Conserve Gas Using A Solar Water Heater

If your electric or gas bill is too high due to the cost of keeping water hot, why not install a solar water heater and have free hot water. In many locations solar water heating systems can provide seventy percent or more of the water needed for the home.

There are a couple of designs of water heaters that depend on the sun and both work well, especially in warmer climates. A passive solar tank is simply a black tank that is installed on the roof that allows the water to be warmed by the sun. An active solar water heater will have collector panels on the roof and these collector panels are connected to the cold water supply and the storage tank in the home.

With the passive solar water heater, the tank is black as this allows for the most heat to be absorbed from the sun. The amount of water in the tank is controlled by a float mechanism which regulates the amount of water in the tank. Heated water flows into the home using gravity pressure. As the hot water is emptied from the tank, it is replenished using cold water from the supply line.

The passive solar tank may require that you strengthen the roof structurally to hold the weight of the tank and the water. The solar collectors are light enough that there should not have to be any structural changes.

The passive systems are not appropriate for colder climates.

One way to install an active system that is very simple, is as a pre-heater for water that is then fed into the normal water heater. In some climates, this can provide significant savings as water that comes into the tank is already warmed. The water is then brought to temperature using the normal source of heat for the water. In other systems, a pump is used to circulate the water from the storage tank through the solar system for heating. If the solar collectors are not able to keep the water warm enough, the secondary system will bring it to the correct temperature.

Active systems require that the collector panels be faced in such a direction that they get the largest amount of heat gain. Ideally, they are placed on a flat roof, however if the roof is sloped, they should be on the southerly facing roof.

You will have special instructions for protecting your system any time there is the danger of a freeze. Not following these instructions can cause major damage to your water heating system.

In very cold climates, you may find a heat exchange system is the best investment. This system is filled with antifreeze and has a heat exchanger in the storage tank. A pump moves the solution through the solar collectors and then the heat exchanger to warm the water. The solution continues to circulate to bring the water to temperature.

If your electric or gas bill is way too high due to the cost of keeping water hot, why not invest in a solar water heater and have free hot water. More information on solar water heaters now a click away.

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