So the sacrificial anode is to protect the geyser vessel? (now made of steel instead of Cu?)
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Or the not too lazy way is to open it and check after 2 years. If it’s still perfect, fit it back and check again after a here. If it’s worn then go a little longer on the replacement.
But our water quality is also changing rapidly so not sure if that’s still going to be a good measure.
My one kwikot geyser came with the house, doesn’t have an anode and is outside on the flat roof. I was waiting for it to need replacement but it’s still going strong for the 5 years I’m at this house.
Yes
I have a 200 liter tank that still has an SABS mark. It is that old. Anode has never been replaced.
I actually wanted to replace it, but when I started prying on the plastic cap that sits over it, and the plastic started making those “I am old and I will break” sounds, I figured… maybe just let it die when it dies.
Instead I had two valves fitted (both ends), so when I go away, I can completely isolate it, so if it springs a leak, I won’t be thousands of km away with a water jet spraying at municipal pressure, completely missing the drip pan… as these things tend to do.
Yup, that’s how these things go. And if you manage to get past the plastic cap, the next level is even more challenging. If you don’t have enough room for a proper breaker bar, it’s impossible.
In my house the geyser is visible when standing in the kitchen, it’s a double volume thatched roof with a slab over the bathroom and the geyser sits on top of the slab.
Up side of this is easy access, no having to crawl around in a hot sealing.
Downside of it, the other day when a plumber friend was at my place for coffee, he took one look and gave a whistle like a typical mechanic saying he will have to come fix it. Apparently my geyser wasn’t installed correctly, he mentioned a few mistakes, the only one I remember is that there isn’t a loop in the inlet pipe, or something like that.
Anyway something else which I actually noticed myself last year already when moving in here, even though access is easy, space is still somewhat limited up there, without moving the geyser I don’t think I’ll be able to get in there to get the anode out.
Think I’ll just have to bite the bullet and get him to come do it one day plus then he can fix the mistakes, apparently it will only cost me a bottle of Johnie Black plus the parts.
Anti-siphon loop.
What I remember of geysers.
- Anti-siphon loop
- plastic drip tray, the old zinc/steel ones no longer good
- Pressure release safety valve must have own pipe going outside the house, not allowed to dump into the drip tray.
- Pipe from safety valve must slope downwards.
- Pressure regulator waste pipe, not allowed to dump into the tray, must have own pipe going outside.
- Must have electrical isolator within arms reach.
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True! They seal the anode nut into the insulation and it’s a guessing game as to where it is.
You start by breaking the cap off (never meant to be removed) and then digging out the foam until you find the head of the thing…
I have a 600 w Enerflow heatpump installed about 10 years ago, very happy with performance. Enerflow is based in Potch. It takes 6 min to change water temp by 1 degree for a 200l geyser. Max temp 55 degrees. My model is the ERHP-SUO8. More details.
Thanks, with my install pretty much only 2 and 6 is correct, no pipes running outside except the PVC pipe for the drip tray.
I don’t think I even have a plastic cap on mine. When I moved in though, I would get a lot of stuff blocking the mixer strainers. I figured it was parts of the anode. Well, it’s still going strong.
Touch wood, I am currently thousands of km away.
Also the vacuum breaker on the hot water outlet, should not be directly above the outlet but about 20cm away. I didn’t know that one previously.
I don’t see that requirement anywhere in SANS 10254, but it could be stipulated as a requirement by one of the local geyser manufacturers specifically for their own products.
I wonder what the reason behind that requirement could be?
I think I was mistaken: It’s difficult to gauge the output power.
All you have is the heat pump discharge temperature which is internal to the heat pump itself.
But I checked the current and it’s steady.
if you are not in a heavy hail zone this should be considered, although slightly more expensive than a plate they will give you warm water even on a rainy day!
Well I fixed the ‘loading valve’ / ‘diverter valve’ / ‘mixing valve’ issue by giving the knob a small turn like mentioned in the documentation. The LK 550 installed on mine identifies as a mixing valve, so I’ll respect that.
It now heats the water to ~48 degrees within 3-5 minutes and feeds that to the top of the geyser instead of just partially heating the cold water from the bottom and putting it into the top cooling down the top water and requiring the whole geyser to be heated to get a hot shower.
Once the bottom of the tank gets into the 30s it goes quickly from there and also ends up putting in ~55 degree water towards the end. I’ve got a target temp at the bottom of 49.
@plonkster, I know you said you don’t want to and I don’t know if yours worked before and stopped working or was like mine that never did what it should have, but it might be worth a shot to give it a quarter turn and then starting the heatpump up to see if it is now ‘mixing’ like it should.
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