Team-BHP - The Home Appliance thread

Solar Water Heater.

Out of the companies that provide the evacuated-tube/heat-pipe technology that have responded with suitable quotes, we are selecting V-Guard. I thought I'd just give a day in case anyone here has any reason why not. Like they say in church weddings: speak now or forever hold your peace!

We are a two-person household. It is probably not that common that we even take bath at the the same time, so absolute maximum is probably two hot taps running at the same time. I think that we originally bought the 250-litre Venus heater because it might have been the smallest model they had for pressurised water system: it is far too large for us. V-Guard offer 100-ltr and 150-ltr with immediate availability (pricing, 34,000 and 46,000, + 5% tax) and they will give us 3,000 for the scrap value of the old one (which also saves us the trouble of disposing of it).

Whist I feel that 100-ltrs is more than enough, 150-ltrs would give us a better buffer against a cloudy day or two (should be at least warm still) and also it has to fill the pipe runs to the taps. We plan to buy the 150-ltr. We should be able to get it installed this week.

LED Tube Lights

Changing existing equipment does not appeal to me either. As and when I have to replace fittings, or add new ones, then I will probably buy LED

Quote:

Originally Posted by sgiitk (Post 3636117)

Very difficult to go for a remote diagnosis. So you have to get some trained joker to check out.

The trained joker comes up with different explanations everytime that it is not even funny anymore :)

Just need to take the leap i guess.

Quote:

Originally Posted by diyguy (Post 3636126)

Have you tried, as a practice to change the program every time you start? I.e start with a dummy program and then do what you usually do as above? Does it work consistently? Sounds like a logic board issue to me. Try and get a second hand board and attempt a replacement.

Sounds logical. Will try this and check.

Thanks for the advice and fingers crossed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eddy (Post 3637301)

A cousin of mine has bought an air fryer. Going over to his place on the weekend with some sausages, seekh kababs, chicken and fish to see if the damn thing is actually worth all the hype.

Have owned a Phillips one for over a year now. In one word - yes.

My typical usage includes making french fries (the semi processed ready to fry ones) and they come out as nice as the real thing at any fast food place. Also use it for shallow frying and it does an awesome job. Just use a brush and apply a little oil on the food before putting it into the fryer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by inder (Post 3637215)

Guys need advice. My Hot water storage type geyser is giving very less flow on the hot side and regular flow on the cold side of the tap. There is no hard water in my area, rest of the geysers in the house are working perfectly fine. Any household remedies to descale it.

Apart from scaling, it may be plain old dirt. HAs happened a number of times, when the pipes were clogged with dirt. The remedy is simple
- Open up the inlet pipe and check if the flow is normal. If not then the blockage is before - most probably the tap normally installed on the inlet.
- If inlet if fine, then open the outlet pipe and check. If the geyser is choked there will be very little flow. If that is so, then you back flush (put inlet pipe on the outlet and let the water flush the geyser). If that does not help much, then you have to go for descaling.
- If the water out of the geyser has normal flow, then the pipes and/or the hot watr tap are the culprit.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom (Post 3636466)

We have a V-Guard solar water heater at home (Palakkad, KL) for over 3 years now and we've no complaints so far. It's a 100 L model - plentiful for my parents who're the lone occupants of the home most of the time. When the children and grandchildren come over for the vacations, it's just about right. We have the hot water piping (CPVC) going to all the sink faucets including the kitchen sink (mum has rheumatoid arthritis so luke warm water helps while washing the utensils).

For the cloudy and overcast days, we have a backup electric geyser serving just one bathroom. This geyser is located outside the bathroom with a roofing and a valve has been provided which controls the hot water output - either from this geyser or the solar water heater. Works well. :thumbs up

V-Guard Solar Water Heater

150-litre, pressurised-system model. Cost: approx 43,000 including exchange.

Purchased agreed in the afternoon, Guys came to fit it the next day! We chose from "available" models, but I never expected it to be this quick.

Whilst the old Venus 250-Ltr system probably represented a sizable chunk of stainless steel, I was very happy to get Rs,3000 exchange offer just t o have the thing dismantled and taken away. Actually, they have not yet taken away the main tank, as, with leaking water seeped into the insulation, it is far to heavy for two guys to carry down steps and put into the truck. I saw the anode, completely corroded. Really, I should have kept and framed it as a reminder that it must be checked yearly!

The rest of the old system was methodically dismantled, removed, and all the inevitable broken glass carefully swept up.

The guys worked well throughout the day, finishing the building and plumbing of the new system with daylight to spare. I am very happy with the installation and the team :)

We have been used to solar-heated water for the past seven years, but I suppose that the insulation of the old Venus has been compromised, and the performance getting less. Or maybe it was actually never as good! The heat from this new thing is scalding! I actually can't touch the hot side of the mixer tap after taking a shower.

For those who don't know...

There are two kinds of solar water heat: flat-bed and glass tube. There are two kinds of glass tube, for pressure and non-pressure.

In the non-pressure, glass-tube system, the water flows in the tubes themselves, with water heated by the sun rising, by convection, into the tank, to be replaced by cooler water from the tank. The pressure system has sealed glass tubes with copper heat pipes inside them. Google will inform on heat-pipe technology; your CPU cooler probably uses it.

There is never (hopefully!) any water in these tubes. The heat is conducted into the water by the heat pipes. A side effect advantage of this is that a broken tube does not cause water loss. Broken tube? It happens: small stones seem to appear on terraces somehow. Crows, children ...or magic, maybe! We have a wire-grid cage for protection, having lost several tubes in the previous system

In the same week we happened to have our water-pressure pump (it's a single storey house: gravity doesn't give much) serviced, and the pressure switch replaced. They set the pressure higher than before and, what with the new water heater, Wow! Power Shower! Better, in fact, than any installed shower I have ever used in UK, Singapore, etc.

Of course, when one lives in a draught city, a little civic sense is necessary, and we had reduced the pressure so as not to waste water.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom (Post 3627353)

Glass Stove Top Warning

100% safe. I do not know what caused this incident --- but it could have cause serious injury or blinding.

I happened to be using a Faber Glass Top three burner stove for the past two years. On 8th Jan we were having a party at home and all the three burners were busy for a long time. After maybe 3 to 4 hours of cooking the Glass burst. The damage was similar to what you see on a car windshield. Some fragments blew from the corners but most of the glass stayed in its place.

Replaced it with a Stainless Steel cooktop. While replacing the new stove the technician asked if we poured water on the Glass while it was hot.
That is when I remember having wiped the Glass Top with a wet towel when it was hot.:Frustrati