A solar hot water heater is really an amazing development in the field of plumbing and water heating. It is a device that converts solar energy into thermal energy, then uses that thermal energy to heat your water. That’s amazing! But it’s still a somewhat new technology, and with all new technologies there is room for improvements and ways to increase solar hot water efficiency.
Our 6 Solar Hot Water Heater Efficiency Tips
If you have a solar water heating system and you are looking for ways to make sure it is performing optimally, then you’ve come to the right place. We’ve got 6 tips to help you improve the efficiency of your solar water heater and to help you to get the most out of it.
Trim Your Trees
Let’s start our tips right where the sun meets the solar collector. If there’s something like tree branches blocking the sunlight from the solar collector then you will not be getting the most efficiency out of your solar hot water heater. There is however good news, in that this is usually an easy fix. Just trim your trees and keep them trimmed every so often to make sure there is nothing obstructing the sunlight from reaching your solar collectors.
Keep the Solar Collectors Clean
Outside is a dirty place. There are all kinds of dust and pollutants in the air. This particulate matter will eventually come down and come to rest on everything that is outside, including the solar collector of your solar hot water heater. As dirt and grime builds up on the collectors they become less efficient. This is due to the dirt and grime effectively reducing the amount of solar energy that the solar collectors can receive, much the same way that tree branches can block the sunlight. Fortunately, this is also an easy fix. Regular clean your water heater’s solar collector and keep it clean. Just be careful not to damage your roof in the process, or you can have a professional do the cleaning for you.
Insulate Your Pipes
This is a tip that is useful for any home, no matter what kind of water heating system it may have. As hot water travels through a home’s piping to the shower or tap it loses heat as thermal energy escapes into the cooler air that surrounds the pipes. By insulating the pipes, you will be preventing lot of this loss in thermal energy, thus improving your solar hot water heater efficiency but insulating pipes is a big task and we recommend that you call on a trusted plumber to do the job.
Check for Leaks
If you have leaks in your hot water pipes then hot water will be escaping your solar water heating system. It is impossible for a solar water heating system to be operating at peak efficiency when hot water is escaping and being lost after it is heated. For this reason, you should regularly check for leaks or have a professional inspect your hot water pipes for leaks. If any leaks are discovered they should be quickly fixed to improve your solar hot water efficiency.
Check the Tilt Angle of the Heater’s Solar Collector
Any solar energy collection system, whether it be collecting solar energy for electricity or for water heating, is sensitive to the angle in which it is facing the sun. Small changes in the angle that it is installed at can have a large impact of the efficiency of the solar hot water system. To make sure your solar water heater was installed at the optimal angle it is a good idea to have it inspected by a professional.
Be Efficient with Your Use of Hot Water
A great way to improve the efficiency of any hot water system is to efficiently use the hot water it creates. If you use less hot water then whole water heating system can work more efficiently. This doesn’t mean making sacrifices like shorter showers. What we mean is installing an efficient shower head that uses less water while still maintaining good water pressure. You can also get a clothes washer that uses less hot water. There are many different ways to be efficient in your use of hot water and we’d be happy to discuss some of these strategies with you.
Get In Touch for More Info About Solar Hot Water Heater Efficiency
If you are looing for ways to improve the efficiency of your solar hot water heater it can be a good idea to consult with a trusted professional plumber. Akins Plumbing are the plumbing and gas experts, and we can help you to get the most from your solar water heating system. Get in touch with us for more information. You can contact us online or call us on (07) 3891 7480. You can also e-mail us at admin@akinsplumbing.com.au for quotes, service requests, or any general enquiries.