Solar water heaters are products which are produced after the improvement of solar energy systems. These heaters use sunlight to heat the water in your home with the help of certain panels which transfer the sun’s heat to your water tank via a heat exchanger.
Many people are switching to solar water heaters to protect the quality of air and water, and to fight climate change, as it produces less carbon and greenhouse gases.
While solar water heaters are an inexpensive way to be environment-friendly, they can get damaged due to lack of maintenance.
Maintaining solar water heaters is very easy and if you have no clue how to do it, then you may have some learning to do. The following tips and tricks will help you extend the life of your solar heater.
1. Periodic Maintenance
Solar water heater requires maintenance in every 5 years. During the maintenance, check for the following:
- There should be no leakage in any pipe connections or tanks.
- There should be no tears in the insulator.
- All the wiring must be tight and no loose wires should be kept hanging.
- All the nuts and bolts must be in place and tight.
- The valve should not be stuck open or closed.
- There should be no leaks, rust or cracks in the storage tanks.
- Collectors should not be dusty or under shade.
- There should be no issues with plumbing.
If there is any issue with the solar water heater then you should call in for a technician and get it fixed right away.
2. Regular Cleaning
It is best if you clean the solar water heater regularly. If the solar water heater is located in a place which is prone to dust, such as roads, nearby construction building etc. then there are chances of dust settling inside the tanks and blocking sunlight to reach inside.
You could just use a regular pipe to do the cleaning or use soapy water with a soft cloth to clean the glass cover.
3. Flush Out the System Annually
You must completely flush the system once a year to remove and dirt which may have settled inside.
Flushing the complete system is important because there are chances of dust being accumulated in the collector and the growth of algae. Hard water also causes blockage in the collector which can be cleared with the help of acids or simply by using a water softener.
4. Check for Corrosion and Erosion
The continuous flow of water in a solar water heater system naturally leads to corrosion in your heater which could spread and make your heater useless. To prevent this, you could dry the heater when not in use and keep it free from rust for a longer time period.
It is also important that you keep checking for erosion and prevent it. The surface which had been exposed to erosion must be painted.
5. Use Hot Water Economically
Using solar water heaters only ensures that we use resources which are environment-friendly. But it doesn’t guarantee less water consumption.
Minimize the regular use of hot water and use it carefully by taking short baths or filling up one bucket with hot water and using it for a bath. It is very important to never let hot water taps running without any reason.
You should set the temperature in the thermostat as low as possible, as a higher temperature will result in higher electric bill and never keep the electric backup switched on unnecessarily.
Hence, we hope that the following simple ideas were helpful enough so you could maintain your solar water heaters for a long time in good shape.