Solar Hot Water
Solar Hot Water is the H2O heated using energy from sun that is Solar Energy. As you may have noticed that the shallow water of a lake is warmer than the deep water because the sunlight directly heats the lake bottom in the shallow areas. In the same way, sun can also be used to heat water in buildings and swimming pools. The solar heating systems is generally used to heat water for home, business and industrial usage. Hot water heated using sun’s energy helps in generating electricity and can be used for sanitary purposes such as showering and washing.
Solar hot water systems are storage systems that can provide up to 90% of your hot water for free. In smaller households or in cooler parts of the country solar systems may be less appropriate depending upon climatic conditions. Solar heating systems is composed of solar thermal collectors and a fluid system to move the heat from the collector. The system have tank for heat storage. Solar hot water systems use flat-plate solar collectors that are typically installed facing in south direction on a rooftop. The collectors are made up of simple glass topped insulated box containing a flat sheet metal solar absorber attached to copper pipes and painted black. To heat water using sun’s energy, a collector is secured on wall facing the sun. The most common solar water heating systems are active systems. Active systems contain pumps to move the liquid between the collector and storage tank whereas, passive systems rely on gravity.
Rheem is one of the leading US manufacturer of solar storage tanks. It is basically used in residential solar water heating applications. Solahart is also a Rheem company since 2002, manufacturing solar water heating systems and collectors for over 50 years and most trusted in United States. If you are planning to save your electricity and money then call us TODAY for water heater.
Andrew Smith
What should water temperature be during no sunlight periods, using a solar/electric water heater?
We have solar water heating, but during off-peak hours, the electric water heater kicks in. ( Two hours in the evening and 1.5 hours in the early morning) The water is 140 degrees. Is this normal? I know the thermostat can be turned down on regular water heaters, but does it need to be this hot because of the solar? Water is scalding hot!
I would think it needs to be turned down. They recommend a maximum 125 to prevent scalding.
I have only worked on a few solar systems but they all used a "regular" water heater to supplement the heat and store the warmed water. They were just plumbed differently.
Usually they were set lower and on all the time. Lower so they did not try to heat the water going through the solar panels.
But it is near impossible for us to tell you how yours is set up, the logic of the system. We know nothing about it, how it is plumbed, what controls, even how it works normally.
I don’t know if you have two tanks or one and the single tank is for both storage and heating.
The main reason people turn up the temp is if the water is hotter you use less. So at 140 you might get three showers first thing in the morning, but at 125 degrees maybe only two without time in between heating water.
I say try it. I can’t think of any reason lowering the temp would be a problem, except for capacity as mentioned.
Good Luck.
References :