# Interest group forums > Electrical Contracting Industry Forum > Electrical Load Shedding Forum > [Question] Switching off geyser

## IanF

A question for you guys in the business. If we switch off our geyser for 16 hours a day is this energy efficient? We are a family of four who all shower. Does this damage the geyser? Everyone says that this damages the thermostat and element, switching on and off, but this happens anyway in normal use.  :Cool:

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## Dave A

Ian - All I know is that we get a disproportionate number of calls to replace either the geyser element or thermostat after people have been away for a while and had left their geyser swtched off. Holiday homes and flats mainly.

Now if you go away for a week or a month, it certainly makes sense to leave the geyser switched off. But in doing so it does seem to cause a higher rate of problems. I suspect the problem is moisture penetrating to the electricity carrying parts.

Whether the factors in these long switch offs apply to your situation I have no idea.

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## IanF

Dave
So what is the answer leave the geyser on and have it burst when you are away? 
Do you know if this has been tested by SABS so we know which makes and "load shedding/electricity saving" friendly.

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## Dave A

> So what is the answer leave the geyser on and have it burst when you are away?


Switching off when away for long periods is definitely the better of the two evils, and more energy "responsible"  :Big Grin: 



> Do you know if this has been tested by SABS so we know which makes and "load shedding/electricity saving" friendly


You know what - why stop at geysers? I think you might have introduced a new quality test for *any* electrical appliance  :EEK!:

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## chariot

Our estate gets hit by a high demand charge in the first half hour after a power outage/loadshed. So we need a geyser timer that will delay switch on after power has been restored. Is anything like that available?

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## Justloadit

Yes this is called a either an On Delay or Delay On  timer. Available at any electrical wholesaler.

With an on-delay timer, timing begins when voltage is applied. When the time has expired, the contacts close — and remain closed until voltage is removed from the coil. If voltage is removed before time-out, the time delay resets

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## chariot

So this will be a unit separate from the geyser controller (as geyser controllers don't provide for On Delay?)

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## Justloadit

Yes seperate from the geyser controller. It can be placed before or after the geyser controller.

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