Upgrade your geyser element for savings
Geysers are the source of the highest electricity consumption in the average household. And over time, a geyser losses efficiency as lime scale builds up on the geyser element, leading to even higher heating costs. By the time an element burns out it is probably only around 50% efficient, doubling your water heating costs.
However, new ceramic technology can extend your geyser life, improve efficiency and keep water heating costs down. That’s according to Richard Pickering, managing director of Xtend Elements.
Domestic water heaters typically make use of an element made of coiled wire covered by a metal alloy. There’s been some refinements to this type of element over the years, but no real change. The drawback of these kind of elements is that you lose efficiency as you get limescale build-up or acid reactions, particularly in areas that have hard water.
Similar to the old-style element-heated kettles, the limescale build-up around the element increases over time, reducing heating efficiency and requiring more electricity to heat the water. While there are various solutions that you can use to remove limescale from your kettle, geyser elements are surrounded with a soft metal alloy which makes them trickier to clean and typically require replacement.
Xtend elements, on the other hand, automatically match the power use to the rate of heat transfer, maximising efficiency and minimising costs.
The case for ceramic
PTC ceramic geyser elements, such as those offered by Xtend, may be newer to the market but the technology itself has been in use for decades, particularly in the industrial heating process. Positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heaters are made up of specialised heating discs built from advanced ceramic material.
“The biggest advantages of PTC ceramics are that they are safe, low wattage, efficient and self-regulating. Given their success in the industrial area, they are now being put to use in other areas. The new fancy kettles that don’t have a coil, for instance, make use of PTC ceramics,” explains Pickering.
The benefits of ceramic elements to homeowners are notable, offering 25% electricity savings, longer lifespans, and reduced formations of solids in the water and limescale build up.
"Xtend elements are encased in marine-grade stainless steel. They will not burn out, even when the geyser bursts, and can safely be re-installed in your new geyser,” says Pickering.
Savings
Pickering says that an Xtend element will save around 1 000kWh of electricity per year based on 150 litres of water per day. At current tariffs, this is around R2 500 to R3 500 per year saved. What's more, these elements also improve the performance of solar PV systems by making the geyser more efficient and reducing the power it draws.
"Reduced element replacements and improved efficiency save you money. With a 3-year warranty and a longer useful life, our elements will reduce the total cost of hot water in the home. We have over 10 000 elements installed. As a proudly South African business, we look forward to doing our part to make monthly paychecks go further. “ says Pickering.
The Xtend PTC ceramic geyser element will maximise your geyser efficiency and reduce your water heating costs.
