A Solar Water Heating system uses the sun’s energy to heat household water in place of the conventional electric geyser.

Water heated by the sun can reach temperatures exceeding 100 ºC if sized or installed correctly. The normal temperature for household use is 55ºC to 65ºC.

Yes and No. If the Solar Water Heating system is sized and installed correctly it can cater for all your family’s hot water needs with minimal lifestyle changes.  A boosting element such as an electrical element with a timer should be installed to cater for period’s when additional heating is required.

Yes.  Your existing electrical geyser can be used however it is only recommended as a pre-feed system.  Using the electrical geyser as the main SWH storage cylinder can be used but not recommended (see Using your existing geyser)

Generally all Solar Water heating systems come standard with an electrical back-up element which ensures that you have hot water even during overcast/rainy days and during the winter periods.  However the back-up element should be used in conjunction with a timer

To maximise the solar contribution during sunshine hours whilst still ensuring hot water during inclement weather a timer should be fitted.  The timer will allow for the backup electrical supply to the Solar Water Heating System cylinder to be isolated during the sunshine hours.

Yes. A Solar Water Heating system would require minimal maintenance to maintain optimal energy efficiencies. On average the maintenance periods can vary between 12 and 18 months but will also be dependent on the type of system or configuration installed, the water conditions and the type of solar collector/panels install. The supplier/manufacturer guidelines on maintenance should be considered before purchasing a Solar Water Heating system.

The cost may vary from R8 000.00 to R30 000.00 however it depends largely upon the following variables:

It depends upon the size of the system and the needs of your family and your current hot water usage.  The cost for water heating in a residential household is estimated at about 40% of a household’s entire electrical bill.  In an average household a person uses about fifty litres of hot water a day so a family of four could be spending about R520* just for heating water per month. A correctly size and installed SWH system can reduce your hot water heating costs from between 40% to 75% which amounts to R210* to R390* per month (see Solar Savings Calculator) (* calculated with a cost of KWH of R1.20)

Yes. The current Eskom rebate is available which can vary anything between R4000 and R10 000 depending on the type of SWH system installed.  Terms and Conditions apply to qualify for the rebate.

Solar Water Heating System does have a payback, and it can vary from three to ten years. But it may be more useful to think of SWH System as an investment that yields an annual return, much as a bank savings account provides interest. A solar water heater will generate savings that can equal a bank account generating between a ten (10%) and twenty percent (20%) annual return, and the savings are not taxed as income, as is the interest you earn at the bank. The truth is, if you want hot water… you will be paying for that heat. You may prefer to pay your electrical bill forever, or you may wish instead to go solar, and become generator of your water heating.  Solar Water Heating is simply the best investment available today because it guarantees a return on money that you will otherwise “burn” and helps you develop equity as you bank your savings.

A regular service would be the draining of they geyser, checking on the level of degradation of the Magnesium sacrificial anode and replacing it if necessary, checking the element and thermostat and to replace the element if there is excessive lime scale build on the element.  Lime scale and sludge must be removed from the tank and the entire installation should be checked for leaks.

What should the geyser thermostat temperature be set at?

Ideal setting is 50 to 55 degrees in summer and 60 to 65 degrees in winter.  The setting should never be lower that 50 degrees as will promote bacterial growth in the water.

1.  Switch off they geyser electrical isolator switch on the main distribution board

2.  Turn off the water at the main meter box.  Most homes have a stopcock fitted to the inlet side of the geyser

3.  If possible, look through the trapdoor to see whether the geyser, the pressure reducing valve, or the pipes are leaking.

4.  CALL DIAL A CONTRACTOR

Up to 60% of your hot water heating bill

Installation usually takes up to one day

The heat pump will be effective regardless of cloud cover or not. Ensuring the installer insulates all hot water pipes will also minimise the heat loss.

A heat pump is installed within 8 metres of the geyser on a wall or on the floor with enough space around it to draw in air.  The unit is the same size as an air conditioner.

An element is installed in the geyser as a backup if the heat pump should fail.

The heat pump will be connected to an existing geyser and mounted on an existing wall up to 8 metres away from the geyser or hot water storage device.

The Heat Pump Specialist will appoint a qualified Electrician to attend to the electrical work.

The existing electric geyser will determine the size of heat pump needed.  For a 100lt to 250lt geyser you use a 5.5kW heat pump and on a bigger geyser you will use a 7.5kW heat pump.

Depending on the amount spent on the system, the average period for heat pump is just under two years.