Solar Water Heater: Is It Worth It?
There are a lot of solar technologies, that use the energy of the sun. They help not only to heat up your homes but to lower your heating bills. One of the most important and useful solar technologies is the solar water heater.
What Is the Solar Powered Water Heater?
You may use the power of the sun to reduce your reliance on usual heating sources. This will also reduce the cost of heating water. This technology exists for almost 50 years.
The solar hot water heater can capture the sun’s thermal energy. Then it uses it for heating the water in your house.
This system can be active and passive. They work a bit differently. For example, active system use pumps to circulate water. As for the passive ones, they use natural circulation and gravity.
Here you can also read about the solar roadways.
Basic components of a solar water heater:
- Collectors. They are needed for taking the heat from the sun and then passing this heat to a fluid.
- The heat transfer liquid. It may use or store the water for some time after taking it from the collector.
- Heat exchangers. They transfer the heat from the liquid to a water.
- Pumps. They move the liquid through the exchanger or collector.
- Controllers. If the collector heat is available, they run the pumps.
Is it Worthy to Use It?
Using solar water heater panels can be really useful and worthy.
- Energy independence. If you use solar energy, you may reduce the dependence upon the utility. The energy of the sun is really reliable because you can get it constantly.
- Impact on the environment. Today there are a lot of problems with the environment because of the burning fossil fuels.
- Save your money. If you use solar energy to heat your water, you can really reduce your expenses. You will definitely see 50% saving on your utility bill. Your original investment will be recouped in 3 years. If you want to make this system more effective, you may make the initial investment. It may be utility rebates, tax credit and so on.
How to Choose?
You may buy such system from one of the top solar companies or make it on your own. In fact, the average solar water heater cost is $3,500. That is why some homeowners manage to make it themselves.
If you decide to buy this system, you will spend a certain amount of money, but that’s a worthy purchase that will work for a long period of time. If there is not enough money, you may try a homemade solar water heater.
The easiest way you may choose to make DIY solar water heater:
- Install insulated box and put tubing in it. Insulation will be able to keep the water in the tubes hot. It is easy to screw the box. But then you will need to install the inlet and outlet into this box. Then connect the coil made of copper. The biggest part of piping should be working.
- Connect water and definitely make sure there are no leaks.
- The last step – installation of the glass top. Remember that hot storage tank should be higher than feeder tank.
The DIY solar hot water heater will be as effective as the usual system. It won’t take a lot of time but you will definitely like the result.