Part 2 - Solar Electric Hot Water using DSSR20's Heat Diversion and 600w 12v Heater

In this video we implement the Solar Diversion functionality of the DSSR20's and send that power to a 600-watt, 12-volt Swapped Water Heater. I also show you how I've utilized the originally equipped thermostat to switch the 76 Amps this baby is pulling!
The SBMS0 and the DSSR20's (and the new DSSR50) shown in this video are made by my countryman Dican of @electrodacus and are sold at electrodacus.com/ Sadly, the global semiconductor shortage means that at the time of publishing this video they are unavailable until at least 2023
0:00 Welcome Back
0:36 Project Outline
2:00 Don’t Melt the Wires!
3:13 12v 600w Heater Element
4:43 Soldering Welding Cable
6:55 Why you can’t use the 120V element
8:40 Don’t blow it up!
9:10 Switching a 60A load
10:10 Install for Testing
11:44 How I wired the Thermostat
13:30 Batteries Full!!! Start Heating!!!
14:30 76Amps!! Seventy-Six!!
15:20 Wire Heating??
17:19 Hot Water Test Completed!
19:30 How to watch Ad-Free!!
If you'd like to drop a few pesos in the Sombrero for Fuel or Camera Gear, please consider becoming a member of the channel. For more information Click Here: kzbin.infojoin
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[@brentmcgillis]

Your channel is totally "Next Level" engineered solutions for Off Grid boon-docking RV-ing. Your solar electrical abilities are off the scale crazy good.

[@gabrielsenecal382]

For someone like me, that is not electrically savvy, just by looking all your videos that give me an inspiration to try to be better, I thank you very much for it

[@roberthensley6889]

This was a great video! I can't wait to see the video about the monitoring and display. I will be looking to add it to my own system.

[@joekennedy8411]

The technical data as always was great! The sarcasm…amazing! I’m quite impressed you drug you whole water heater out of your home just to drain it 😆

[@Everlanders]

To drain it... and to make a video for you fine folks...

[@sporktar]

I love these electric/utility configuration videos, looking forward to the Grafana walk-through.

[@MMOverlandAdventures]

Brilliant! As usual of course. I need to do something like this with my solar panels on the shed for the water well that usually isn't producing unless I am pumping water.. Thanks Jason! Bye Kara!;-)

[@BM-hb2mr]

Woohoo. A second video within a week. Awesome

[@4ourE]

Always impressed with your electrical knowledge Jon!

[@brucelee-sl4pg]

Love your DIY videos and I am wondering why you are not a millionaire . I am watching some 'specialists' in solar power on KZbin and in my opinion you are at another level .Good luck and don't make us waiting for videos so long :))

[@Everlanders]

Thanks for the kind words...

[@JockeSelin]

Brilliant stuff guys! Thank you so much! Can’t wait to nerd out with the InfluxDB and Grafana stuff. 😎👍🏻

[@Moist_yet_Crispy]

Dude! These videos are fricken awesome!

[@madpoet]

Dude, thanks for posting. Just looking for tips on diversion, this helped - thanks.

[@troxofthetrade]

Excellent production, thank you

[@4coryw]

Excellent video series! I look forward to seeing how you monitor and chart everything.

[@offthebeatenpath9144]

Best response to “you won’t be able to do” is to do. 👏👏👍👍

[@Everlanders]

My 2nd biggest joy in life...

[@jimmyramos7837]

Good video Barba Roja! I’m looking forward to you showing how to set up the power display. Really impressive. What a beautiful view from where you’re parked! Take care you two.

[@Everlanders]

Thanks so much! Keep an eye out for Part 4

[@Dominick13777]

Always great videos! 👍👍👍

[@pnwinfernopro]

Incredible electrical knowledge. Thank you!

[@peteroffpist1621]

Impressed of your knowledge and handyman work.

[@pfunnell70]

Love it! Super helpful to see how you have got all this set up 🙂👍

[@erk6700]

Wow, Amazing video. Really like these technical information.

[@flyovercounty1427]

Yay a tech video I almost understand

[@georgef7754]

Will be great to see the monitoring and display video.

[@JasonVladimir]

Good show! Been toying with this concept myself.

[@sickjohnson]

Mega cool automation guys...very impressive to say the least and you make it look so easy too. Can't wait for the next one.

[@river_adventures]

Fantastic bit of information! Thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge!

[@tombloemker9434]

Absolutely brilliant!

[@seekerstan]

A kindred spirit in project geekiness. Except I come from the days of old school relay logic and building my custom parts out of fiberglass or whatever. You are inspiring me to start digitizing my projects and join the 21st century.

[@candeffect]

Beautiful oughtside over there. I'll checkought your other videos.

[@jimcollins9316]

Great video, I always enjoy your video’s!

[@Everlanders]

I appreciate that!

[@brentmcgillis]

I have no doubts that one day you will build the Flux Capacitor, great channel. Finding your channel is like striking Off Grid gold. Greetings for the Kootenays, Creston, B.C.

[@jamest.5001]

That's a beautiful place you are at! I been to Mexico a couple times 20 years ago, I wanted to move there then! Can't wait to see what's next!!

[@Colorado4x4Van]

Excellent! As always...Our Truma has an electric input...might have to look into using it for something like this.

[@jamesd7786]

Love the diversion immersion conversion!

[@Everlanders]

🤣 Good one... I wish I would have thought of that while filming the video.

[@Chris-ut6eq]

word play FTW!

[@greenbimoon]

As always, Awesome

[@web95]

I'm always impressed with your neat wiring J! Really clean and efficient.

[@reuse_or_die]

🌎💚So well described thanks very much. I've looked at dozens of similar themed videos and none of them touch yours for clarity.🖖🏻👍🏼✅

[@Everlanders]

Glad it was helpful!

[@dflood316]

Great video!!

[@kevin_9096]

Hey, I see your truck in Nuevo Arenal, Costa Rica. Welcome and enjoy!

[@Everlanders]

Yes Sir! Happy to be here! Beautiful Scenery! Perhaps you recognize the backdrop in the intro of this video...

[@jackthompson5092]

A great video.

[@victorfericelli2663]

your videos are very good although I don't understand much about electricity I like to watch them and try to learn something new every day thank you very much for your videos I'm just following you but I find what you do very interesting and that we share the same feeling of traveling the world although you are doing it and I am still in my dream of doing it soon good health and waiting for your new videos a big hug

[@Everlanders]

Thank you sir! 🫂

[@tallmanfagan]

good job

[@nomadchad8243]

Nice! I like that you have so much excess power even with a fridge and AC unit. Next you'll have to install a heat exchanging bitminer.

[@Everlanders]

At this point we don't have access to run everything concurrently, we need to budget for AC or hot water as needed depending on our solar production and forecast. More on that in Part 4...

[@dankarau2307]

Another great video...I just wish I bought the DEXT16 when I got the rest of my system. They are all sold out for now, so just gonna have to wait patiently.

[@carterhanks]

Solid W on the drain system. Earned a sub and like from me.

[@williamhickinbottom9373]

Brilliant 👍

[@overland505]

That's pretty cool!

[@hardwiredcustoms2301]

A hug from grandma =15w 🤣😂 I love it

[@pavel9652]

Hug from grandma at room temperature ;)

[@99Jeep2008]

Looking forward to the grafana vid!

[@anthonymarino4260]

great vid. thanks

[@pavel9652]

I like the way you diss criticism in sarcastic way ;) It is astonishing there are so many pseudo-experts speaking with authority, while they are missing basic knowledge like an actual wattage equation!

[@campbellsoup27]

So happy a problem solving geek like youself is sharing this online. I'm planning on doing a van conversion (24v or 48v power)soon, and want to have a ryzen itx build computer w/pico dc psu (full dc pc) . I have also been wanting to do somthing similiar to this video of not wasting wattage when batteries are full and the sun is shinning. I was planning on diverting it to a 24v zerobreeze a/c (if i need it) or diverting it to an atmospheric water generator ( haha which is a 300W dehumidifier/ with berkley water filter that feeds back into my water tank) Hope you guys are enjoying your trip so far and hope to see you guys at a meetup in Canada in the future once my van is complete!

[@Everlanders]

Sorry, won't be in Canada for a decade or more... Currently shipping the rig to Columbia.

[@campbellsoup27]

@@Everlanders well all the best in your guy's travels. Look forward to your video on explaining how you have your raspberrypi stats screen. Would there be any way to incorporate collected data from a victron system. I like customizability of it but I'm not competent enough to rely on coding for all my BMS (I'm a basic Linux user). I Also think using a stream-pi deck for all my power switches, pumps, etc. Would be an awesome build idea!

[@wescron]

THESE NUTS!

[@mikethedesertrat]

This is my first time here, and I'm subscribing. I've been in IT for 38 years (mostly programming), but I know very little about electronics. Your videos are amazing. Love the detail, love the editing, love the humor, and love the down-to-earth vibe. Thank you for doing what you do.

[@orangerucksack7083]

great video , can't wait for the 'graphics video'

[@liberated4947]

Grandmas huggs are the best.

[@marsrover001]

Yeah I'm definitely doing something similar for my rig. Can't wait to have hot showers.

[@brentmcgillis]

Thanks!

[@Everlanders]

Thanks so much! 🙏

[@blackIce504]

I approve this video, especially how you completely went overkill on the power cables to your hot water system if those cables ever melt that means pigs can fly on that day, nice job, also love the fact that welding cables are easy to get. Complete overkill on the soldering of the wires to the termination lugs i am sure you would be able to use that cable to pull out a stump before lug comes off i also Approve of this, nicely heat shrunk as well.

[@Everlanders]

So much Approval 💕

[@JustinPratt1]

The more power you push with 12v the larger the cable you need. While a 12g wire is fine for a 20a line using 120v, move down to 12v and your cable needs to be 10x as large. There is a reason battery cables are so large on a 12v system.

[@Everlanders]

This is a bit of an exaggeration there J, 14 AWG is sufficient for 35 Amps per ABYC standards. circuitwizard.bluesea.com

[@John_thetrader]

🤣😂 Your humor is good ...

[@arnoldrimmer4025]

This is great! I run my 10 litre hot water tank off the inverter, it pulls 800 watts and I tend to put it on once a day and that does me. I did look for a 12v water heater but couldn't find one. I might look more into making my own, but I have been put off by those very same mythbusters episiodes on what happens to a water heater and things go wrong!

[@Everlanders]

But if you rewatch that episode, Adam states that it was very difficult to get that result. They needed to defeat many safety systems...

[@arnoldrimmer4025]

@@Everlanders That is very true, but I'm still cautious :) Maybe I'll give it a go when I back from this current trip. It's working well enough for the moment so not going to mess with it on the road.

[@RicOrnelas]

Brillant

[@RobotacularRoBob]

The best part of the video by far is 4:04.

[@Everlanders]

Deez Nuts?

[@bobg8309]

👍👍👍nice

[@ronb6182]

I guess you could also wire the element in series and run it on 24 volts which is the minimum on home solar systems. Good to know about these elements. Thank You. 73

[@Everlanders]

Yup indeed! Although the power is squared... Keep that in mind, so you'd want to order a 24volt version.

[@ronb6182]

@@Everlanders yes that would be better more watts. 73

[@restfulplace3273]

Hrmmm… time to find a mini water heater. Didn’t know they made them this small.

[@Everlanders]

Here you go: www.homedepot.ca/product/rheem-point-of-use-2-imperial-gal-electric-water-heater-with-6-year-warranty-/1000792786

[@CITAP1]

Interesting. I have no problem watching your commercials. My Victron components have no secondary take off to do such a diversion to for instance run my absorption fridge on electric a few hours a day. I will say the LifeBlue batteries BMS does have a j45 network plug, 2 each. No documentation how to make use of them. The factory Rep. Said they were for software updates. It may be possible to gather state of charge information from them and then setup a seco dary load takeoff that way. I'm able to do it manually for now plugging my shore power cord into the inverter, then unplugging it when the sun is low, 3 to 6 hours later depending on time of year. With the price of propane now, a few hours on solar daily could save a fair amount of coinage over time. Anxious to hear your plans to cross the isthmus whether by land or sea. Most go by sea but your resourcefulness makes me wonder if you'll be the one wo does it by land. Take care...

[@Everlanders]

No, we'll be shipping by boat, there is no road through the Darién Gap. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dari%C3%A9n_Gap

[@davidvelez1988]

Duh you and your set up is bad ass

[@twistdshade]

These nuts

[@Isaacmantx]

How did I miss this one? Such a great project! I’ve always thought that diversion heating into a sand heat sink would be a good idea…

[@mattbrodacki4980]

Aside from being my hero I love the metal reference 🤚. I feel it only appropriate to ask for a glowing finger for 2.0? Also, if ever in the northeast USA glad to lend garage / welder to a fellow mad scientist :-).

[@TomLentz]

You monster! Drowning all those angry pixies that thought they could freeload ;-D

[@Everlanders]

LoL, Comedic Gold! 🏆

[@petewarby7158]

You got criticism after your first video over theer drain plug, honestly. With what you're doing you're clearly not dumb. Why do pele always feel theer need to be negative. I for one think your project is ace :)))))

[@Everlanders]

Pete, you're an Ace! 🂡

[@davidc1961utube]

One of my first thoughts was "what about heating water when the SOC is not 100%?" I supppse I am fringe as well as a 3%er, LOL. 2:50 Always be sure the rubber sheathing is up to snuff! A failure could change your life! 😎

[@Everlanders]

It turns out that manually directing the diversion heat is a pretty simple setting in the SBMS0 menu...

[@Everlanders]

Not to mention I still have the original silicone heater mat which I can manually control anytime...

[@robertoconnor2669]

👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@joshpeterson7216]

I added a thermostatic valve to increase the hot water storage, so I can heat it to 165 and inject cold water to bring it back to 110 degrees f

[@Everlanders]

We keep ours at 85°c (185°f) and mix at the tap! 😮

[@lookabout]

Another Great video once again, keep them coming 👍 I have a question about solar panels its probably a stupid one but do you have to use 12v panels. I only ask because my son install solar panels for house in the UK. I was wondering if I could use them ?

[@Everlanders]

No, you can use 24 volt panels too, you would just want to use a 24 volt heater element to match in that case...

[@jamest.5001]

Im Very interested in this , the grafics , the solar.. I have a off-grid house, set up like an RV or camper, nearly 1k ah 24v batt, and a smaller 12v system, that does 12v lights, and accessories, I don't trust my well to drink the water, I'm going to add a 12v pump for the kitchen, and use a heater like yours, or another instant/tankless gas heater. I have alot of work to do, I have plans to add a 1200-2kw 12v inverter as a backup, because in an emergency I could connect a car to it and charge it to keep the fridge going, and maybe a microwave, I'm thinking about going 48v on the main system, so I will not need so many charge controllers, and get a 6kw Genetry solar inverter, being I could probably pull 8kw from it for a while, I can cool it with the cool basement air, although I can probably stay below 2500watts, I plan to use my generator to wash clothes, I'm planning to build a diesel generator , that doubles as a DC generator to directly charge batteries, as well as a 7kw ac split phase generator, and do about 300amps at 30v, not sure what it could be capable of at 60v+/-, I would need to build a regulator for the alternators for 48v, maybe run them in series, and burn waste veg.oil , I also been thinking about converting my wood stove to a boiler, and build a steam engine. To generate DC to charge batteries, and use radiators in the house as heat and to condense the steam, for a closed system, maybe use a heat exchanger, to get hot water. I also been thinking about building a thermal storage, like build a small room big enough for a few hundred gallons of water, set it on a few inches of foam and wood, with about 12"-18" of insulation in the walls, and about 2' for the roof, use the wood stove to heat it, as well as solar thermal collectors, with a steam engine, generator doing about 600-1500watts+/-, for about 12hours more less. It would definitely be worth the effort, it would also heat the house, I'm in the foothills of NC,. So heat is needed about 3months a year, and only half that needs serious heat, I'd like to add heat to the floor, before insulate it, use a tiny pump, that can circulate about 5 gallons per hour, but definitely keep the radiators for the really cold nights, may e the thermal storage can keep heating for a day or so after the fire is out. Part of it is a crazy dream, but I definitely need backups but definitely interested in what you got going on, I plan to build a couple thermal solar panels, with 1/2" aluminum tubing, and plumb that into he thermal storage , the hard part is figuring out how to control the mess! Haha, maybe I can learn Arduino or something, but definitely need it to be safe and energy efficient,. Sorry to ramble!! But I'm very into this stuff, alternative power, fuel, life, everything!

[@Everlanders]

The problem I have with tankless on demand electric water heaters is that you can't store the energy as heat in times of surplus... dumping that power into a thermal battery is cheap storage.

[@BrianPhillipsRC]

Another great video! Thank you for sharing it. Any chance your soldered ends will relax, or even melt at that heat load? I suppose it would be about the best case scenario, so long as they don't dead short to the other terminal...but either way, you mentioned you left your proper lug crimper in Canada, but why not just beat it with a hammer? (Don't misunderstand, I'm not trying to strike up controversy, just kinda curious...totally being an armchair quarterback here btw.)

[@Everlanders]

The terminals don't get too much hotter than the water... 80°c

[@jldvergara]

Hi, Jason. I am new to your channel, but I am watching all the videos and enjoying each one of them. Could you point me to the video about the InfluxDB and Grafana?

[@Everlanders]

This video was filmed 3 or 4 times, but always failed... I'll try again soon.

[@KS-wr8ub]

@@Everlanders We're looking forward to it! 🤩

[@user-ou1hb2bt3l]

This is awesome! Are you planning on heating up your shower keg this way too?

[@Everlanders]

No... there is no need, I just fill the shower keg with this water...

[@truthseeker1364]

I was thinking of an idea to solve your overheating wires maybe add some aluminum fins at the terminal kind of like a radiator. S*** you might even be able to put a peltier fan on it lol.

[@Everlanders]

The wires don't overheat... But they do get hot as they are an extension of the heater itself. As long as the wire jacket is not cheap PVC, you'll be fine. Insulated to keep the heat in, 2 years and no problems.

[@kevinroberts781]

Id use Romex solid copper. Its what everyone uses. But what you used is of course just fine. At that wattage speaker wire would be ok.

[@Everlanders]

75 amps... Speaker wire? 😳

[@airwayintact]

Thank you for these excellent vids. Is the only downside to using the heater’s original 120v AC element with the original plug and run through an inverter a loss of efficiency? I have extra solar power in my 12v system and have been planning to invest in a decent inverter anyway. Any suggestions or cautions for keeping my instal simpler (more reasonable for my skill-set), and doing it that way?

[@Everlanders]

Exactly, huge losses in the inverter while shorting its lifespan.

[@OFFGRID_Trucker]

New subscriber here.. Love all the videos you've made. I seen most of them so far. So I've got a 300v heating element like that.. it also came with a little thermostat.. I don't know how to connect it..? Are there any good forums on this subject..? or just a wiring diagram..?

[@Everlanders]

300v or 300w?

[@OFFGRID_Trucker]

@@Everlanders haha... Sorry.. Watts.. bought it from Missouri wind and solar.

[@Everlanders]

Well hopefully they can offer you some customer service. I'm sure they must have a diagram for you.

[@OFFGRID_Trucker]

@@Everlanders Hopefully. Thanx

[@ZWill07]

4:05 😆

[@Everlanders]

Deez nuts?

[@Nic7320]

By using this extra power, your solar panels should last longer. When power is extracted from the panel, there is about 20% less power dissipated inside the panel and hence, they run cooler and should last longer.

[@Everlanders]

Good stuff!

[@Nic7320]

@@Everlanders So where do we put excess energy when the batteries are full and the water is at temp? On a cold day, send it to a space heater, and on a hot day, run the A/C more. But on a perfect day... what? Make hydrogen?

[@deang5622]

​@@Nic7320Dump it through a shunt.

[@seekingtheedge]

Have you considered using a home automation platform, specifically Home Assistant, to tie all your equipment together?

[@Everlanders]

I have considered it, I have 20 years of home automation experience.

[@alaingoyette7103]

@@Everlanders Hi Jon, I wanted to share that you are the one that got me interested with programming Arduinos and how to automate stuff using 12VDC. I was so inspired that I bought a bunch of gear including some WEMOS D1 minis (ESP8266 Wi-fi) and have started my first project of automating watering my garden. In addition, I have installed Home Assistant on my NAS and setup monitoring through it. I keep watching your videos for more inspirations. Thanks for your amazing videos!!!

[@yoaska4]

Great video. Thanks 👍. My project will use 300W heating element and I'd love to use a cheap temperature controller but can't find anything above 20 A. Your solution is too complex for my skills. Have you seen anywhere a controller with a relay above 25A? All the best!

[@Everlanders]

The problem with cheap temperature controllers is the mechanical relays. With such high current they tend to arc and weld themselves closed, thus you get a pressure vessel with rapid unexpected disassembly.

[@yoaska4]

@@Everlanders thanks for your reply. I used 40amp relay. It's simpler than I've thought. Seems to be working... When sun's out.

[@Everlanders]

For a while...

[@etiennegignac]

Which voltage do the DSSR switch? The straight output from your solar panels, or the output of the solar controller?

[@Everlanders]

The DSSR's divert the panels voltage, in our case it's ~20 OCV, But that gets dragged down to 12 volts once the load is applied...

[@NimblyJimbly]

Is that scale buildup on the old heating element normal? Must be a lot of hard water down that way. Thanks for another great video!

[@Everlanders]

It's pretty common for scale buildup in water heaters, but for as little use as this element got, I would say it's pretty excessive, I suppose it is pretty hard water, mostly from wells near to the ocean.

[@NimblyJimbly]

@@Everlanders I'm throwing my hat in the ring for a project suggestion... DIY small scale water softener (or pre-filter?) system. 🤓

[@Everlanders]

@@NimblyJimbly Yeah, maybe a filter, Unfortunately I think the water softener is too big and wasteful for our needs. Now that I see the scale after only a year, I'll be dumping the heater tank and descaling my system once a year or so... Would be good to find a pre-filter down here somewhere...

[@leightonthomas8233]

The Electrodacus forum suggested fusing each panel if you connect/combine diversion from multiple dssr's . I'm asking if you did, because I wish to do the same as you have in the video. I'm considering buying a dual voltage 12/230v element

[@Everlanders]

Nope

[@wvcollective]

I’ve been looking into this type of technology for awhile now and also about matching the amount of solar panels resistance with the resistance of the heating element regardless of homepage or wattage what are your views on that

[@Everlanders]

Yes, this would result in the most efficient transfer...

[@openroadtouring2410]

I've got a similar system where I match the MPP of the panels with the resistance of the element. It takes a little longer to heat the water but I have fewer panels. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aISqk6R6hNF1q80

[@deang5622]

The resistance of the solar panel changes with current produced. It is not a resistor which is constant, it's a semiconductor device and the I-V relationship is non linear. So you can never always match the resistance of the solar panel to the load resistance.

[@truthseeker1364]

I plan on doing something like this to heat my greenhouse I plan on using direct current from like a 2 or 300 watt solar panel I bought the 20 mm thread water heating element that I plan on screwing into a empty propane tank the only problem is I don't want it to steam out build pressure and explode so I'm thinking of some kind of way to make a pressure relief valve I was kind of thinking maybe drill a hole and put some kind of weight in the hole kind of like pressure cookers have or maybe even a thermostat from a vehicle any input would be appreciated.

[@Everlanders]

You'd want to switch of the heater with a thermostat long before the water comes to a boil to create steam. And by the sounds of it, open to atmosphere is a good plan too.

[@truthseeker1364]

@@Everlanders okay thank you for the advice I'm guessing I'm going to have to hook an inverter instead of direct current and then get a thermostat like the ones for the greenhouse and somehow wire that in.

[@charlesrg]

I've two questions: 1 - How do you protect from turning on the heater if there is no water ? 2 - If you kept the 120V heating element and added a solid state relay to turn on/off the heater via software, won't that achieve similar results ? I'm guessing if battery is low the SBMS0 can turn off the inverter, then after charged inverter comes on, and with that software kicks in to turn on/off stuff according to time, motion and temperature sensors. So the diversion load can be a water heater, AC, towel warmer, compressor.

[@Everlanders]

1 - Most (all?) Water Heater Tanks "In" and "Out" are both on the top of the tank... So normally you can only get water out by pushing more water in. This ensures the tank is always full, if the water supply stops, the tank is still full. 2 - Yes, that's effectively what I'd been doing until now. But Inverters are lossy, you might lose 15% to conversion loses, it's a heavy load on the inverter, the fans all spin up to get rid of the heat... In our application it's probably not such a big deal, I implemented it because I had it, but if scaled up to an off grid home in Canada, You could have 5 or 10kW of solar dumping into much bigger heaters, in much bigger tanks...

[@openroadtouring2410]

A DC SSR would work fine. See my similar system. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aISqk6R6hNF1q80

[@Everlanders]

That's exactly what I've shown, the DSSR20 is Digital DC SSR... 🤷 ($27)

[@brianjonesphoto]

I’m looking at doing a similar setup. Did you wire it in such a way you can also override and heat water from the battery bank when there isn’t enough solar?

[@Everlanders]

Yup

[@leightonthomas8233]

Hi, would love to know how you did that. thanks

[@isstuff]

I am following your old setup, with a 200w heating pad. What were the downsides you experienced?

[@Everlanders]

I guess the only downside was speed, it took about 2 hours to get to hot, this takes 12 minutes to get to the same 50°c

[@isstuff]

@@Everlanders the tank of the 10L "boiler" is plastic so i am going to wrap the tank in belt of aluminium flashing to disperse the heat around the tank, with the temprature sensor to be placed on the aluminium on the oppsite side or against the tank or on the orignal heating element area. testing is required. i have ordered a thermosatic mixing valve to mix my target heater temprature of 60C down to 38C. although i should probably add another layer of over temprature protection at 80C that cuts it all off.

[@Everlanders]

@@isstuff A plastic heater tank..? Ours is steel. I don't think plastic would work very well being heated externally, it makes a good insulator.

[@FBall-im8ui]

If we have an al in one power unit like the Anker 767 can we just plug in the 120 plug into the Anker and get our hot water that way? Would that’ll save us a lot of work and still get the same results? Thank you from BC

[@Everlanders]

You could but it would be very inefficient and would use 80% of your small battery to do that. The whole point of what i'm showing in this video is that the battery is charged first and when it's full, the solar power that would otherwise go to waste is diverted to heat water. (and the batteries stay fully charged)

[@FBall-im8ui]

@@Everlanders Thank you, I have gone over the video a second time and learnt more, and will do so again and again until I understand properly. I am a photographer and intimidated by some electrical work, I saw another Canadian, made to explore, using the same or similar system with a 300w heating element. I am stuck on whether I should have a power system built from components or use an all in one unit like the Lion energy safari which has an Andersen connector at 25amp to be able to use dc fuse block or the new Anker 767 unit which has 2 x10a cigarette lighter connectors. I am converting a sprinter on Vancouver Island, really glad i found your channel Thank you for taking the time to reply to me very much appreciated. I really like your power system. Does electro dacus set up power systems?

[@FBall-im8ui]

?Oh One More Question If Possible If I Wanted To Use the Rheem unit For A Shower As Well Would it be advisable To Get The 4 Gallon Or 7 Gallon Unit instead of the 2.5 gal unit.

[@Everlanders]

It depends how much water you have access to and how long you want to shower.

[@georgeknowles5384]

An enjoyable video, but' where on earth can one obtain a small tub to make a water heater from, looked around can not see or find one!! Any one good at welding?!! You would make some with being able to make such a small tub/under the sink water heating tub, none to be seen, or let me know where?

[@Everlanders]

Any home improvement store sells water heaters... www.homedepot.com/p/Rheem-Performance-2-5-Gal-6-Year-1440-Watt-Single-Element-Electric-Point-Of-Use-Water-Heater-XE02P06PU14U0/204318371

[@theborednerds]

Hey Jon! Which video shows your grafana and pi monitoring system? I'm only finding the automation videos.

[@Everlanders]

There was very little interest. I may do it in the future.

[@theborednerds]

@@Everlanders glad you know I'm not crazy. Add one to the "interested " column! Getting close to that step in my building and would love to learn from someone who's already done it. Especially interested in how you prioritize early morning sun to the dump load.

[@KS-wr8ub]

I think there is many of us that would like that part 4!! 👍👍