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Thank you for your interest in HotBot! You can learn more and get a HotBot for your home at plentify.io/non-solar-households
Make sure to remove or bypass any timers or other geyser controllers, and rather manage your hot water through the app at my.plentify.io
Demand for electricity is not flat, rather it peaks in the mornings and the evenings. Our electricity grid struggles the most during these peak periods, when available electricity supply often falls short of demand and Eskom burns a lot of diesel to try to keep the lights on. Often they simply can’t keep up, or need to save the diesel to serve other times of the day – leading to loadshedding.
Solar by itself is not the answer as it produces most energy during the middle of the day, and does very little to address our peak problem.
HotBot solves both of these problems. Your HotBot can coordinate with all other HotBots to intelligently shift energy demand away from times when Eskom is burning diesel or we’re at greatest risk of loadshedding, and towards times when more solar energy is available – while making sure that you have hot water when you want it.
After you subscribe for HotBot, you will receive a link to book a convenient installation time. All installations will be done by either the Plentify team or our existing pool of 3rd-party installers.
HotBot is a small Internet of Things device (17cm x 15cm x 6cm) that is installed adjacent to your existing geyser. The power to your geyser is run through HotBot, and it has several sensors which attach to your hot water system.
HotBot still works with geysers despite most non-compliance issues. Depending on the nature of the non-compliance, certain features may not work. For example, some hot water systems allow valves to drain into the drip tray instead of being directed outside with a pipe – in these cases it is not possible to distinguish between this and leaks. Our technicians will notify you of any compliance or other issues that they find with your geyser, and can assist in rectifying at your cost.
After you checkout, you will receive an email with a personalised link to book your installation. You simply select a convenient date and time for the installation, and our accredited plumbers will arrive with the device and install it for you. Once HotBot is installed you can register on our Plentify app and start saving! You will be charged the subscription fee each month, starting 2 months after you have ordered your HotBot.
HotBot is compatible with all electric geysers and solar geysers where the tank is on the roof (thermosyphon systems). It is not intended for gas, pumped solar thermal (where the tank is typically inside), low-pressure / push-through (typically seen in RDP houses), or heat pump geysers.
The geyser must be accessible to a technician for installation. In order for leak detection and the optional shut-off valve to work, you must have a drip tray and your geyser must be installed inside.
We’re available in Gauteng, Cape Town and surroundings, or the Hessequa region in the Western Cape. If you’re interested in getting a HotBot, then please sign up to our waiting list and we’ll reach out as soon as we can support your area.
Yes. HotBot requires a stable WiFi connection to work properly.
Our devices connect to the Plentify App through WiFi. This allows you to monitor and control your geyser remotely.
Without WiFi, the devices cannot communicate with the app, meaning you’ll lose access to these smart features.
For the best performance, your WiFi router should be within 10 metres of your geyser (for HotBot)
If your router is further than 10m or the signal is weak, we recommend using a WiFi extender to boost the signal. This ensures reliable connectivity so your devices continue working seamlessly.
You tell HotBot when you want hot water, and it does the rest. When you register on our app you can set a schedule for the times you regularly shower. You can then track your geyser temperature and choose to override your schedule at any time if you want hot water sooner than your usual slots or if you want to skip a slot and save your geyser from heating water you don’t even use. HotBot’s AI works to heat your geyser at off-peak times to lessen the load on our grid while still giving you hot water when you need it. This helps reduce the demand on the grid at peak times so we can reduce load shedding for everyone.
Our users save up to 30% of their water heating costs compared to leaving geysers on 24/7, with most saving 15-20%, and some less. This is about double the savings you can expect with a simple timer or by manually switching your geyser at the distribution board. Actual savings depends on many factors – most notably how well insulated your hot water system is, and how much hot water you use relative to your tank size.
You can manage your geyser from any device using the web app at my.plentify.io.
The initial subscription term is 24 months from installation. Thereafter, the service continues on a month to month basis, and you can cancel anytime with 1 month notice.
If you want to cancel within the initial 24 month term, you will be liable for a R1,700 cancellation fee, to cover the cost of installation, removal and refurbishment. If you move house within this period, you can also either have us relocate your HotBot (for a fee to be quoted at the time), or have the new residents take over your contract (in which case the cancellation fee will be waived).
Avoid switching your geyser on and off at the distribution board. This can reduce energy savings and prevent leaks and other issues from being detected. Instead, manage your geyser from the app at my.plentify.io
Set your HotBot to vacation mode to save money and energy when you’re away from home. Do this from the “Status” tab of the Plentify App.
You’ll receive an SMS letting you know if we’ve identified any issues or suspected leaks with your geyser. If you purchased the optional shut-off valve, your water supply will automatically be shut off, and you can reopen it from the app at my.plentify.io
Definitely, however, this may not be the case in the event of load shedding. HotBot is designed to ensure that you have hot water when you need it and save you money when you don’t. The system pre-heats your hot water so you always have hot water at scheduled times. If you forgot to schedule a time, you can always manually override your geyser in the app to start heating your water immediately.
Yes, you can update your maximum water temperature in the app and HotBot will do the rest.
Simply head on over to the status page in the app and check your maximum temperature.
A few things you should know:
- We recommend setting your temperature between 45-65 °C.
- The lower your temperature, the more energy you’ll save on heating water.
- Your geyser will only be able to heat as hot as its thermostat allows. We’ll let you know if this is preventing you from heating water to your desired temperature.
- The thermostat is positioned in the middle of your geyser so water from the taps may feel warmer than the current temperature shown in the app.
SolarBot works with the following inverters:
- Sunsynk/Deye single phase
Size: 5, 8, 10, 16 kW
*Parallel inverter not supported - Sunsynk/Deye three phase
Size: 12, 50 kW
*Parallel inverter not supported - SunGrow single phase
Size: 6, 10kW
*Parallel inverter not supported
Additionally, SolarBot works along the following inverter dongles:
- SolarMan
- Sunsynk
- Solar Assistant
If you are using independent inverters, each with its own battery, you will need a SolarBot for each inverter. Please note SolarBot currently does not support configurations where two inverters are connected in parallel.
You can download the SolarBot installation manual on the Plentify website.
To register for the Plentify Installer App
- Visit plentify.io/installer
- Click ‘Register for Installer App’
- Fill out the form with all your details.
- You will receive an email once your registration is successful.
Access the app at install.plentify.io
SolarBot comes with a 1- year warranty, covering any defects or issues that arise within the first year of use.
Yes. SolarBot requires a stable WiFi connection to work properly.
Our devices connect to the Plentify App through WiFi. This allows you to monitor and control your geyser remotely.
Without WiFi, the devices cannot communicate with the app, meaning you’ll lose access to these smart features.
For the best performance, your WiFi router should be within 10 metres of your inverter (for SolarBot)
If your router is further than 10m or the signal is weak, we recommend using a WiFi extender to boost the signal. This ensures reliable connectivity so your devices continue working seamlessly.
To register your devices on the app, you will need to:
- Create an account: Head to my.plentify.io
- Link devices: Ensure you enter your SolarBot ID to link your device to the Plentify App. You will receive a starter guide which shows your ID.
- Personalise settings: You can follow the prompts on the app to customise your system to fit your energy needs.
You will receive a starter guide for SolarBot on installation day which will show you your SolarBot ID. You can also find the ID on the inside corner of the SolarBot, below the QR code on the device. If you are still struggling to find the ID please email [email protected]
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