Choosing solar hot water heaters in Phoenix, AZ

Choosing solar hot water heaters in Phoenix, AZ

Hi, this is Greg and Joshua with the Build It Green Team. We want to take a moment to explain about solar hot water and some of the different types of systems out there. The first type system I will describe is a closed loop system. Closed loop means that you are indirectly heating the water in your house. You are not directly heating your potable water. They use a separate loop to run the heated liquid, often an antifreeze mixture that has great heat carrying and discharging properties. The benefits to a closed loop system are enormous in that they offer tremendous freeze protection, which in much of the country is a real concern at least a few times per year in the winters. We are based in Phoenix, so we have less threat than most other areas, but even so, our surrounding areas experience sub-freezing temperatures nearly every winter. For most of the Phoenix metro area, freezing isn't a concern with solar hot water, but even so, these systems perform very well.

We are referring to "systems" as a combination of tank, circulating pump and panel. The tank will determine in many cases whether or not we employ a closed loop or an open loop configuration. Many times we use a Schuco tank, which is produced by a German manufacturer and utilizes a serpentine copper element within the tank to transfer the heat from the circulating antifreeze that is heated in the panel, to the domestic hot water that will actually be used within the household or office. Serpentine elements are preferable to "tube and header" elements in two important ways.

1) There are no breaks in the element. The copper tube is "wound" throughout the tank or the panel and because of this, the element is more durable and less prone to leak. Tube and header elements typically will have more maintenance associated with the systems.

2) Serpentine elements also have a higher flow rate than tube and header systems, which means that the circulating liquid can move faster and still pick up the heat needed to warm your water.

Solar hot water is a great technology to look at. It can save you up to 90% on your hot water heating costs, especially if you are heating your water with electricity. For the average family of 3-4, that is about $400 per year at current energy prices in late 2010. If you'd like more information, please visit our website:

POST COMMENT

7 Requirements When Purchasing A New Portable Keyboard The Importance Of Buying A Case For Your New iPhone (or iPad) Checklist for Parents-to-be: What To Prepare Before The New Baby Arrives Vibrant City, a New Epithet for Bangalore City Six Sigma Training Gives Businesses A New Set Of Principles Vintage style bathroom remodeling New York Effects Of Online Competitions – On New Business Creating a New looking Bathroom with Bathroom Accessories and Lights Participant in our new magazine? Skin Cancer Awareness Foundation and Sun Smart Publications LLC to release Summer Sun Smart Life Style magazine Monty Is New Golf Foundation Boss IPhone Application Development: Giving a new definition to the mobile applications Kitchen Remodeling: Give New Look to Your Kitchen Getting an Overview of New York Universities