This is an idea ChatGPT came up with, but I can’t find any YouTube videos or forum posts to confirm that this will actually work. What I HAVE seen is posts from people using a dimmer switch to do this. Well, that’s what a voltage regulator is, a sort of dimmer switch.
Let me start at the beginning with what I’m trying to accomplish:
1. I want to control when my water heater turns on. I have an idea to use a Shelly Pro 1PM to set a schedule for when the water heater will be allowed to come on. I’ll turn it on during peak solar production, like right around noon, and again an hour or so before everyone gets up and starts taking showers. That’ll help me burn off any additional battery power still remaining.
2. This is totally unnecessary but I’d like to not see the scary 3kw spike when the water heater comes on and runs for 15 minutes. There’s no hurry to heat up the water, so why not let it run for an hour at lower power? I’d see an hour long “hump” a couple of times a day instead of a 3000 watt spike.
So, my idea is to put the Shelly and a 25A voltage regulator in series prior to the water heater. It’s a simple resistive load, so why wouldn’t a lower voltage accomplish what I want? Just turn down the “dimmer” to 160v or whatever?
Why won’t this work? Why should I definitely NOT do this?
Let me start at the beginning with what I’m trying to accomplish:
1. I want to control when my water heater turns on. I have an idea to use a Shelly Pro 1PM to set a schedule for when the water heater will be allowed to come on. I’ll turn it on during peak solar production, like right around noon, and again an hour or so before everyone gets up and starts taking showers. That’ll help me burn off any additional battery power still remaining.
2. This is totally unnecessary but I’d like to not see the scary 3kw spike when the water heater comes on and runs for 15 minutes. There’s no hurry to heat up the water, so why not let it run for an hour at lower power? I’d see an hour long “hump” a couple of times a day instead of a 3000 watt spike.
So, my idea is to put the Shelly and a 25A voltage regulator in series prior to the water heater. It’s a simple resistive load, so why wouldn’t a lower voltage accomplish what I want? Just turn down the “dimmer” to 160v or whatever?
Why won’t this work? Why should I definitely NOT do this?
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