Residential Hot Water System - Things To Consider Before Getting A Solar System

Home water heating is generally a fair proportion of your monthly energy expenses. Some estimates put it at 30% of the total costs. This can really add up, especially over the colder months. This article will cover  a few methods that can save you money on water heating costs.

Traditional home water heaters are powered by electricity or natural gas. The hub of the system is the water tank. It is a large cylindrical metal tank that is probably hidden away somewhere in the garage or basement. Inside the metal casing you will find a glass bottle that has insulation covering it. This is where the hot water is stored. The casing is there to protect the bottle from any mishaps.

Generally underneath the glass bottle (and sometimes above it) are an electric element or elements if you are using electricity or a gas burner if you are using natural gas. These turn on automatically whenever the water falls below a certain temperature that you can set on the thermostat.

This system has a problem in that it will continually reheat water when it drops below a certain temperature.

For example, any water that is not used and sits in the tank will lose some of this heat to the environment. If the system senses that this water is too cold it will start to reheat it again. This will continue throughout the day, using energy and costing you money.

Thus the cost of having hot water on tap (so to speak) is the constant running of the heating element or burner. This is a really inefficient way of heating water and there are alternatives.

The tankless water heater is the alternative to the traditional heater. It does, as the name suggests, and provides hot water on demand.

This system uses a heat exchanger to heat the water. The heat exchanger is also powered by an electrical element or gas burner but these devices are only turned on when the water is about to be used.

Part of the plumbing of the home is wound around the heat exchanger. As the water passes through the plumbing around the heat exchanger, the water is heated.

This system can save on electricity or gas usage. It is more expensive but also tends to last longer than a traditional tank water system because it is only used when needed.

Another alternative is to go solar. By adding solar power to your water heating system you can save a considerable amount on heating bills. Solar hot water systems really mean that they derive the energy from the Sun but the storage method is essentially the same.

Solar hot water systems can be one of two types. The first is the passive system. This is relatively easy to install but may not fulfill all your hot water needs. It can act as a way to preheat water before it gets to the main hot water system. This can decrease the amount of work for the traditional system.

The second method is known as an active system. It used solar panels that generate electric current. This can be used to power the entire house, including the heating element in the water heater or the heat exchanger in the tankless water system. Using this method your energy bills would be minimal as the electricity generated would be free.

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