Immersion Heater - PV electricity

[Maurice Sauer]

Thanks Duplada.
Yeah, I mailed a number of companies some months back about availability of the NO, but nothing was on offer. Don't know whether I tried chinaeproducts though - will check this out. I also have this as saved search on ebay.
What is your take on the hysteresis though - is this a problem in practise, to the extent that you are now using another thermostat type or feel a change would be worthwhile?
I also found these KSD301's while searching for KDS9700 switches, but I was put off by the fact that they are 240v AC and the need for safety casing etc.
cheers, Mo

Hi Maurice,

When I purchased my KSD9700 NC/NO switches from eBay, I looked for a seller who listed a NC version and then asked them if they also had a NO version. I suggest you do the same. Search for a seller chinaeproducts (they don't have any listed at the moment) send them an email and tell them what you want, this is where I purchased mine.

Alternatively you could use these, search on ebay for KSD301 60 these switches have better hysteresis than the KDS9700. The KDS9700 switch at 60 +/- 5 degrees and reset at 40 +/- 10 Degrees. The KSD301 switch at 60 +/- 3 Degrees and reset at 45 +/- 5 Degrees. The KSD301 also have two lugs which you can use to secure to the tank with elastic.

Hope this helps.

regards Duplada

 

[Duplada]

Thanks Duplada.
Yeah, I mailed a number of companies some months back about availability of the NO, but nothing was on offer. Don't know whether I tried chinaeproducts though - will check this out. I also have this as saved search on ebay.
What is your take on the hysteresis though - is this a problem in practise, to the extent that you are now using another thermostat type or feel a change would be worthwhile?
I also found these KSD301's while searching for KDS9700 switches, but I was put off by the fact that they are 240v AC and the need for safety casing etc.
cheers, Mo

Hi Maurice,

I am still using the KDS9700 switches which work without issue. They do have a wider hysteresis band than the KSD301's but they work fine. Ideally the KSD301's should work better as they will recover to their default state more quickly. I would buy those if I was doing it again. There should be no issue strapping the KSD301's direct to your tank as you are only using 12v. The KSD9700 are rated 250v also and work fine without the plastic cap glued to the tank.

regards Duplada

 

[jimbro]

Hi I am a retired Elec Eng and have been following your discussion with pauldreed about using excess solar pv power as I would like to build a power diverter circuit for my 3.655kW array. I have two CTs and have considered either using a Picaxe or OP Amp front end and would prefer to have system which will follow the input/output power difference as closely as possible. Would you mind sharing your circuit diagram with me?

 

[echase]

@OldGrouser from what I recall (can't find it now on the Engensa site), their Solar 24 IS an ImmerSUN.

Solar 24 is definitely not an Immersun. The Immersun is a burst fire device that is illegal because it does not pass the mandatory flicker specification, so can cause your and your neighbours lights to flicker. Because of this no one is allowed to sell or install them so why are you?

The Solar 24 works differently, is cheaper and legal. Its performance is as good as or better than any other.

 

[kiani8822]

hi i i think idealy best is to fit longer immersion heater ( 27 inch ) as with ( 11 inch immersion ) it would mainly heat the top part of the cylinder beside that as have 1kw immersion heater you would need at least about 5 hrs to heat 100 litter cylinder to 60 c

 

[suntrap]

The Immersun is a burst fire device that is illegal because it does not pass the mandatory flicker specification, so can cause your and your neighbours lights to flicker.

What a shame - these things should be allowed to be fitted subject to an impedance test of the mains supply. I know they wouldn't cause my lights to flicker.

 

[Worcester]

Hi I am a retired Elec Eng and have been following your discussion with pauldreed about using excess solar pv power as I would like to build a power diverter circuit for my 3.655kW array. I have two CTs and have considered either using a Picaxe or OP Amp front end and would prefer to have system which will follow the input/output power difference as closely as possible. Would you mind sharing your circuit diagram with me?

Go have a look here: circuits, sketches etc all available for you to build yourself:
Solar PV Monitoring System | OpenEnergyMonitor
and
Mk2a PV Router (lean, mean and fast!!) | OpenEnergyMonitor

 

[echase]

What a shame - these things should be allowed to be fitted subject to an impedance test of the mains supply. I know they wouldn't cause my lights to flicker.

Not that familiar with the flicker regs but I believe that in industrial installations you can do an impedance test to prove it’s OK, but in domestic use not so. Unless your mains is almost a tenth of the standard impedance used in the spec I doubt even your house would be OK with a 3kW burst fire controller as they fail that badly.

 

[Worcester]

The Immersun is a burst fire device that is illegal because it does not pass the mandatory flicker specification, so can cause your and your neighbours lights to flicker. Because of this no one is allowed to sell or install them so why are you?

The Solar 24 works differently, is cheaper and legal. Its performance is as good as or better than any other.

@echase Could you point me to the 'mandatory flicker specification' that you refer to and I'll forward it to the designers.

There are only 2 methods of proportional power control, burst fire or phase angle, the phase angle has horrendous issues with harmonics, and requires extensive testing and filtering...

What is so special about the Solar 24 - what method does it use?

 

[old grouser]

The Immersun is a burst fire device that is illegal because it does not pass the mandatory flicker specification. Because of this no one is allowed to sell or install them so why are you?

The Solar 24 works differently, is cheaper and legal. Its performance is as good as or better than any other.

Thanks, Echase. I can assure you I'm not fitting or selling or advocating ImmerSUNs. I'm just trying to find the best device of its kind to fit to my own system, and hoping that by the spring someone will have identified an efficient solution which gives a 100% return on investment in less than five years.