Finally: Solar hot water

[hedwig]

Finally we have tgot a solar hot water!
It's running since a week and all the week we didn't have much sunshine.
But I decided tio run the thing in the extreme way: The electric booster is out.
Why: it will save us nearly 100% of electricity for hot water. With the little sunshine we've got there is still some lukewarm water - enough to shower (but not these wasteful 4minutes showers).
For dishwashing sometimes I heat 1 or 2 litres in the electric water heater - far more economic than heating more than 200 l on the roof.

[Cosmic]

What brand is the system?

[hedwig]

edwards

[Cosmic]

I ask this because we just got a dux gas boosted solar system and we think it uses too much damn gas! We wanted to turn off the booster and have pure solar and asked the company who installed it but they said nooooo, it will stuff up the computer. Has your got some fancy computer controller? Did you ask about turning off the booster or you just did it?
I don't understand how it saves power when everytime you use hot water the gas kicks in. I don't get what part the sun plays. It cost $5000 and we feel ripped off.

[hedwig]

no it has nothing fancy. HOwever they didn't install it were we firstly wanted because they said that tere is no space.
They didn't even ask when they decided to change. and now it is not directly over the shower! Te insulation of the pipes they did only halfway.
I am very upset aout the way australian trradespeople work. No sense of quality and they don not think of communication. They even didn't let me use their ladder to climb up to see what they're doing!

But they worked not too bad we have other experiences. Did someone explain you that there is a fancy computer thing?
I must say that we were a bit unconcious as well. The quote didn't mention many technical details. Our system runs without pump, which was important for us (the less fancy things the less problems)

[Cosmic]

It's this one http://www.dux.com.au/products.php?name=D1FNP3W2AC
It has a computer thing on the side. They have tried to explain it but I still don't understand why it uses so much gas. I just want to turn it off especially in summer but don't want to break it. Going to have to call dux I think and try and find out if it really is bad to turn the gas off. I mean, in Brisbane summers you don't need the gas on.

[gardenlen]

hedwig,

not a lot of options as to where on the rook it gets located that is determined by the suns track and generally they are put on the north roof or north/east roof, amybe if they haven't installed it on the right part of the roof you should call them back and have them move it??

generally they have either a gas or electric back up for these inclement days (when solar collect almost no heat), in some cases where it is electric they provide a switch so you can turn to over ride on, but guess now that could be computer controlled. a wind system would have been good of late hey??

reckon of late your system will be running on electricity though?

len

[hedwig]

no, The place is stil OK, but two metres farer that the first site. I am not used to this kind of working: I think if a companiy change things they have to talk with the one who pays.
Our system is electric boosted. And there is a switch. (Maybe the switch box contains a computer??) they turned it on saying that we can turn out when wh're having sun. I turned it out immediately.
And we didn't have sun until now, it rains since a week . But the water is still
not cold, a bit less than lukewarm.

[Cosmic]

Oh wow a swtich. That would be great.

[permasculptor]

Is it possible/have you tried turning the gas off?