Geyser overflows and solar geysers

Overflow safety valve or temperature relief valve

A geyser’s overflow safety valve releases built-up water pressure (steam) from the geyser in hot weather. This is normal and shows that the geyser works as it should for your safety because it prevents the geyser from exploding due to built-up steam pressure.

This released water will be a slow drip and uses only minimal water. You will not see the consumption of this drip on your water meter, so no numbers will tick over on your water meter due to it. However, if you see a constant stream of water or hot steam coming from the pipe at the valve point, it may mean that the geyser is under excessive pressure, indicating a possible thermostat fault.

Please contact us at https://centraldevelopments.co.za/emergency-forms if you suspect your geyser’s overflow water is excessive.

Warning signs

Some signs that your geyser is broken or may be about to fail  include:

• Low water pressure.
• A humming or cracking sound from the geyser.
• Water flowing from the geyser tray pipe.

If you notice water running down your gutter when it is not raining, check your geyser to see if it is dripping or running.

Solar geyser breaker or solar geyser switch on DB board

The purpose of the geyser switch on the DB board:

• The geyser switch must always be switched to the ON position on the DB board to function effectively.
• This switch is a safety mechanism. It is a circuit breaker designed to trip to the off position when there is a power surge.
• It breaks the excessive flow of electricity (caused by power surges after load-shedding, lightning storms, faulty appliances, etc.) to appliances and protects them from damage.

Why must the switch remain on?

• Solar geysers heat water with radiation energy from the sun.
• In the winter there are fewer sunlight hours and less radiation energy to heat the water to the maximum temperature as preset on your geyser’s thermostat (the factory setting is 36° Celsius). When there is not enough solar energy, electricity will be used to heat the water the rest of the way until it reaches the set temperature (using units on your electricity keypad).
• Once the set temperature is reached, the unit’s electricity usage slows drastically because electricity is now only needed to maintain the maximum temperature and not heat an entire tank of cold water from scratch.
• You do not save money by switching the geyser off. Heating a full geyser that was switched off for several hours requires much more energy (radiation and/or electrical power).

It is, therefore, crucial to always leave the circuit breaker in the on or up position. This breaker must not be used as an on/off switch. Circuit breakers are not designed to be used as switches. Using it as a switch will cause your geyser to malfunction and could damage the circuit breaker, causing it to trip each time. Once damaged, it will stay in the off position, causing your water to remain lukewarm or cold in the winter months. An electrician is then needed to replace the costly circuit breaker.

Getting warmer water or reducing the heating time

If you want warmer water or more controlled heating times, you could explore the following options, but please note that you, as the homeowner, have to arrange this and carry the extra cost. Cosmopolitan does not offer these options.

TIMER SWITCH:

• You can have a timer switch installed by an electrician. This is an actual on/off switch connected to your geyser’s wiring in the DB board, so you do not have to use your geyser circuit breaker to do so.
• The timer switch has a timing mechanism you can set for the times you want your geyser to switch on and off, e.g., switch off between 10:00 and 14:00 and on again between 16:00 and 19:00. Do not do this when you need hot water during these switched-off periods.
• When you use a timer switch, you decide the maximum time you will need hot water, so you choose when your geyser should switch on and off.

HIGHER HEAT:

• The geyser manufacturer sets the thermostat to control the water temperature.
• According to safety requirements to prevent severe burns and to assist in energy saving, the standard factory setting is 36°C.
• You can have the thermostat set to a higher temperature by a qualified plumber should you wish to do so.
• The disadvantages of doing this include:It will need more solar energy and electricity units to warm the water to a higher temperature, costing you more money.You will lose more water through the overflow safety valve since higher temperature leads to more pressure in the valve, resulting in additional water costs on your municipal account.
• It will need more solar energy and electricity units to warm the water to a higher temperature, costing you more money.
• You will lose more water through the overflow safety valve since higher temperature leads to more pressure in the valve, resulting in additional water costs on your municipal account.

Taking care of your solar geyser during water-shedding

If you experience water-shedding in your area for any reason, you must switch off your geyser to prevent damage to the element, such as element burnout due to low water levels in the geyser.