Solar Hot Water Systems
A solar hot water system harnesses energy from the sun, which is converted to thermal energy used to heat water from the main tank. Solar hot water systems may be expensive in the beginning due to installation costs, but they are cheaper than electric, oil and gas systems in the long run. Once the system has been installed, costs are reduced since solar energy is free and inexhaustible. Although solar water systems do not entirely replace the conventional water heaters, they provide a substantially large percentage of a building's total hot water needs.
Candidates of solar hot water systems
One may not be sure whether installation of a solar hot water system would be the most effective and suitable move for their home. However, if you fall under the following categories, it is wise to consider solar hot water as opposed to conventional heating systems.
- Households that heat water inefficiently, especially those that use oil boilers. Oil boilers cost you more in the long run to meet your hot water needs compared to installation of a solar hot water system.
- Households with many occupants of more than four and have moderate to high hot water loads. The more the number of people using hot water, the more the heating costs.
- Households that are used all year round, also known as primary homes, should also consider solar energy for their heating solutions since other systems will cost more in the long run where heating is done on a daily basis all year round. Seasonal homes may not be require to take up this investment.
Choosing a solar hot water system
Solar hot water systems have different configurations depending on the manufacturer. Before choosing a certain model, it is important to establish the right system for you. Solar hot water systems come with their own tanks. There are tanks of 1litre, 2litres, and 5litres capacity and so on. One should determine the system that has enough capacity to provide sufficient hot water when the system is in operation.
Solar hot water systems can be split systems and close-coupled systems. With the split system, the collector and water tank are installed in different places. The collector can be installed on the roof or wall while the tank is installed elsewhere. Split systems are easier to install and usually cheaper than close-coupled systems. One can go for split systems when their budget is small or where tanks are of high capacity and not suitable for installation on the roof.
The close-coupled system has the tank and collector installed in one place or at close proximity since it has very few moving parts. It is more expensive since the roof may require reinforcement to accommodate the extra tank weight. Close-coupled systems would be most suitable for homes with limited space around the compound for installation of a split system tank or where tank capacity is low and can be comfortably installed on the roof without major adjustments.
When purchasing a solar hot water system, it is important to ensure it has a warranty, which should cover any repairs or replacements whenever needs arise during the warranty period.
For more information, talk with solar hot water installation experts and suppliers, like Solar Repairs.
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