected to it so it leaves the door open for a solar upgrade at a later date by adding some evacuated tubes. This would be a likely thing if for example we went back to rolling load shedding. When combined with my existing battery/inverter installation it would give me off-grid capabilities for extended periods.

As for generating my own biogas I just don't have the time to set up and manage it for what would be a relatively small financial gain. Biogas might be the kinda project I'd do if I ever retired and had time on my hands.

[tec0]

I did some investigations into gas and for a family of 4 in a largish dwelling where there's multiple simultaneous points of consumption they're not ideal. If you can rearrange your life so people shower at staggered set times when there's nobody doing dishes for example or if you live alone or maybe just 2 people then they're definitely worth considering. The other option is to split your plumbing into zones and install 2 or even 3 smaller LPG units each heating water for an area of the house. Our house isn't very suited, it's 3 storey with 5 bathrooms if you include the garden flat. If you take a holistic view of LPG heaters versus electric geyser then they're actually marginally cheaper to run at todays gas prices. The downside is the inconvenience factor of changing gas bottles and the limited water volume an LPG heater can deliver at it's set temperature.

With the fiberglass cylinder I mentioned earlier it is designed to have solar heaters connected to it so it leaves the door open for a solar upgrade at a later date by adding some evacuated tubes. This would be a likely thing if for example we went back to rolling load shedding. When combined with my existing battery/inverter installation it would give me off-grid capabilities for extended periods.

As for generating my own biogas I just don't have the time to set up and manage it for what would be a relatively small financial gain. Biogas might be the kinda project I'd do if I ever retired and had time on my hands.

Actually my home is also not the smallest and what i did to make it work is i installed two units in the end of the day. One servicing the bath and shower and the other much smaller unit the Kitchen. Having two units like this does add more expenses but reality is it works much better. No one will shower and bath at the same time. They cannot occupy the same space at the same time. That said If someone showers while someone else take a bath that CAN be a problem. But i am sure that eventually people will learn that a sudden hot or cold spray of water isn't ideal and will wait until the other person fill there bath first and then continue to shower. Unless that person is spiteful and if that is the case it is not the facility's fault.

But in the long run when the power is out, you can do your dishes with hot water have a hot shower/path and still maintain some level of comfort.