3 Common Issues Due To Which Solar Water Heaters Do Not Work Properly

Solar Water Heaters have been a very essential component in houses that have the installation of them. This is because solar water heaters provide a constant supply of hot water for cooking, cleaning, bathing, and other necessary household purposes. However, there are times when the efficiency of the solar water heaters turns zero, and then, a question arises, “Why is my solar water heater not working and providing me with hot water?” in the owner’s mind. However, the fact is that there is indeed a pool of valid reasons behind the not functioning of solar water heaters. This blog lists the 3 most common problems with a solar water heater. Here, you can check these problems to know why the solar water heater for your home, is not working properly. 

1. Inappropriate setting:

Among the many issues that come to deter the effectiveness of the solar water heating system is the wrong setting of it. Generally, when a system is set in a way not correctly done, its working efficiency can never be 100%. Therefore, the same happens when a solar water heater is not perfectly fitted following the best setting instructed by the professionals.

2. Inapt installation:

Another major cause of the failure of solar water heating can be the wrong installation. Remember that there are some specified parameters that ought to be followed at any time for the installation of a solar water heater. However, a common example is considering the maximum height required between the panels and the top tank. So, not following these specific measures can fail the whole water heating system miserably. Apart from that, poor connectivity of pipelines can result in low heating or no heating at all for the solar heater. 

3. Improper location:

Again, a solar water heater can become ineffective when the orientation of the roof and the location is wrongly chosen. However, the wrong position can be in terms of geographical location or location within the compound. For an instance, when the installation is done in a shadowed place, there is not enough direct solar radiation. From this perspective, the solar water heating system does not receive the optimum solar energy that is required for optimum performance. In addition, it includes some geographical areas whose sunshine capacity does not suit a solar water heater’s ideal installation.

Apart from these, the gathering of excess dirt, fluid leakage, and the wastage of hot water can also be some reasons for not functioning solar water heaters.

Why Should You Invest In The Best Quality Solar Water Heater?

Next time when you get a big electricity bill you can think of a solar water heater! It is a great idea to catch all the power that you need from the sun. Millions of people are using this technique instead of using electricity. Solar electric panels can convert sunlight to electricity in order to produce hot water. In relatively cold regions, solar water heaters can chop significant amounts of your electricity bill.

Now let’s see how a solar water heater works. Fill a plastic bottle with cold water and keep it beside a window in the sun. It will warm up after a few hours. But the problem is, a bottle of water cannot go very far if you have a house full of people. Here, the simplest solution is to fill more bottles with water and keep them on your window-edge. But that will be a very time-consuming process. You can act smart over here. You can cut the top and bottom of a plastic bottle and can fit pipes at each end. Feed the pipes into your home’s hot water tank and a complete water circuit. You can fit a pump somewhere in that loop which will allow the water to circulate endlessly. Now you imagine how the sunlight can systematically heat all the water in your tank. A solar water heater is not a million miles away from you. It will also work in the same way as explained. 

Is solar thermal really efficient?

Solar thermal panels are very efficient at harvesting energy. If you live in a family where people are taking baths and are using water all the time, especially during summer, a solar thermal can work very well. A sound solar panel should be able to produce around ½ to 2/3 of a family’s total annual hot water. The drawback of solar thermal is that it can only produce hot water and nothing else. But you can do so much household work with that hot water. However, photovoltaic can help you heat your home and produce truly versatile and high-quality energy in the form of electricity. The typical payback time for solar thermal is about a decade. It can range between 5-15 years depending upon several factors, like how frequently you are using it, how much sunlight does the panel gets, and many other factors.

Thus, it is a good idea to install a solar water heater. However, it can be a huge investment to buy the best quality solar water heater for your home. The installation charges are also very high for a solar water heater compared to an electric water heater. But in the long run, a solar water heater can give you a good return.

4 Different Types Of Domestic Solar Water Heater That Are Available

Rather than using electricity, nowadays, more and more people are relying on solar energy. Solar energy certainly makes life somewhat easy, after all. Right now, the most used technology that uses solar power is a solar water heater. Many people are using solar water heater not only for taking hot water showers but also for other domestic purposes. If you are interested in one too, you should first decide which type of domestic solar water heater you want for your home. Read on to find out the different types of domestic solar water heaters.

Thermosiphon Systems

Thermosiphon system has a distinction that it is not needed to connect it with a pump. This system uses an antifreeze liquid such as glycol. It can be used very efficiently only in places with high levels of solar radiation because with the increase in temperature the water movement also increases. This, in turn, increases the amount of heat transfer. The water in the tank rises from collectors to the storage tank.

Direct-Circulation Systems

As the name suggests it directly pumps the water through the collectors to the storage tank. It is highly efficient and has cheaper installation charges than the indirect system. But it is mostly used in areas where the temperature rarely falls below 0 degrees as it uses more energy in order to recirculate the hot water.

Drain-Down Systems

This is an indirect water-heating system where water is circulated through a closed-loop. Solar heat is transferred through a heat exchanger to the water. To avoid freezing in case of unavailability of solar heat, the unused water is drained down.

Air Systems

Another indirect system, in this type of domestic solar water heater, the collectors are used to heat the air. After that, this heated air is moved by a fan to an air-to-water heat exchanger. Although it is not so popular for its efficiency, this type of domestic solar water heater can be used in places where hot water may not be needed much.

Now that you are familiar with all the different types of solar water heaters, choose carefully which one will suit your purposes the best. Consider the availability of space, availability of water quantity, the number of family members in your home, and lastly all the activities you will use it for. After considering these factors and the features of the above mentioned domestic solar water heaters, you can make your purchase.

Things To Consider Before Installing A Solar Water Heater

Nowadays, solar water heaters are gaining popularity all over India, and are much affordable to install. The solar water heaters also have long durability. If you want to cut down your electricity consumption and would like to take a step ahead for a healthy environment, then a solar water heating system is the best option you have.

Before you do that, it is important to consider some of the factors that will be involved when you plan to install the solar water heating system. Therefore, in this blog, we have given some of the important factors to consider before you plan to install the system.

Size Of The Solar Water Heater

The foremost most important factor to consider is its size. If you want a solar water heater for home, a small size system will be enough to produce hot water, but if you are planning to purchase for industrial or commercial purpose then you need a large size. There is no shortage of options when it comes to solar water heaters as you can customize the size according to your needs.

Exposure Of Sunlight

Another important factor to consider before you install the solar water heater is the amount of sunlight your property gets throughout the day. When you plan to install, look for the perfect place where it can get sunlight throughout the day for the maximum production of hot water.

Placement Of The Solar Water Heater

Once you know where you get sunlight throughout the day, you can install the solar water heater. Ideally, the solar water heating systems are installed on the rooftop where they get maximum sunlight and won't take any add up space.

Warranty Of The Solar Water Heater

A branded solar water heater offers a long warranty period which assure the buyers that the service life of the system is long. Therefore, look for those brands that offer you a long warranty period.

While you are considering the above-mentioned factors, it is recommended to take an expert suggestion to make sure your solar water system for home, industry or commercial purpose is installed without any hassle and all the other factors, for example, the warranty, are taken care of properly.