A solar hot water heater will not only help you to save money on your energy bills, but it will also help the environment and make your home greener. Whether you reside in a cooler environment, like some places in Canada, China, UK, or a warm climate like Texas, Arizona, Hawaii, or Florida; then this passive solar water heater will still keep water hot and help you reduce your electric bills.
While heating your water with solar power, your existing heater doesn't need to use up as much power to artificially warm up the water as it is already hot. By using less power, your electric bill will drop and so will the requirement for more electricity to be produced overall, which for one day may seem to be insignificant, but over 1 month, 1 year, 5 years it would have a massively positive impact on your overall expenses and the natural environment.
The most vital do-it-yourself step is to research and find out exactly what's involved in creating your own solar water heater. You have to see if you have the essential skills and feel up to the task. Locating clear step-by-step solar hot water heater plans and guide is vital to aid you with your assignment as there are too many instructions out there that skip steps, are out of date, or incomplete leaving you sitting there staring at your partially built unit thinking that there is no way this can be considered a solar powered water heater.
There are various types of solar hot water heating systems available; such as an all in one unit, to much more complicated, larger, units that can supply a much larger quantity of solar heated water for your dwelling. The best design depends on a lot of factors, from the size of your residence to the quantity of heated water you will need on daily basis.
While building your own solar water heater the first thing you have to do is to determine the best place to position the solar collector panels; where they will catch the most amount of sunlight. In most case this is usually on the roof. Next you have to make sure that your roof can take the weight of the solar collector panels and also try to keep them towards the back or side of your house so that you don't lose any curb appeal if you decide to sell your home in the future.
You will have to shut off the water main leading into the house and also purge the system of any water by leaving all the faucets in your house on. Once empty, you can turn off the faucets. Then make sure to remove all electrical power going into your present heating system, as you will need to hook up your solar hot water heater to your existing heater.
Make sure you get and follow the best DIY solar hot water guide and select the best system design for your home.
Select the optimum place for your solar water heater and purge the system of water before attaching your solar powered water heater to your existing heater.
By Bill Van Wycke
Article Source: ezinearticles.com
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