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When you choose to convert your primary source of power over to solar energy you will have to make some changes to the devices that use electricity. When you use solar energy to heat your water you may discover that you will need to buy a solar powered hot water heater in order to do that. You might find yourself able to make modifications to your existing one but whatever changes you make to convert it into a heater, it will be very worth it. There are a number of different ways to warm your water utilizing solar energy. You can even construct your own solar energy source. The water goes through pipes or tubes prior to it entering your home. The heating of the water takes place before the water enters your house as it goes through the solar source that soaked up the light. Many systems will also have a tank to save the water that has been warmed up by the sun. In order to have a useful solar water heater, you will need both a solar collector and a tank. You can heat the water directly, that is, you push the water through the solar heater, then save it in a well-insulated tank. Another technique, is to heat a fluid, either salt water or antifreeze, and to warm the water through a heat exchanger. A flat plate collector is the most common type of collector. Normally it is a thin, flat rectangle-shaped box that has a transparent cover and it can carry fluid to be heated. This fluid could be the water or it may be a solution, such as antifreeze, that will prevent the water from freezing. Next the water moves through pipes to an absorber plate. This plate is painted black to attract and absorb the heat from the sun. When the collector has absorbed enough heat, it will heat up the fluid that passes through the tubes. As the water goes through the tubes it goes into the storage tank. The storage tank holds the heated water. It is typically well insulated so the water will stay warm longer. Then the water streams into the home on demand. Solar water heating systems are divided into 2 groups: Active and passive. When the heating systems are active, that means that they rely on pumps or other mechanical devices that can pull the water from the flat plate collector to the storage tank. Active is the most typical since it is quicker and more effective. The passive system counts on gravity to feed the water from the flat plate collector to the tank. Passive systems generally mount the collectors on the roof, on the side that has the most direct sunlight. A passive system may be slow at times and might not be adequate enough to keep up with the demand. Both approaches work fairly well -- selecting which technique you will utilize will merely be a matter of perference. Another thought that you have to think about is that if your flat plate collector and your storage tank is not positioned correctly it might be difficult for the gravity to feed the liquid through. Heating water utilizing solar energy is very budget-friendly and can be set up with very little effort. Deciding to warm your water utilizing solar energy is a sensible choice and a first step in choosing to help maintain our environment. We understand how easy it is to utilize solar energy to do a lot of things, including meeting our hot water needs. |