When you are using hot water in the house, there is a lot of energy that is consumed to generate that hot water. This will result in a high energy bill at the end of the month. If you are looking to reduce your overalls costs and go for a greener option that doesn’t use energy from fossil fuels, solar hot water systems are a great alternative.
There are many advantages in switching to a solar hot water installation Bendigo which starts with cost savings. There are active systems that you can find in two forms such as direct circulation and indirect circulation. Direct circulation systems use collectors through which water is pumped. The system automatically senses when sunlight is available. But these systems are more used in sunny regions. Indirect circulation systems are more suited to colder regions as they use a heat-transfer fluid that will not freeze. But because of their versatility to be used in different temperature conditions, they can be quite expensive. There are also passive systems that are good for applications during the daytime. However, there are more expensive passive systems that can provide reliable hot water but come with a drawback of a heavy storage tank.
Depending on the requirement, you can go for different sizes. Generally four people can be serviced by a 80 gallon tank while you will need larger tanks for more people. If you have an issue with available space, solar thermal panels are a better fit as they use less space than photovoltaic panels. And because a large portion of solar radiation is used, these systems are highly efficient. Once a solar water system is installed, there is little maintenance required and you can use the system up to about twenty years. And you will be contributing to a more ecofriendly home and many governments provide tax incentives for those switching to clean energy.
When speaking about the disadvantages of solar water heaters, depending on the model you purchase, there may be different maintenance procedures to carry out. If you are in a region that has high mineral composition in water, scaling can occur within the pipes. This is when calcium deposits build up in the system. A solution to scaling is adding water softeners. You will need to do this every three or five years depending on the mineral content of the water. In some systems corrosion is a risk that could happen. So you need to inquire about the components of the system and their corrosion resistance. If the components are made of stainless steel, copper, plastic, brass, rubber etc. they are more resistant to corrosion. If you are using an active system, there is a risk of overheating if you have not used the right sized tank for the collector. So you need to select a reliable supplier who will correctly calculate the size and capacity according to your requirements. You also need to ask about climatic conditions that are required for the optimal functioning of the system.