So what happens when you have an overcast day (the whole day)?
You switch to grid on your Min SOC setting and all is good.
Same as with a heatpump.
Second overcast day with high consumption, so my Min SOC is reached and the inverter uses the grid.
Geyser is top priority. I manage the other loads. Dishwasher can wait till the next day for example.
But geyser will be warm! I use the batteries for that.
If more than 2 overcast days, we have gas back showers installed.
Also combined gas and electric stove. Gas is back up.
I basically run off grid even though I’m still connected to the grid. Batteries does everything. If it gets really bad, then there is my final backup - Eskom.
Quite a level headed comparison from MBB between the standard options of water heating.
Pity they don’t include solar PV as yet another possibility…
Occasionally they write rather good articles. There is a guy there who bought a Volvo EV who writes the occasional article as well, and you can immediately see it is more of an interest piece than the political stuff they deal with on other days.
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I don’t know your location but I think this cloudy weather is all over.
What stage have you reached?
I had to resort to the grid once or twice this entire year and never longer than 2-3 hours and ONLY because I am weary about battery balancing, if this is what you’re asking?
Even the above could’ve been avoided if I restricted the family somewhat in terms of daily amenities. (Not watching tv for 4-5 hours, monster of a gamer PC being on for similar hours at night, washing dishes by hand for a couple of days etc)
I am in Pretoria East near the CSIR.
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I’m in Cape Town. My heat pump is working morning and evening. Normally I only have to resort to a morning session.
I’m concerned about servicing it so it it’s good for heavy use and a long life…
I am very seriously contemplating a heat pump for next year. Not for the geyser which we manage very fine with. But my house is so cold in winter and it makes me miserable.
I need one to heat only the 2 adjoining living areas but from what I’ve read that would be a quick R30k+capex, which must actually be used for other home renovations.
Two 13 fin oil heaters is just not up to the task due to the large cavity they have to warm up, and together they draw in excess of 4Kw on their own - accomplishing nothing. This was one of the times this year I had to resort to Eskom, just to see if they would raise the temp by a few degrees.
We had kind of the same situation. We even had 4 oil heaters in there at once and couldnt warm up our living area in winter.
The thing that sorted it out was a good new air conditioner. The new inverter ones are quite efficient with heating. I also have closed combustion wood burners in the house - they work well but the AC works even better. If I knew how effective the AC was I probably would never have put in the wood burners.
Mmm this is something to thing about. Inverter aircons with heating functionality may work out cheaper iro installation.
But I reckon I would need 2 then of about 12BTU each. But in the evenings only one would run for a few hours.
Would the power consumption work out roughly the same as with cooling? I suppose it also used the compressor, or is there some sort of heating element involved? I have no idea how an aircon heats.
The new ones work like a heat pump. Part of the specification is a COP for heating and a COP for cooling. I think mine was something like 2.5 for heating - meaning for every one kw/h of electricity you can ideally get 2.5 kw/h of heating.
The fact that the AC also distributes the heat in your room makes it even more effective than just the COP
Same situation … gas heaterS makes no dent.
Right now I have 4 things on on top and 2 x tracksuits pants.
Step 1: Window frames have been sealed - check.
Step 2: Ordered Aerolite Ceiling Insulation 5000 x 1200 x 135mm @ R 579.00 per roll - check.
Step 3: Using a candle/matches I will then find the last draughts.
And if that still does not solve the issue, I will “use” the matches … jis ek is gatvol mense. GAT.VOL!
This weather can now be gone.
I was on a call with a colleague in CT today… they looked like they were in Antarctica the way they were dressed. Beanie, etc…
I think this is a good representation, on multiple levels … being in Cpt this last going on 2 weeks.
(Orca a clever touch I may add … )
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I installed an 18000 btu inverter aircon in our open plan lounge/kitchen, just under 30 sq. meters, on heat it draws about 1.7 kWh and on cool (regular aircon) it is just under 1 kWh, it really is helping with heating/taking the chill out,(Cape Town’s rainy, damp weather 
The room I need to heat is about 32sqm so according to the formula I was taught, I need 19200 Btu, so at least an 18000 model.
Problem is that there is an adjacent room which joins it with a huge opening separating the 2 which will pull out all the heat. Unless I find a really cleaver way of positioning the unit so that the heat is blown away from the opening and allowing the room to slowly fill up with heat. Mounting space could be a problem.
Else I need to fabricate a removable temporary framework on which I can hang some sort of a curtain to block the opening.
I installed a nice set of curtains on a rail I could close when needed but have open during the summer. Worked a treat!!
I think this is the way to go. But there will be (un) hidden costs involved.
I (the wife) will need to look for something similar to the curtains in that room so I will need to factor in this as well, because I know we won’t find anything suitable and will end up replacing all the curtains…
Have you guys seen what curtains cost these days 