I saw this problem cominga couple of years ago

Re the above post concerning gas appliances. I once worked at a major gas company. The accepted wisdom of staff experience was that gas stoves were good. Gas bath and sink heaters also but not convenient. Few on staff would contemplate having a gas hot water system or room heater (gas fire) as they are so bloody expensive to run. Before solar systems became readily available, the cheapest hot water systems were electric off-peak storage units. Instananeous electric HWS were very expensive to run and the internal heating filament seemed to have a quite short life.

Regarding air conditioners, about 2004 the NWQEB had a promotion on air conditioners. Buy one and get free installation. Now the north west Qld. summers have weeks on end where the ambient temperature never drops below 40 even in the evenings. Every item inside your house becomes warm to the touch. People ran their brand new air conditioners hard and long. Bloody marvellous, aren't they, a pleasure to come home to a cool house. Then the accounts started to come in. $2,000-$3,000 not uncommon. Up from maybe $200 if you had hot bore water reticulated. Many have not switched the a/c on since, and many had to make arrangements to pay off the unexpected accounts.

Quote:

---

Before solar systems became readily available, the cheapest hot water systems were electric off-peak storage units

---

They still are.
Met a bloke the other night who had ditched his solar for a storage as he had mechanical problems with the solar and also the local distributor would not allow him to run the booster on off peak!!!


Both neighbours across the road have recently fitted storage, as we live in a very treed area. I note one neighbour has recently fitted a solar and his solar is shaded for 60% of the day. I wonder what his booster bill will be?

However NSW is rumoured to be following SA in banning storage replacement, as AFAIK already banned for new houses.

This is crazy policy as the coal fired power stations have to be run all night. That is why they offer off peak rates,so there is no additional greenhouse gas emission.
I was pondering whether to buy a Hardie Dux and store it under the house to replace mine when it dies hopefully in 23 years like the previous one , but I will probably be dead by then.
Regards Philip A

Mine takes a standard element used in a variety of other applications as well and is a stainless steel tank so should hopefully keep going for a while.

I use off peak electric water heating. Looking at my bills it costs me about $10 a month for water heating. It's going to take a while for solar heating to be paid off. Consequently I'll stick with my electric off peak until it goes wrong.

Ivan

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ivan

I use off peak electric water heating. Looking at my bills it costs me about $10 a month for water heating. It's going to take a while for solar heating to be paid off. Consequently I'll stick with my electric off peak until it goes wrong.

Ivan

---

I note a NSW govt website says "If you have an electric hot water system, it'll be responsible for up to one third of your household's power use. "

Ref payback period, exactly, Ivan. Too many don't look at payback period, etc.

We went to a new gas instantaneous hot water system even though our off-peak hot water system was still working because (a) it was gravity feed and didn't give us sufficient water pressure, (b) we regularly ran out of hot water when the kids were still home, (c) we were installing a new kitchen with gas appliances so gas was being laid on, and we also wanted flick mixers (d) in preparation for the bathroom and laundry upgrade.

What I want to know is if they cut power to an area to work on the lines, surely the houses with Solar panels would be pumping power into the system as well.Do they have to go around and isolate every house and then reconnect it when they've finished?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ivan

I use off peak electric water heating. Looking at my bills it costs me about $10 a month for water heating. It's going to take a while for solar heating to be paid off. Consequently I'll stick with my electric off peak until it goes wrong.

Ivan

---

I agree,
off peak power usage for hot water is extremely cheap.
By the time the solar system is paid off you would be looking at replacing it.
One thing that extends the life of electric storage units is replacing the "sacrificial anode" at regular service intervals. I have done ours every five years and so far so good. The unit, a steel/ceramic one, is 21 years old. When the time comes, the replacement one will be a stainless steel unit.

Cheers, Mick.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Hymie

What I want to know is if they cut power to an area to work on the lines, surely the houses with Solar panels would be pumping power into the system as well.Do they have to go around and isolate every house and then reconnect it when they've finished?

---

No, they shut off when they lose grid supply.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mick88

When the time comes, the replacement one will be a stainless steel unit.

---

You may not be able to buy one if the new regs come into force this year.

Quote:

---

No, they shut off when they lose grid supply.
__________________

---

Actually I had a talk about this to the foreman of the linesmen who recently replaced my cable in to the house from the street.

He told me that they all have had to be retrained to look for power on the "wrong" side of the fault due to the presence of solar panels, I guess to be failsafe .
Another instance he mentioned is where a neighbour runs an extension cord to a house on the wrong side of the fault. he told me they had lost some linesmen that way.
Regards Philip A