Monday, January 24, 2011

Solar Hot Water Heating Answers To Your Basic Questions

Solar Hot Water Heating Answers To Your Basic Questions
If you're researching solar hot water heating systems for your home, you might find some of the information out there to be a bit technical. The companies who make and sell these things seem to assume that we already know everything there is to know about things like solar hot water heating. But what about those of us who are new to this? How about a little basic information?

I know that when I started out in the solar energy, I had some questions that were so simple that I was almost too embarrassed to ask them. So let's get these things out of the way, and then we can move on to the more technical stuff.

1. HOW MUCH MONEY CAN YOU SAVE WITH A SOLAR HOT WATER HEATER? The answer depends on your energy bill. If you energy bill averages, say, 100 a month, you can expect to save anywhere between 30 and 70 each month. If you have a larger house that needs a larger water heating system or you are considering pool solar panels, you can save much more.

2. WHAT OTHER REASONS ARE THERE TO INVEST IN SOLAR WATER HEATING? You'll do more than just save money. You'll also be able to achieve self-reliance in this segment of your energy needs. Even during those rare blackouts that happen everywhere, you'll be able to have hot water. Plus, you'll do your small part for the planet.

3. HOW MUCH DO THESE SYSTEMS COST? Again, this depends upon your needs and the size of your home. If you have a small home and your family's water needs are not huge, you can get a solar heating system for under 1000. And once it's installed, there are very few maintenance costs in the long-term.

4. DO SOLAR HOT WATER HEATERS NEED TO BE PLUGGED INTO THE POWER GRID? For the most basic types of solar hot water heating systems, the answer is yes. You'll keep your hot water heating system plugged into the standard power grid, but this power source will only kick in when the solar fails to keep the hot water in your home at a minimum temperature. This won't happen all the time-only when you use a lot of water or there isn't much sun.

5. ARE THERE DIY SOLAR HOT WATER HEATERS? If you have some skill with installing and maintaining things around the home, you should have no trouble putting in your own DIY solar hot water heater. You can hire professionals to do the job, but they typically charge rather large hourly rates. So if you don't have to, why bother?

6. WHAT ARE THE BASIC TYPES OF SOLAR HOT WATER HEATING SYSTEMS? There are different ways to categorize these systems, but the biggest one is open systems vs. closed systems. Open systems circulate the water directly through the heating apparatus. Closed systems heat the water indirectly using non-toxic antifreeze. Open systems are fine for warmer climates, while closed systems are best for places where the outdoor temperature regularly goes below freezing.

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