homemade solar water heaters

The California Energy Commission states that installing an SHW system in your household where electric water heating is used could make a 60 to 70 percent difference in cost. That's more then half savings back in your pocket!

There are five types of solar water heating systems sold. They are Thermosyphon, Batch, Pressurized Glycol, Closed-loop drainback and Open-loop direct. The best of these are reliable, very simple, and last the longest. In open-loop systems, the water is heated directly, but in closed-loop systems, there is a heat-transfer fluid the collector itself heats and a heat exchanger passes on the hot water. Some actively use certain parts such as valves and pumps and some systems are passive, using nothing else but the movement of the hot water.

Many things must be considered in choosing the right system, to make the right choice for your home. For instance, while living in a climate where the water hardly ever freezes, you might pick out a batch system, using the hot water at the day's end rather then in the morning.

In a household with lots of people, a thermosyphon system might be best. Thermosyphons are pretty simple, passive systems, working off the heat rising principle. There is an advantage of this system over that of the batch system, however. Solar heat is stored in a tank that's been insulated well, so you can use your hot water anytime.

A favorite in the Northwest, the drainback system has some requirements, needing the water to drop continuously between the storage tank and collector. Oftentimes if this one is not possible, you can use the pressurized glycol system.

How many people are in the household will often determine the type of homemade solar water heaters used in the home. In any given area, incentive and rebate programs may qualify certain systems and not others. Some are pretty easy to install if you can do it yourself, and some take a little more know-how in order to do it.