How To Choose A Solar Water Heater

Ever felt that relaxing, self-satisfying smile spread across your face when you know you have done something good, even when it is in a smallest possible way. We know of many times when we feel happy having helped someone or walked when we could have used a vehicle. In fact, we feel best when we have made any move that could be considered eco friendly or green – be it walking to the nearest store or using a solar powered water heater instead of an electrical one. The only problem is, we do not know much about the sustainable branch of science and there is often not enough information available on them – how to decide what kind of electric heater to use, especially. One advice – never let anything stop you from going green; your children will thank you some day. As far as information is considered, that is where we come in. Here’s how to choose the solar water heater that will be best suited to your needs.

 

Here is how you will come to decide the solar water of your choice and one that will meet all your needs

 

Before you go on to see the types that are available in the market, you may want to know exactly how a solar water heater works. A simple solar water heater consists of a black bag attached to a nozzle that is to be filled with stream water. Hang it in a tree until it gets warm under the sun, to the point you'd like, as displayed by the built in thermometer. When it gets hot enough for you, put a bucket under the nozzle and turn on the tap. It works quite well.

 

Home solar water heaters work roughly on the above-explained principle and it might help if you know about it beforehand. They collect heat from the sun in a flat plate like collector or mirrored trough through which tubes run. The water moves to where it is used in an insulated hot water tank. Systems can be active or passive. Passive systems are simpler and more reliable and depend on the fact that hot water rises and cold water sinks, however your collectors have to be placed below your storage tank. Active systems use a powered pump, which takes energy. In order that the system can be used at night and in cold weather, the sun power is combined with an auxiliary heating source. In integrated collector storage systems, water is first passed through the storage tank and then through a conventional water heater. As the water has been pre-heated, less energy is required.

 

Climate is another important factor that you would have to consider while choosing the right kind of solar water heater. Direct circulation systems pump water through collectors then into the home and are well suited for the Sun Belt or the tropical belt, where freezing is a rare phenomenon. Indirect circulation systems, on the other hand, pump a fluid like anti-freeze through the system and into a heat exchanger, which warms the water that you actually use. This is the better choice for climate zones, which experience regular freezing and frost.

 

Find a reliable installer who will customize a system for your property. A well made system can work up to 25 years with minimal maintenance.

 

Make an estimate of how much money you'll save. It will depend on various factors such as: where you live, the efficiency of your collector, where you place it on your roof, how much sunlight it gets, how many collectors you use, how big a tank you heat, how big it is, how well insulated your system is and how much hot water you use. If you use auxiliary heating, you'll save less, but it will guarantee continuous supply of hot water.