subject: What Are The Varieties Of Solar Energy Hot Water Heaters [print this page] What Are The Varieties Of Solar Energy Hot Water Heaters
It was one thought that solar water heaters are uncommon, unnecessary and lavish in spite of the fact that solar energy is non-polluting and renewable. Global warming and air pollution, along with technological advancements facilitating resourceful use of solar energy have made us reconsider our stand.
There is no doubt that we are slowly becoming a society that is transitioning toward a more sustainable way of living. Numerous homeowners buy solar panels because they desire to make a positive impact on the environment, and many others also buy them because of the financial benefits that come along with using solar power. More interestingly, solar companies say that they notice a trend in homeowners buying solar panels to increase their property value. And even more significantly, more homeowners are using solar panels as a way to help sell their homes faster in the long term.
Usually, homeowners invest in home improvement projects that can be done in a relatively short period of time so that they can try selling their homes in a few months or a few years. With solar panels, solar electric companies have seen a slight change in this way of thinking. Homeowners are beginning to think more long term.
You will find in this article the kinds of solar water heaters obtainable from the market. You must pick the right kind for your house depending on where you live and nature of the climate there. The chief varieties are active and passive. Each of these is available in two different types.
A passive system is one where the tank acts as storage as well as solar collector. Because this system does not have any electrical or mechanical parts, it is easy to use and maintain. It is further categorized into open and closed loop systems. The former uses water from the main supply to circulate between the collector and the tank whereas the latter uses a heat-transfer liquid to transfer the heat from the collector to the water in the tank.
Even though passive systems are cheap, simple, use gravity to supply water from the storage tank to your home and avoid overheating water, they are suitable for use only in warm areas that rarely have snow. California and Florida are examples of ideal climate for these. They can be rendered useless in places where the water in the tank can freeze.
In active systems water or heat transfer fluid is circulated with the use of a pump. Available in both open and closed loop formats, these are more efficient than passive systems and places with freezing temperatures will not affect the full-fledged functioning of closed loop active systems.
Read on for some plumbing facts about solar water heaters. The foremost thing to do is to make sure that your roof is strong enough to support an often large passive system. At the bottom of the tank will be the water supply and at the top will be the pipe for hot water to be delivered in to your home because hot water rises above cold.
Active systems use pumps and are therefore more challenging to plumb. Picking a pump of the right size is crucial. The advantage however is that active systems do not have to be on your roof.
Plumbing a solar water heater is not very difficult and you can take it up as a DIY project. However, I would recommend you work under the supervision of a licensed plumber if you are setting up an active system for your home.
