Solar PV panel Hot Water System

   / Solar PV panel Hot Water System #21  
   / Solar PV panel Hot Water System #22  
for your electronic thermostat, can you supply power to it via a battery to keep the brain alive overnight? ( or use an old school thermostat to turn off the heater when it is up to temparture like used an an electric hot water tank). Cam
 
   / Solar PV panel Hot Water System
  • Thread Starter
#23  
for your electronic thermostat, can you supply power to it via a battery to keep the brain alive overnight? ( or use an old school thermostat to turn off the heater when it is up to temparture like used an an electric hot water tank). Cam
Hi Cam,

Yes, I've considered the battery option. My son will take a look at the circuit board soon and see if the "brain" is isolated to allow it to be kept on 24/7. A simple "battery as supply" solution fails of course as the supply to the heating element would flatten the battery fast.

Old school mechanical thermostats are for AC, and DC does odd things to the contacts at higher amps and burns them out. I will consider this as a plan b, as the thermostat will rarely be switched if set for 70C/160F and so it may last long enough to be useful.
 
 
Top