So now I have a solar PV system how do I make the most of it???

don0301

hi Adam

I have a megaflo, I have my boiler timed to heat the water early evening for one hour.

My thinking was this allows me to take advantage of sunny days to switch on the immersion (3kW) to heat the water whenever I'm generating 3kW or more. Dunno if this is the best way to do it.

The Immersion heater will have a thermostat control so I doubt you could strain it.

If your not in the house, there are simple and sophiscated devices to do this automatically for you. Check other threads in the forum. It will depend on your lifestyle and number of occupants whether these are worth having.

I've been lead to believe that it's not easy to change the Immersion element on my model megaflo to a 1 or 2kW one to take advantage of more days in the year. You can check yourself for your model with the manufacturer.

kabads

Thanks @don0301 - my boiler timing and megaflo timer are somehow managed by the same device. Whenever I time it for the hot water to come on, the boiler comes and and feeds the megaflo. That means that I cannot isolate the megaflo away from the boiler. However, I can control the thermostat on the boiler (BTW, the megaflo doesn't seem to have a thermostat that I can control - I can't see one).

The way the megaflo is designed (as the installer told me), is that it holds hot water from the boiler and acts as an insulator that keeps the water as warm as possible, but if the temperature of the water drops, then the megaflo will gently heat it up to keep it at the required temperature.
Any other advice is welcome. :-)

don0301

hmm, my megaflo is on the first floor in a cupboard. Model Megaflo CL210. I guess I better go read the destruction manual

On the wall beside it is a switch (with red light) which is the switch for the immersion heater.

the thermostat settings on mine are under a cover on the front of the megaflo

from memory there are 2 dials 0-5. your destruction manual should tell you yours.

About the other stuff, you'll have to ask a plumber. Whats the exact model no of yours?

don0301

Live and learn, after reading the destruction manual CL models of 210 litres or more (mine ) have a second boss to fit a second immersion heater.

So I'll be off to get a 1 kW heater this week

kabads

I have a Megaflo 210i. Will have to investigate a second heater.

Doc_N

don0301 wrote: »

Live and learn, after reading the destruction manual CL models of 210 litres or more (mine ) have a second boss to fit a second immersion heater.

So I'll be off to get a 1 kW heater this week

News to me - thanks! I have a CL250, and an additional heater looks a sensible option. I did find this online, but it relates to the 3kw heater at around the £100 mark:

"N.B. Indirect units CL210, CL250 and CL300 are supplied with one immersion heater.

These heaters have the facility to fit an additional immersion heater if required.

Order Part No. 95 606 920 if additional immersion heater is needed."

No doubt a 1kw version can be found somewhere. I'll have a look around to find out the cost plus the cost of fitting

KevinG

Post deleted

Doc_N

KevinG wrote: »

Sorry, wrong thread!

Sorry, right thread: "So now I have a solar PV system how do I make the most of it???"

It's a discussion of how best to use 'surplus' solar energy, and one of the ways is to heat hot water via a relatively low wattage immersion heater.

don0301

Doc_N wrote: »

News to me - thanks! I have a CL250, and an additional heater looks a sensible option. I did find this online, but it relates to the 3kw heater at around the £100 mark:

"N.B. Indirect units CL210, CL250 and CL300 are supplied with one immersion heater.

These heaters have the facility to fit an additional immersion heater if required.

Order Part No. 95 606 920 if additional immersion heater is needed."

No doubt a 1kw version can be found somewhere. I'll have a look around to find out the cost plus the cost of fitting

I'll do the same, I've got a good lead, but they're shut til tomorrow.

I heard that Sadia have a different fitting to other makes, so worth checking before you buy

don0301

Doc_N wrote: »

Sorry, right thread: "So now I have a solar PV system how do I make the most of it???"

It's a discussion of how best to use 'surplus' solar energy, and one of the ways is to heat hot water via a relatively low wattage immersion heater.

I'm just gonna fit the 1 kW element, and swap the cable from the 3 kW one, and see how it goes

If I'm not happy with it like that, then I'll get a seperate switch in, for each