Explain transformer or other options

[tattoodrob]

Update:

its now fitted.........can have direct line or AVS on so thats good.......volts were showing on the dial as around 210 on input and so boosted it to 220 v with avs on.......that was in daytime when neighbours probably not home etc......i put many aircon  on and was around 40 amps showing then thought id try putting on even more on and lights etc then went up to 60 to 80 amps then i thought id turn on 2 hot showers at same time..the sparky said it went over 100 amps so i shut them off quick ......the breaker didnt shut off even it supposed to be a 100 amp breaker..maybe was close to tripping!!

Dont think would be good if 4 people shower and all the aircons were on etc but that shouldnt happen ..i hope!!!

i think with 6 aircon on and fan and 1 hot shower then was around 80 amps for a while........why those damn water heaters so power hungry..is there an alternative ?

i suppose i could put a big boiler in the roof space and re run all the water pipes but seems extreme and hassle and i just dont like water pipes running around my roof and so could all be done just for the odd times a few showers could be running at same time ...but then again my house could be getting fuller in the future. ....my house also quite large and so would be a lot of new metal pipes running allover.

maybe i will see what the amps are with 2 showers on and only 3 aircons as that more likely to happen than other scenarios.

my sparky mentioned solar..is there anyway  can use solar for the power supply for the showers only or that wont work?..i suppose i can use solar to heat the boiler if i went that way but is that system more expensive than just buying a big electric boiler that keeps temp topped up ready for use. Any idea on prices for solar panel systems..i thought there were still quite expensive to buy/install even when just using it for heating the water.

Thanks for all your help guys...i think the AVR was only route i could take right now and seems it will help at least 10% or more and aircons seem better when many on but its just those damn showers(water heaters) haha...we live in a hot country that is annoying we even need them and if i had a big water tank positioned in the sun all day then wouldnt need them but that would be ugly and obtrusive and then people couldnt ever have a cool shower where as with my underground tank it is possible!

 

[Crossy]

Thanks for the update, how low did the input voltage go when you had all that load on?

 

7 hours ago, tattoodrob said:

why those damn water heaters so power hungry..is there an alternative ?

 

Gas. On demand LPG heaters are available, careful ventilation required but very effective. Several threads on the forum.
 

7 hours ago, tattoodrob said:

the breaker didnt shut off even it supposed to be a 100 amp breaker..maybe was close to tripping!!

 

From the tripping curves, a 100A breaker will take 300 seconds to trip at 150A and will carry 113A pretty will forever (my graph stops at 7,200 seconds).

[INDI12]

I switched out my electric and went lpg water heater. Safer work better IMHO

As cheap or cheaper than elect unit and more BTU. But the venting.

Remember decades ago that seemed to b the only choice or were alot more prevalent back then. then they all went electric.

I use one on my small inflatable tub

And in bath shower. Tub plumbing work in progress..55

 

Work well

[wayned]

I hate to say this but it looks like your electric wiring is a disaster in progress.

 

When I built my house 18 years ago I looked for a single point glass lined 30 gallon gas water heater like we use in the US but had no luck!

[INDI12]

555 yeah that too. just setup not complete either...

 

[tattoodrob]

12 hours ago, Crossy said:

Thanks for the update, how low did the input voltage go when you had all that load on?

 

 

Gas. On demand LPG heaters are available, careful ventilation required but very effective. Several threads on the forum.
 

 

From the tripping curves, a 100A breaker will take 300 seconds to trip at 150A and will carry 113A pretty will forever (my graph stops at 7,200 seconds).

I think input voltage went down to about 200 but to be honest i wasnt checkin that time as i went up to turn on the 2 showers as the extra load then came down and sparky said over 100 amps so cant be sure till next time i overload it!....as i ran up to turn the 2 showers off quick when sparky said it went up to over 100!!

I will look about lpg heaters,never seen them and i got 2 storey house and no roof ventilation right now so not sure whether could use but sounds like good idea but need to see how fill them etc as dont want to be up in roof space often and long house so if piped together then a lot of new piping.Maybe i could of bought these heaters instead of the AVR as seems the showers are the culprit of eating the power which i dont have spare and the reason lights dim so much when showers used when house full although still noticeable a bit even when not full so AVR help that i think.

Thanks for info on the breaker,i did wonder why didnt trip and is good to know it wont trip just because 2 people shower at same time when many things on.

By the way is every electric cable in the roof supposed to be in yellow plastic tubing as i see some are and some arent so guess was a reason for that or not? i got lots of lights and long distance in roof space...maybe sockets are piped and lights not.....would that be right..i havent been up in roof for a long time so havent thought about it till now.

Cheers