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Make a Solar Water Heater

Why not use the power of the sun to provide you with a domestic hot water heating system?  Building a diy solar water heating system is easy and cheap – some people manage to do it for less than 100 dollars.  Commercial solar water heaters can cost over 1,000 dollars so building your own solar water heater will save you several hundred dollars, repaying its cost in one or two months.  And think of the savings every month after that!

The sun will heat your water anywhere in the world – even in the winter!  It might not provide all your hot water (although it often does), but it will certainly make a large dent in your utility bills.  Savings of one third are quite usual.  These systems are simple, effective and very eco-friendly.  It is quite possible to make and fit one of these systems over a weekend, provided you get properly organized firstand get all the parts assembled.

A typical solar water heater system simply includes a collector box with integral water pipes that are connected to the existing domestic hot and cold water pipes near your hot water cylinder.  A drain valve is usually fitted in case you need to isolate the solar water heater for any reason, such as leaving the house empty in winter.  Plumbing is easy and no special skills or tools are needed.  The solar collector box will be sited and angled to face the sun at mid-day, and this can be on a roof or against a suitable wall.  You will be able to get all the materials needed at your local hardware store, although you will probably find you already have some of them in your shed.

Making and fitting such a system will not interfere with or harm your existing hot water installation.  In fact, by reducing the operating demands on your existing system, the solar hot water heater will help prolong the life of your boiler or immersion heater and also save on utility and maintenance costs.  Remember also that solar heating is free energy that reduces our use of non-renewable fuels and lowers the carbon footprint, so there is an green bonus for installing a solar hot water system as well.

And it could have other uses.  Solar hot water systems can be used for heating swimming pools by providing a gentle, all-year-round source of free heating.  Are you thinking about underfloor heating, or do you already have such a central heating system?  This typically uses a constant supply of warm (not hot) water with a low flow rate. Diy solar water heating is a great way of warming your house for free.

It is amazing how satisfying it is to build a simple system that provides constant hot water without hurting our planet.

These solar water heating systems are simple and fitting them is straightforward, but it is very easy to make mistakes that will be hard to rectify later.  It is really sensible, therefore, to invest in expert professional guidance and help when planning and building your solar hot water system.  This is a small but vital investment that costs surprisingly little but will ensure you do everything safely and properly. If you want more ideas and recommendations, please visit our specialized website.

In summary, we can assure you that making and installing your own solar water heater is a satisfying and fun project that will give you years of savings, so why not give it a go?