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We have tried to answer as many questions as you may have in this section.
However, we know that each of our client’s needs are specific
to their circumstances.
Please feel free to either email us or call us and we will do our best
to answer your questions.
Click here to email us your question or request
a FREE, No obligations quote
OR
Call us on 082 411 5412
The questions you may be afraid to ask
Prices of the various systems vary according to the following factors:
1. Size of Geyser - 100L; 150L; 200L;
250L; 300L are our most popular
2. Thermisiphon Vs. Pumped System – a Thermosiphon system is usually
cheaper than a Pumped system as it has less components and is easier
to install as the whole system sits on top of the roof. However it may
require a flat roof stand, or special pitched roof support. Each situation
is unique.
3. Solar Vs. Heat Pump – We will always give our clients as many
options as we believe are applicable to their specific circumstances,
and recommend the one we believe to be the best.
We strongly recommend that you take advantage of our no obligations
and completely free offer to conduct a site visit and provide you with
a quote.
By the way we will match and better any reputable agent’s prices
on a like for like basis! What have you got to lose? Contact us NOW
and start saving money! (Click here to contact
us now)
YES – this is the perfect time to switch to solar!
Your insurance will pay for the replacement of a normal geyser but you
will have to pay the nominal difference of between R1000-R4500 depending
on the size of the geyser.
Remember your new Solar Geyser has a 10 Year Guarantee (vs. the old
5 year Guarantee!)
Solar - Have you ever been on the beach on a cloudy day and not put
on sun screener? Remember how burnt you ended up? That is because the
UV is still cutting through the cloud cover.
The good news is that the UV is the active ingredient in solar collectors,
and this heats the tubes or the panels. Obviously on very cloudy day
even this is cut out – all the geysers come with electrical back-up.
This means that your geyser operates just like a normal geyser on those
wet cloudy days. However with an average daily sunshine of between 7
and 10 per day in Johannesburg, solar is definitely the way to go!
Heat Pumps – these work on Ambient air temperature and work at
24hours a day!
Cold cannot be transmitted through a vacuum. As such, vacuum tubes are
more efficient in cold areas.
Flat plates are affected slightly be cold weather in that the cold is
transmitted to a degree to the water.
Heat pumps operate between -7°C and 43°C. In fact in areas such
as the Drakensburg where weather conditions mean that the sun is not
always available, heat pumps are ideal, despite freezing winter conditions!
Your solar installation will have its timer set to ensure that you will
have hot water just as you did when you had an electricity guzzling
system.
Solar heaters are extremely efficient in heating water. As a result
they are capable of raising the water temperature well above the usual
65°C of a usual geyser. This also contributes to the electricity
savings as you will be using less hot water to achieve the same mixed
temperature.
Yes – As part of the ESKOM requirement, ALL solar rebate systems
are equipped with timers. The timer activates the geyser element to
ensure that you have hot water AND save as much electricity as possible.
So for Monday to Friday the Timer would be set something like this:
09:00
16:00The Solar collector heats water all day to a temperature which
is usually in excess of the usual 65°C of a normal geyser
No Electricity is consumed.16:00Timer activates Thermostat
If water is below 65°C, electrical element is turned on to heat
water 17:30 The kids have a bath and use 100L of Solar heated water
dropping the temperature to approximately 40°C
The electrical element will heat the geyser to 65°C19:00The Timer
turns off the Thermostat19:00
04:00No Electricity is consumed04:00Timer activates Thermostat
If water is below 65°C, electrical element is turned on to heat
water
but as the Duratherm geyser has a 60mm insulation and is 2-5% efficient
even on a cold winter's night, the water in the geyser will be very
close to optimum temperature and require very little electricity06:00
07:00The family showers and leaves for a busy day.07:00The Timer turns
off the Thermostat
What kind of savings can I expect from a Solar solution vs. a Heat Pump?
Water heating consumes approximately 40% of your total electricity bill.
Depending on your usage habits it could mean that you your thermostat
rarely turns on your geyser element, or it just has to lift the temperature
slightly in the early morning. This combined with the timer means that
you could save the entire 40% in a solar solution! It is safe to estimate
approximately 60-70% saving on your water heating bill.
Heat Pumps utilise approximately 25% of the normal energy required to
heat the water to the desired temperature. This means an average of
a 75% saving!
YES. Although it is slightly cheaper to convert your existing geyser,
you will probably find that it is better to replace. Remember that your
existing geyser only has a 5 year guarantee at best, and the clock has
already been ticking.
The WE Solartherm Geyser which we use has a 10 year guarantee AND the
following other advantages:
iA 60mm insulation vs a 20mm insulation layer iiA polyurethane inner
casing as opposed to a galvanised inner casing – no slow deterioration.
Heat Pumps come with and without their own hot water storage tanks.
Clearly the former are more expensive, and the latter can be installed
in such a manner as to utilise your current geyser as the water storage
tank.
How long does it take to install a Solar or Heat Pump system?
Depending on the complexity of the installation, this is usually 4-8
hours.
SolarworX only uses qualified and registered plumbers who have ESKOM
accreditation to install our systems.
Flat Plate Collectors - Yes, the systems have been tested by the SABS
and have passed the recommended freeze tests when combined with an Anti-freeze
Dump Valve.
Vacuum Tube Collectors - Due to the fact that no water is in the evacuated
tubes, there is no water to freeze.
Due to the fact that there is no water in the tube, there can be no
leaking. The broken tube can then be replaced at any time, however the
system will keep on functioning - the efficiency will be a little less
until the tube is replaced.
What is a Controller and what is the difference between a Controller
and a Timer?
The Controller is used in a Pumped System and controls 2 items:
1The Pump which circulates the water between the Collector and the Geyser
– it only turns on the pump when the collector is 8degrees hotter
than the tank, and stops circulating when the tank reaches 80degrees
Celsius; and,
2The Thermostat, which checks the tank water temperature and controls
the element. All rebate products require a timer to be installed in
your electricity box by ESKOM. This will ensure that the element does
not turn on during peak times.
Geyser - 10 Year Limited Guarantee from LOCAL Manufacturer
Flat Plate & Vacuum Tube Collectors - 5 Year Limited Guarantee from
Manufacturer
Electrical Components - 1 Year Limited Guarantee from Manufacturer
Heat Pump – 1 Year limited Guarantee – possible to extend
up to 5 years with an affordable maintenance contract
The real question is “How long will it take me to pay back my
capital outlay, before I can start enjoying the savings?”
The accepted norms are as follows:
Water heating consumes 40% of your electricity bill.
Solar Systems can conserve up to 75% of that cost, and in some instances
100%, depending on the usage patterns and demands on the hot water in
the household.
Heat Pumps usually conserve 60-75% of the water heating bill.
SolarworX will provide as estimated savings table with your quote, based
on your average electricity bill and the actual quote, in order to provide
an estimated payback period.
Prices of the various systems vary according to the following factors:
1Size of Geyser - 100L; 150L; 200L; 250L; 300L are our most popular.
2Thermosiphon vs. Pumped Systems – Thermosiphon is cheaper that
a Pumped system - less components etc.
3Low Pressure vs. High Pressure Systems – Low pressure systems
are less costly than high pressure systems both in terms of supply and
installation.
Prices vary from a NETT figure of approximately R1500.00 for a 150L
Low Pressure, through R15,000 NETT for a High Pressure, Thermosiphon
300L, to R17,000 Nett for a pumped 200L system.
It all depends what the best solution is for the particular application,
and the site conditions.
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Does
the cold affect the efficiency of the solar collector?
Technical
Cost