Solar hot water heaters are sued for heating water in homes and businesses. Generally, hot water takes around 20-40% of the energy consumption of a home. A solar water heater is the easiest way to minimize costs. On average solar hot water heating system can minimize hot water costs by 65-75%.
Northern Lights DIY solar water heating systems are easy to install and are available with every component you need to get the installation done. These units come with specially insulated stainless steel-made solar piping and fittings which means there’s no requirement for complicated pipework and soldering.
When you’re in the marketing for the solar hot water system, you should take into account these below-discussed options to choose from.
Pre-Heat Solar Tank Water Heating System
This solar water heater uses two tanks – one is known as a solar pre-heat tank and another tank is a basic solar hot water storage tank with an internal heat exchanger for heating water. The solar pre-heat tank is used to supply hot water to the existing hot water tank.
The solar hot water heater is the most common retrofit as it utilizes the existing hot water tank and requires very less retrofit to the plumbing system. The existing main supply line is connected to the pre-heat tank and is then drawn back into the supply line after it gets heated.
Solar Tank-less Water Heater
The water heating principle is the same – the water is heated through the solar storage tank before entering the tankless heater. For example, the mainline water coming into the home at 40 degrees can be heated in a pre-heat tank to say 120 degrees. If the tankless heater is set to 140 degrees, it only needs to supply 20 degrees of heat energy than 100 degrees without a pre-heat tank. This results in significant heat savings.
Solar Combo Tank Water Heater
This is a specially designed solar hot water heater and comes with a combination of a solar pre-heat tank with an electric backup heater in one unit. This tank uses an internal heat exchanger present in the bottom part of the tank. The electric heater is present on the top of the tank for increasing the water temperature quickly or support during the days of no sun.
Though there are so many solar storage tanks available with heat exchangers, there are very few built specifically for the North American market and come with the right UL certification. Solar Combo Tank Water Heater is ideal to be used for new home installations or is suggested especially when your existing water tank needs replacement.
Compact Solar Water Heater
The compact solar water heater is perfect for those who want to use the solar-powered system for producing hot water on residential premises. It’s the right alternative to the more advanced closed-loop solar water heater and doesn’t come with moving parts or a pump.
This water heating system effortlessly works in southern climates that seldom get freezing conditions. It works at 20 F (-5 C). The Compact Solar Water Heater is usually installed on the ground or roof. It features an 80-gallon storage tank integrated with the solar evacuated tubes and can provide hot water for four to five persons.
Bottom line –
Do you want to know more about solar hot water heaters? Feel free to contact Northern Lights Solar Tubs at +1 (800) 317-9054.