It is the beginning of may, so for the next 4 months, solar heating in Cape Town will be significantly lower. This has two effects on your solar domestic water heating system and 2 effects on their use of electricity and hot water. All of these factors are combined so that you can use more electricity during the winter months, which have been used for the last 8 months.
2 effects on your solar domestic water heating system:
Cold water is coming to a lower temperature (14 degrees Celsius), so needs to be warmed up to 8 degrees Celsius higher than in summer.
The Sun is weaker and shorter around every day, so that you have as little as 45 per cent of the monthly average radiation and heating.
2 effects on electricity and hot water use:
You might need to leave your electric element for longer (extend periods of warming in the timer). This will use more electricity.
You can decide bath rather than shower to "heat"! This uses more water and electricity so it more.
If they are running out of hot water, either the temperature setting is too low, or the item is not on long enough to heat the water completely.
What you may need to do:
Check and adjust the timer settings - which are usually set the summer time from 04: 00-06: 00 and 16: 00-18: 00 (per please remember is you should avoid ESKOM hours peak IE 06: 00-09: 00 and 18: 00-21: 00). For times of winter, from 03: 00-06: 00 and 15: 00-18: 00 you can be.
Review and adjust the thermostat setting. With electronic timers, you can do so from the control panel. With the standard thermostats have to do that for you - is a single call for 30 minutes to do this.
Frequently asked questions:
Q: How can I configure my watch?
A: you can read the manual, or watch the video on Youtube - our account is SunpowerSolar1.
Q: I am currently making my switch on the dashboard. Do you think well?
A: Although most electricians say that this is not what they are designed for, we did not find exact references to how much that affects the life of the circuit breaker. A switch is a switch, and as such, it is designed to be turned on and off. For further assistance, consult the manufacturer of circuit breaker. 4 operations per day means that 1500 operations per year will be used. Means 10 000 cycle unit will last for 7 years.
Q: do I know if my solar water heater is working?
A: whenever there is sunlight, which is going to make a profit from solar energy. The gain in summer heats up the tank completely if it is correct and installed size and water is not used during the day. The best true witness, is to compare the use of the same month of electricity since before have a solar heating system for the month in progress - for example, may, (solar pre) to may (solar-powered). The real test is the total quantity used - 12 solar months prior to 12 months with solar.
If you have all your accounts, this is easy to check. You can also send your own worksheet to fill and stroke your graph.