Selecting a Solar Water Heater - The Dos and Don'ts

Selecting a solar water heater is not a difficult task if the individual understands a few basics. They are a cost-effective way of providing the required hot water to your establishment. The solar water heaters are powered by the sun and are not contributing to the electric bill.

The solar water heater has to use the power of the sun to heat the water. The water then has to be stored someplace so it is available when it is needed. There also has to be some mechanism to provide for hot water in times when there is no sunlight to generate the power to heat the water and power the system. These are the things that you want a solar water heater to do and the things to pay attention to when you shop for your unit.

There are two components to a solar water heater - the collector unit and the storage units. Systems can be active or passive. In an active system, there are circulating pumps and controls. The passive system doesn't have these features and heat the water from the sun and then stores it in the existing hot water heater. On cloudy or rainy days, the user just turns on the hot water tank and heats the water in that manner.

The active system pumps the water to the solar cells, which heats it and then stores the water is a tank that is separate from the hot water heater. The water is continually heated by heating tubes. The water flows from the roof through the use of gravity so there can be problems with water pressure unless a pressure pump in installed. Many active systems also have back-up water heaters for periods when there isn't sufficient sunlight.

The savvy buyer will decide which kind of unit he wants and then shop for the best deal. The buyer should also consider the installation and see if it is a part of the price of the unit.