New Solar water heater tripping

uch

Lads I got new solar pv panels last week any advice on how to set immersion to stop tripping, it's only been sunny 2 days and the solar has tripped the safety on the immersion twice, should I turn the thing on the element on immersion down or up?

greasepalm

Immersion rods that go into the tank for basin/bath if duel is separate for heating up your cylinder .

Is it on or off for heating the water via switch on the wall beside.

I have solar water heating also but use gas heating instead for warming up the water.

uch

Yes whats tripping it is when the Gas heating comes on and heats the water too, can I turn one or other down to stop tripping? Now immersion element is old, 15 years or more (we never used it) when I take cap off immersion element the only trip is little blue dot to reset, would I be better getting modern immersion element?

10-10-20

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121782976#Comment_121782976

If the element is set too high then that's why it's tripping the safety stat. What's the head of the thermostat in the immersion element set to? And how are you controlling the element, with an EDDI?

Wearb

It's possibly a faulty high limit on the immersion. Nothing should be heating your cylinder hot enough to trip that.

Is your dhw scalding hot?

greasepalm

15 years is a long time for an element to last in there but if it is not used or powered on could it trip.

In my hot press I have a tap to increase the water flow in from gas boiler and fully open heats up 3/4 of tank with hot water.

I do lose heat from the rads doing this but boiler is on a low setting .

Do you have a rotary handle to turn to reduce the flow into Big lagged immersion i wonder to see what happens.

uch

Thanks Lads, there is no temperature gauge on it as such but there is a little red arrow that looks like it could be adjusted with a screw driver, should I turn this all the way down?

10-10-20

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121786870#Comment_121786870

Upload a photo here first.

blackbox

Two things:

1. Those little adjusters sometimes work in the opposite direction to what you would expect.

2. Irrespective of setting, immersion shouldn't trip.

It's probably time for a replacement.

The Continental Op

Might just be the thermostat needs replacing rather than the whole immersion heater?

uch

immersion.jpg

Here a pic of the element

pale rider

If it’s just the solar switching on the immersion via an Eddii or iboost then it should not trip and there is a fault

it sounds like solar and something else ( CH oil or gas ) might also be heating the water and if so the immersion will trip for safety, if that is the issue just reset the stat on the immersion and use one method to heat your cylinder.

I would not change the element yet as the issue is related to the new solar.

uch

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121787444#Comment_121787444

Thats exactly whats happening, the EDDII heats during the day, then when the Gas CH comes on in the evening it seems to trip, I'm not sure how to turn one or the other off as CH is needed to heat the house, Can I stop the EDDII from heating the water?

10-10-20

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121787320#Comment_121787320

So that little pink knob is the temperature limit control on the stat. The stat should click on and off as the water reaches temp limiting the temperature of the water.

As the photo is blurry, we can't tell whether that stat is set to a mid-point on the temperature or whether it's at the max. You should try turn it clockwise and see whether it's up at max, or whether it's mid-point, then back again anti-clockwise to the min. Then mark the range and also put a line on it so that you can tell where it's pointing.

Bear in mind what blackbox is saying but also ensure that the power is fully isolated to the immersion.

The Continental Op

OP just get a plumber in to fix your central heating so you have a choice of heating water or rads or both. A lot of plumbing is cheaply done assuming that you are always going to want to heat the water. In this case you don't want to be spending money on fuel heating the water when you can heat it for free with PV.

pale rider

No need to isolate the eddii as it is doing it’s job.

so, it’s now dark, no PV production so no Eddi.

Your CH is switched on.

it trips…

Ensure the stat on the immersion is turned to high or max and then see if it trips once CH is on.

the trip is safety related to prevent overheating so should not trip if immersion set to hottest point.

uch

Lads thanks a million for all the suggestions, I'll try a few and see how i get on

greasepalm

That looks like its in the 60s as mine is more turned up for hotter water in the tank.

Did you answer if you switched off the power for your element?

If this is powered off how can it trip?

CramCycle

Mine kept tripping when I got my panels installed but it was actually the immersion that was the issue. The installers isolated it until I got it changed FOC, although I think mine had stopped before the panels were ever installed (we had actually never used it since buying the house the year before).

greasepalm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121789362#Comment_121789362

Was your immersion switched off and it still tripped it?

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121789376#Comment_121789376

Nope, only when it diverted power, so pretty much instantly during the summer.

John.G

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121787320#Comment_121787320

If you run the Immersion as normal, does it trip?, it shouldn't matter whether its fed from the eddie or from the "mains" as the immersion stat should switch it off before the hi limit stat trips except as others have said, a uncontrolled (no Cylinder stat/motorised valve) cylinder coil heating it as well.

uch

Haven't used the immersion in 12 years, got solar installed and it trips the heating element, might just get element changed as a precaution

greasepalm

I wonder what way they wired yours up to trip it if not switched on.