If your electric or gas bill is too high due to the cost of keeping water hot, why not install a solar water heater and have free hot water. In many locations solar water heating systems can provide seventy percent or more of the water needed for the home.

As you research solar water heating systems, you will find that there are two types in general. The one you choose often depends on your location geographically. For warm locations, the passive solar tank is an inexpensive solution that may provide all the hot water your home will need. This tank is a black plastic tank that is installed on the rooftop which allows water to be heated by the sun. In other areas, an active system may be deemed to be the most effective. This system will use solar collection panels that are placed on the roof for heating the water.

With the passive solar water heater, the tank is black as this allows for the most heat to be absorbed from the sun. The amount of water in the tank is controlled by a float mechanism which regulates the amount of water in the tank. Heated water flows into the home using gravity pressure. As the hot water is emptied from the tank, it is replenished using cold water from the supply line.

The passive solar tank may require that you strengthen the roof structurally to hold the weight of the tank and the water. The solar collectors are light enough that there should not have to be any structural changes.

The passive systems are not appropriate for colder climates.

One way to install a solar water system is to use it as a pre-heater so that your tank is not filled with cold water but water that has been warmed by the sun in the collector panel. This water then fills a normal water heater that is fueled with gas or electricity. Other systems use a pump to draw cold water from the storage tank and pass it through the collectors to be heated. In either of the cases, if the solar system is not able to keep the water at the correct temperature, the secondary source of heat will come on so that water is always at the correct temperature.

Active solar water heating works best if you have a flat roof. If your home does not have a flat roof, then you will want to place the collector panels on the south facing side of the home’s sloped roof.

Be sure that you follow all instructions for the system regarding freezing weather. If there is danger of a freeze, unprotected systems may suffer major damage or have to be replaced.

If you live in a climate where the chance of freezing occurs many times during the winter, an active solar heating system that uses a heat transfer solution is a better choice. This system will use collector panels just like the other active systems; however instead of water flowing through the tubes, an antifreeze solution is used. In the storage tank, there is a heat exchanger that allows the heat collected in the solar collectors to heat the water. The cooled heat transfer solution is then returned to the collector to heat again.

If your electric or gas bill is too high due to the cost of keeping water hot, why not install a solar water heater and have free hot water. More info on solar water heaters now a click away.