geyser timer???or not

**Bob Innes** · 15-Apr-12, 07:49 AM

Hi Murdock, I have done extensive tests on a geyser timer in my house, over the last 3-years, using an electronic kwh instrument, and have proved in my household of two, (my wife and myself) that I have a saving of 24% on the geyser power only. Just thought I would let you know.

**Citizen X** · 15-Apr-12, 09:51 AM

In a few extension in Lenasia, City Power have installed geyser timers unilaterally and made it clear that it is compulsory. This timer next to your db board switches the geyser on or off automatically during certain times. Whilst, I stand to be corrected, it appears that these timers can be controlled by radio frequency and thereby also allow them to switch it off remotely for extended periods if and when they see the need...

**Justloadit** · 15-Apr-12, 09:57 AM

The amount of power consumed is directly proportional to the number of siblings living with you, and is also linked to living in maid and family. It is also further linked to whether your siblings are male or female.

I have put in a solar heating system and can vouch that I save at least one full heating cycle per day since installation.

Females tend to change cloths more often and tend to spend more time in grooming which includes many bathing trips.
Maids for some unknown reason, only use the one tap marked with a red indicator for everything they wash including just washing their hands.

Whilst it is easy to say that you have to teach being power thrifty, the problem is I leave early in the morning and return fairly late at night, so the little time I have with the family, is not to be squandered on shouting.

**IMHO** · 15-Apr-12, 12:12 PM

Originally Posted by murdock

i did tests on my geyser before we had a full time maid...and after a 5 day test i decided it was not needed...now we have a full time maid and the geyser is switching on/off all day...i have just completed a 3 day test...and i have decided it would now be in my best interest to now fit a timer.

I would love to do these tests. I run a guest house and have no idea when my geysers is turning on and off. With this knowledge one can surely work out a plan to save a bundle. I also have one installation of three geysers in series, the one feeding the other. I am starting to think this is chowing electricity?

How do you do the tests? Do you have to stand there all day or is some technology available?

**AndyD** · 15-Apr-12, 03:04 PM

Originally Posted by IMHO

I also have one installation of three geysers in series, the one feeding the other. I am starting to think this is chowing electricity?

This is an alternative to installing one massive geyser, the first geyser preheats the water by 10-15 degrees Celsius, the second cylinder is set at 10-15 degrees higher again and the final cylinder is set at the final required water temp. It's quite an efficient wasy of doing things because you're not holding massive amounts of water at the final temp so the losses are less than when you use a single big cylinder.

Originally Posted by IMHO

How do you do the tests? Do you have to stand there all day or is some technology available?

Buy yourself an Owl monitor. Connect it up to the supply of the hot water cylinders. Download the info on to your pc where it's shown in graph form.

**IMHO** · 15-Apr-12, 03:27 PM

AndyD, as always, thanks for your valuable input!

**Ralf** · 16-Apr-12, 09:00 AM

Just an update there is an analogue timer available that is brilliant and only costs about R 170, installation takes about 15 minutes and my personal savings with three geysers of 250, 200 and 150 liters each in electricity costs per month comes to about R 1000.00 and I have the bills to prove it.
The beauty of these little timers is that they can have so many settings on different times, different days or just complete or partial weeks and at the price even if one burns out every six months I still save a fortune.

**tec0** · 16-Apr-12, 09:16 AM

Upon installing a device that shows me my power usage per hour and my bill accumulating I became very aware of what uses power in my house and what doesn’t. Now a lot of people say your refrigeration units eats power I found this to be untrue as they only consume at maximum 350watts of power for 30 min "as needed" I actually did find that they will consume close to no power at all for hours before taking up the 350 watts.

Secondly I stopped using the oven and got myself one of those energy efficient cookers and it works like a charm. Now my food gets cooked "Family of 3" for less than 1hour it only consumes 1Kwatt at a time. Now your oven depending on how you used it will cook the same meal with 2+Kwatt and it takes normally more than 1 hour.

Turning your water-heater on 60min before use and leave it on for 4 hours "till everyone is finished" and turning it off again makes a massive difference. Upon turning it on it consumes 3.2Kwatts of power "As needed" when you turn it off the water remains warm till the next day.

Now other considerations are your microwave and kettle. Now fact is my microwave consumes "depending on its stetting" up to 2Kwatt of power for about 30min but with a bit of planning ahead will decrease the need for your microwave.... "I got it down to zero use"

My kettle my word it just sucks power at nearly 2.2Kwatts!!! Now you can boil half a kettle or a full one it doesn’t matter it uses the same amount of energy and the difference in time is not that significant. So I restricted myself to only 2 cups a day and yes it did nearly killed me but it shows a massive saving"

Now in total I manage to cut my power bill with more than half. So it is possible to do. Sad part is when we see that power warning on TV not long after we are without power and that just sucks because regardless of the fact that we saved energy we still get punished…

I don’t like timers they are not worth the money, rather just set your phone to remind you each day to turn the damn thing on and then off again it just works…

**Martinco** · 16-Apr-12, 10:09 AM

Originally Posted by Justloadit

Maids for some unknown reason, only use the one tap marked with a red indicator for everything they wash including just washing their hands.

Sorry girls.......but this seems to be a common thing with the female gender !

Another appliance that can be blamed is the tumble drier. Instead of hanging the washing out to dry, we just slip it into the tumble drier because is is much easier and you do not even have to leave the house/flat to do this.

**Martinco** · 16-Apr-12, 10:18 AM

Originally Posted by Vanash Naick

In a few extension in Lenasia, City Power have installed geyser timers unilaterally and made it clear that it is compulsory. This timer next to your db board switches the geyser on or off automatically during certain times. Whilst, I stand to be corrected, it appears that these timers can be controlled by radio frequency and thereby also allow them to switch it off remotely for extended periods if and when they see the need...

These devices are "ripple relays" and the purpose of these is that the municipality can regulate their maximum demand from Eskom and yes........they do get switched on and off by means of radio frequency induced into the power lines by the municipality and also yes...........they are compulsory in many municipalities. If you look closely at the relay you can even see the frequency used to do the switching.

The downside of these relays is that the relay is normally off at the most inconvenient time and sometimes the mun. even "forget" to turn them on again.