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| Thread ID: 86114 | 2008-01-04 02:14:00 | Heat Pump Hot Water Cylinders | somebody (208) | PC World Chat |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 627373 | 2008-01-05 08:59:00 | Fair call on the spelling. PCeck, i ain't promoting the company i work for (i haven't named brands etc) merely and hopefully giving credibility to my comments. Somebody, Rockgas at the moment are charging about $90 per 45 kg bottle, rental on the twin pack bottles is about $120 - $130 pa. Amount you go through is dependent on your use of hot water use. as a rough guide it costs about a third to heat water using gas as a direct fuel as opposed to using electricity. I know a family in the King Country with Gas warm air central heating, heating the whole house, using 2 bottles per month and another family in nelson with the same system using a bottle a week. cheers |
DT33 (12171) | ||
| 627374 | 2008-01-05 09:07:00 | I know this is slightly OT but in the UK instantaneous gas water heaters used to be called geysers. I didn't come upon the term califont until I moved here. Martynz |
martynz (5445) | ||
| 627375 | 2008-01-05 10:23:00 | [QUOTE=pctek;631155]The smallest HWC holds 135 litres, what is your daughter doing in there that she can empty that?!! I have no idea what she was doing and I was treated with disdain each time I asked. As I said before, I cannot understand why it takes so long to wash something so small. Perhaps the fact that she is in her twenties explains that? I have no idea. I gave up trying to understand the female of the species years and years ago. Thank goodness we have an extractor fan, otherwise there would have been more water on the walls than in the shower! |
Roscoe (6288) | ||
| 627376 | 2008-01-05 19:01:00 | Fair call on the spelling. PCeck, i ain't promoting the company i work for (i haven't named brands etc) merely and hopefully giving credibility to my comments. Somebody, Rockgas at the moment are charging about $90 per 45 kg bottle, rental on the twin pack bottles is about $120 - $130 pa. Amount you go through is dependent on your use of hot water use. as a rough guide it costs about a third to heat water using gas as a direct fuel as opposed to using electricity. I know a family in the King Country with Gas warm air central heating, heating the whole house, using 2 bottles per month and another family in nelson with the same system using a bottle a week. cheers Cheers - that gives me a rough number to work off. |
somebody (208) | ||
| 627377 | 2008-01-05 19:19:00 | . . . . . . . . . . . . . there is some questions over legionella with solar in that the water may not be heated to kill all the bugs . Working as a Bio-Medical engineer in a very large LA (California, US) hospital a bunch of years ago, I noticed that the ABF and Vacuum-Breakers on the fourth floor were emitting a spray as they allowed make-up water into the cooling towers for evaporation . The cross-contamination of zinc-chromated (and polluted) water having been exposed to ambient airflow from the West in the form of airport exhaust (LAX) and smog in general not to mention the airborn bacteria and fungi, caused the potable water to become contaminated too . The one moment of burping and emitting the spray and the slow-to-close vacuum breaker allowed that cooling tower water to enter the general water supply . This is the real case of Legionnaire's Disease . . . I would hope that NZ uses some sort of chlorination or potassium permanganate or UV sterilization of their water supplies to alleviate this . In spite of the federal and local health "authorities" cover up and the indicating that the disease was airborne in the HVAC systems was pure bunk . People who never entered the suspect areas with the "contaminated/conditioned air" picked up the microbes in the water supply in the restaurants and other service areas in the buildings . One case in particular had the parking garage also suspected in the spread of the sickness . . . although it NEVER had any air conditioning or heating from the central system as it was an open building with no walls, just a platform for the cars and an attendant's booth or two . It DID have a drinking fountain though . Heating water to kill bacteria and other lifeforms is all well and good, but what about the non-heated cold water at the tap? |
SurferJoe46 (51) | ||
| 627378 | 2008-01-05 19:44:00 | We have had a Bosch continuous flow gas water heating system for the last 5 years or so. IIRC the thing was installed in our 1920's bungalow in a morning, which included all plumbing, gas fitting, wiring, and piping the gas to our gas hob which used to be supplied by a bottle in a kitchen cupboard. Upside - we got rid of the water cylinder cupboard, which was in a really dumb place in the dining room... Secondly, we now have virtually mains pressure and flow, which is highly unusual in a 1920's bungalow - our shower is brilliant. Thirdly, we never run out of hot water even when the ravening hordes arrive to stay. Fourthly, we have excellent control over water temperature - a minor advantage is being able to set the water to its lowest temp 37 degrees for the water for bread making. Finally you only heat the water you use. We bought our cylinders instead of renting them - a much better situation economically over the five years. We thought of getting a battery pack to fire it up if there were power cuts, but the gas company talked us out of it. It is still an option though. Downside - the price of gas has gone up from about $45 to $80 a cylinder in that time. Before buying I talked to the guy around the road who had recently had the system installed. He thought he would save money, but didn't reckon on his 18 year old daughter who could now have two or more showers a day, and stay in the shower half an hour at a time... No savings there then. Final downside - our shower is now so good, any other shower is a terrible disappointment. |
John H (8) | ||
| 627379 | 2008-01-05 20:45:00 | We have had a Bosch continuous flow gas water heating system for the last 5 years or so. IIRC the thing was installed in our 1920's bungalow in a morning, which included all plumbing, gas fitting, wiring, and piping the gas to our gas hob which used to be supplied by a bottle in a kitchen cupboard. Upside - we got rid of the water cylinder cupboard, which was in a really dumb place in the dining room... Secondly, we now have virtually mains pressure and flow, which is highly unusual in a 1920's bungalow - our shower is brilliant. Thirdly, we never run out of hot water even when the ravening hordes arrive to stay. Fourthly, we have excellent control over water temperature - a minor advantage is being able to set the water to its lowest temp 37 degrees for the water for bread making. Finally you only heat the water you use. We bought our cylinders instead of renting them - a much better situation economically over the five years. We thought of getting a battery pack to fire it up if there were power cuts, but the gas company talked us out of it. It is still an option though. Downside - the price of gas has gone up from about $45 to $80 a cylinder in that time. Before buying I talked to the guy around the road who had recently had the system installed. He thought he would save money, but didn't reckon on his 18 year old daughter who could now have two or more showers a day, and stay in the shower half an hour at a time... No savings there then. Final downside - our shower is now so good, any other shower is a terrible disappointment. Thanks John. At this point, any system (even a replacement electric tank type) will be more efficient than what I've got. It's a 135L Rheem, manufactured in 1985, and leaks heat like mad - it feels very hot (not just warm) to the touch, and is in such an awkard place that it can't be properly wrapped. How many cylinders do you go through a year, on average, for how many people (hot water + cooking)? |
somebody (208) | ||
| 627380 | 2008-01-05 21:12:00 | How many cylinders do you go through a year, on average, for how many people (hot water + cooking)? Hi somebody Sorry, would have to go back through the bills for that, and we are just going out - will do it later today. Have checked my bank account online for you, but it only goes back three months. We got a cylinder on 29 October, and it ran out by 21 Dec when the next one was delivered. That may give you some idea, but I can give you more detail later. That is for two old farts, plus visits from children and grandchildren during that time, for all hot water and top of stove cooking. Add a teenage girl to that mix (or more than one...) and all bets are off! We rarely do hot water clothes washes - only for towels from time to time. |
John H (8) | ||
| 627381 | 2008-01-05 21:54:00 | Hi somebody Sorry, would have to go back through the bills for that, and we are just going out - will do it later today. Have checked my bank account online for you, but it only goes back three months. We got a cylinder on 29 October, and it ran out by 21 Dec when the next one was delivered. That may give you some idea, but I can give you more detail later. That is for two old farts, plus visits from children and grandchildren during that time, for all hot water and top of stove cooking. Add a teenage girl to that mix (or more than one...) and all bets are off! We rarely do hot water clothes washes - only for towels from time to time. Thanks John. |
somebody (208) | ||
| 627382 | 2008-01-06 00:03:00 | Just checked the bills. It looks like we use a cylinder every two months, almost to the day. Weird. Current price $88.20. |
John H (8) | ||
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