Maintenance for your solar hot water heater system

To keep your solar hot water heater system operating efficiently, proper maintenance is an essential element of ownership. Maintenance allows your system to continue operating properly, as well as improves the efficiency of the system. Here are some maintenance tips which can help you get the most out of your home’s solar hot water heater system.

Occasionally, your solar heat panels will need cleaning. Cleaning the surface of the collector panels will allow for efficient energy collection.

Check the glass covering of your solar heat panels for cracks. Check the seals for any imperfections. These issues can compromise the collectors within your panels, and may require repair or replacement.

Check the fasteners and mechanisms attaching the solar heat panels to your structure. Nuts and bolts should be tight, holding the equipment secure to your roof, or wherever your equipment is located.

Check the panel’s pressure relief valve. This safety feature is found on most types of solar heat panels used in solar hot water systems. To inspect, lift the valve to release fluid inside the panel. If fluid doesn’t flow out, this could mean the valve needs replaced. Remember to close the valve gently after inspection. Many manufacturers of solar heat panels and solar hot water heater systems recommend that your check this function often, about every six months.

Check your system’s pump during peak sunlight hours to see that it engages. If your pump is not working steadily, or isn’t coming on, elements within the pump may require repair. The solar water pump is a crucial element of the system, so inspect to see it is operating properly.

Your system occasionally needs flushing to get rid of any sediment that has settled in your tank. Two times each year, you should flush your storage tanks by attaching a hose to the tank’s drain valve. Run the hose outside to an area which can absorb the water, and open the valve for approximately fifteen seconds. This will allow any sediment at the bottom of the storage tank to run out.

For more advice about how you can keep your solar water heating system working properly for years to come, contact Smith Sustainable Design. We can assist with all residential solar hot water systems.

Solar Thermal vs. Solar Electricity

All solar energy is not the same. Many people use the term ‘solar’ to describe all solar energy, but there are actually two different types. Typically, we think of the electricity which can be produced using the sun’s energy, but solar thermal and solar electric power are both produced by the solar from the sun’s energy, but work in different ways. One is used to provide electrical power for your devices, and the other is used to generate heat. For a better understanding of the different types of solar energy, let’s compare the two.

What they do

Solar electric generates an electrical charge by trapping the energy within the sunlight absorbed by the solar panels. Solar thermal captures the energy generated by the sun and uses it to generate heat, which can be used to heat water or for radiant space heating.

Efficiency

Solar heat technology is far more advanced than solar electric technology at this time. While solar photovoltaic systems are only about fourteen to twenty percent efficient, solar hot water systems are eighty percent efficient or more. Solar water heating systems are proven to be a much more efficient use of solar energy.

Equipment

Solar electric systems and solar thermal systems both utilize collection panels to capture the sun’s energy. Each system uses a different type of panel. Solar electric systems utilize photovoltaic cells which make up the solar panels used by these systems. The panels which capture the sun’s energy for electric use have a shiny appearance. Solar heat panels look similar, but they do not appear shiny like photovoltaic panels. Another difference between the two is that a solar thermal system has plumbing connected to the solar heat panels, while a solar electric system has wiring connected to its panels.

When considering solar energy solutions for your home or business, remember that solar power can also provide heat for your home needs, not just electricity. Solar hot water systems offer a highly-efficient way to heat water for your shower, laundry, and dishwashing needs. To discuss installing a solar water heating system for your home, contact Smith Sustainable Design.

Types of solar hot water systems

Solar hot water systems are an effective way to provide for your home’s hot water needs, using energy produced by the sun. There are different options for system design, used for certain applications. Below are the different types of solar hot water systems and how they are used.

Passive solar water heaters

A passive solar water heating system is the simplest design, and typically the most inexpensive because of their simplicity. While they aren’t as efficient as active solar hot water systems, they are reliable and long-lasting. They also have reduced maintenance needs in comparison to the other system designs available. This is because there are no moving parts used to circulate water within the system. The two types of passive solar water heater systems are batch systems and thermosyphon systems.

A batch system, or integral collector-storage system, works best for warmer climates, where temperatures don’t fall below freezing often. They can provide 20 to 40 gallons of hot water during the daytime or evening peak hours.

Thermosyphon systems also work well for climates which rarely experience freezing temperatures. They can provide for daily hot water usage for households using about 30 to 80 gallons of hot water each day

Active solar water heaters

More complex than passive systems, active solar water heater systems incorporate a solar hot water pump to move fluid inside the system. They can also offer protection from freezing temperatures. The two types of active water heater systems are open loop systems and closed loop systems.

Open loop systems are best for climates with infrequent freezing. They can provide 40 to 80 gallons of hot water for use each day.

Closed loop systems can be used for homes which experience frequent freezing each year. They can also supply a larger volume of hot water, providing 40 to 100 gallons for use each day.

Smith Sustainable Design can help you choose the appropriate system design for your solar hot water heater system. Taking into consideration your household’s hot water needs, and the climate, we’ll design the right system to meet your needs and provide you with energy efficient hot water year-round.

Components of solar hot water systems

Solar hot water systems are an energy efficient way to provide hot water for all your home’s needs. Fueled by the sun’s energy, these systems are also environmentally friendly, as they do not burn fossil fuels to heat water, as natural gas water heaters do. Different from the solar electric systems which produce electricity for your home’s devices, a solar thermal system collects the energy from the sun, absorbing the heat it produces to heat water. Solar water heater systems use solar collectors and storage tanks to provide hot water for your home.

There are three different types of solar heat panels for residential solar hot water systems. Flat-plate collectors are weatherproof, insulated boxes which contain the solar absorber. Integral collector storage systems, or batch systems, have one or multiple black tubes housed inside the insulated box. Evacuated-tube solar collectors have rows of transparent glass tubes, with a clear outer tube and a metal absorber. Each work in different ways to produce hot water for your home, and we can determine which type of collector is right for you.

A solar hot water heater system needs well-insulated tanks for storing the hot water it produces. Some systems may utilize one tank which connects to the collectors. In these systems, a backup water heater and solar hot water storage are housed in one tank. Some systems have two tanks. In these systems, the solar water heater preheats the water and moves it into a conventional water heater.

A solar hot water heater system may require a backup heating source to meet household demands or provide when the weather is gloomy. In some cases, a conventional water heater can be included in the solar hot water system package. Other systems may package this equipment with the solar heat panels, or include a tankless demand-type water heater to provide backup hot water.

Solar hot water systems allow you to reduce your dependency on conventional water heaters, lightening your home’s hot water heating load with energy absorbed by the sun’s rays. Cut back on energy bills caused by long showers, multiple laundry loads, even pool heating, by installing solar heat panels and implementing a solar hot water heater system.