Choice of intelligent switches ?

mickyduck

osolemio wrote: »

As someone just thinking about having one of these devices installed I have read and re-read all I can until I am blue in the face but still have doubts/queries. What keeps bugging me is the seeming necessity to buy additional things. De-stratifying pumps, cut out switches, things to stop the water from the tank being too hot, additional thermostats for the immersion heater have all come up in various posts at one time or another. Puts me off a bit because the one thing I don't want to do is buy something only to have the installer do the teeth sucking bit before saying "Sorry Guv, you need an xxx and a yyy, that'll be another £500". I also don't know how long my 3KW immersion heater is and whether it has a thermostat of its own (edit - yes it has just checked), which seems to be important in choosing the right device. I don't want to be bamboozled by a salesman - any advice on how to proceed?

I have fitted the solarimmersion and that is it. Works as it says on the tin with existing wiring, immersion heater and hot water tank.

osolemio

Thanks Micky Duck, very clear.

thenudeone

A quick review of solarimmersion.

The sensor lead is short but can be extended with cheap twisted pair cable to reduce interference (eg: cheap CAT5 networking cable)

It isn't 100% perfect at detecting the amount of spare electricity - even when I set the export level as zero, the export light on the main meter sometimes illuminates which means at least something is still being exported. That said, the amount diverted to the immersion does seem to fall and rise very much in line with changes in PV output (eg: caused by clouds moving).

Today has been a sunny day and it has created a tank full of very hot water completely free of charge.

It has an option for a "relay mode" with a variable trigger level, to allow its use with fixed-wattage appliances (eg an ASHP). It also has an option for a secondary proportional load (eg: a second immersion heater located at the bottom of the tank).
I wanted to use an immersion heater as the main proportional load, but when the water was hot and the spare output over 1kW, switch on an ASHP to heat the water in a splasher pool; but I can't seem to configure it that way - the options on the menus don't correspond to the manual.

The auto boost function (to use X hours of cheap rate electricity on the immersion at full power) works fine. (For me, it's cheaper than using a very old oil boiler to heat water)

The override function (to heat at 100% for a set time) works fine, although you would rarely use it if you had mains gas.

On a few occasions, the screen seems to show gibberish characters rather than the output message, but pressing esc seems to clear it.

It would be very nice to see exactly how many kwh had been diverted, for the day and cumulatively, but that isn't recorded.

Overall - very good basic functionality. I haven't managed to get some of the more complex options to work as I wanted - perhaps a second unit would be required for that?

If all you want is the basic functions, I'd certainly recommend it.

John_Pierpoint

thenudeone wrote: »

the export light on the main meter sometimes illuminates which means at least something is still being exported.
.

By this do you mean that the normally flashing red importing meter glows constant- red, so you must be exporting?

As the inverter works by generation alternating current at very slightly higher voltage than the mains, it can never stop exporting if it has a bit spare after powering the 3kW immersion element?

orrery

thenudeone wrote: »

A quick review of solarimmersion.

It isn't 100% perfect at detecting the amount of spare electricity - even when I set the export level as zero...

If I'm understanding this correctly, that would be the level at which it would have difficulty. The clip-on detectors don't work well at low levels, so I'd guess that you would be better to set some small but measurable level of export to ensure that you are clear of the zero point.

I have two clip-on detectors in use:
Efergy: any low current shows 38 watts as its minimum (i.e there is no display value between 0 and 38W)
Owl: any low current shows 110W (again, there is no display value between 0 and 110W). It doesn't become in any way accurate until 200W.

danesol

orrery wrote: »

If I'm understanding this correctly, that would be the level at which it would have difficulty. The clip-on detectors don't work well at low levels, so I'd guess that you would be better to set some small but measurable level of export to ensure that you are clear of the zero point.

I have two clip-on detectors in use:
Efergy: any low current shows 38 watts as its minimum (i.e there is no display value between 0 and 38W)
Owl: any low current shows 110W (again, there is no display value between 0 and 110W). It doesn't become in any way accurate until 200W.

Well mine is set at the default factory setting and works perfectly........ :j




Remember folks / newly interested parties:- using the discount dis2204 you get even a further discount off the already discounted price, CURRENTLY at £ 199 !!!

Refer to website for details - BARGAIN, even with current price wars, I cant see this unit going any cheaper now !!!!

orrery

danesol wrote: »

Well mine is set at the default factory setting and works perfectly...

...using the discount dis2204

Solarimmersion, immersun, Efergy, Owl .... ? Your what?

danesol

orrery wrote: »

Solarimmersion, immersun, Efergy, Owl .... ? Your what?

I was carrying your conversation on SI's to the below post???


Quote:
Originally Posted by thenudeone
A quick review of solarimmersion.

It isn't 100% perfect at detecting the amount of spare electricity - even when I set the export level as zero...

orrery

danesol wrote: »

I was carrying your conversation on SI's to the below post???

To be precise, you responded to my post where I'd pointed out the inaccuracies of Efergy and Owl monitors (as clip on detectors) so at that point I couldn't work out exactly what you were talking about.

danesol

Solar Immersion proportional device currently on OFFER !

Remember folks / newly interested parties:- using the discount dis2204 you get even a further discount off the already discounted price, CURRENTLY at £ 199 !!!

Refer to website for details - BARGAIN, even with current price wars, I cant see this unit going any cheaper now !!!!