The solar water heating system captures the sun\’s energy for heating up the water that you can use for your daily house usage. There are two types of solar water heating systems namely active or passive. No matter what type of system that you use, with proper maintenance, the system will be able to last for a longer period and also enabling you to save cost not only on energy consumption but its yearly maintenance. In order for you to maintain your solar water heating, below is some of the information that may assist you in doing it properly.
What you need:
- Get familiar with the location of the solar water heater
- To determine the source of the solar water heater (gas or electricity)
- To turn off the heating source (gas or electricity) when doing maintenance work
- Pipe repair kit
- Replacement pipe
- Screwdriver
Method:
- You need to know the exact location of the solar water heater whether it is installed in the garage or basement or any other place because extra precaution must be taken due to sources which involve the usage of gas or electricity, hot water and also steam. As for system that uses gas or electric, it is recommended that you read the instruction on the labels first before turning off the system.
- Apart from that, you also need to know the location of its water shut off valve (normally on top of water heater), the pressure release valve (also on top of water heater) and its water drain.
- If you use Active system, you need to do periodical check on its pumps and controllers to ensure that the insulation surrounding its wires and pipes connected to storage tank are always in good condition, plus also to check on any cracks, rust or corrosion on the storage tanks.
- Ensure that the bottom of the water tank is always clean of tank dirt, sediment, and other minerals settle because all those things can make the water tank rust and eaten away slowly.
- Last but not least, you need to turn off the water before attaching a hose to the water drain and finish the rest of your scheduled maintenance task.
Additional Reading:
http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/water_heating/index.cfm/mytopic=12950
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/solar-water-heating-maintenance-and-repair
http://www.ehow.com/how_5271338_fix-solar-water-heater.html
http://www.diy-guides.com/maintaining-your-solar-hot-water-heater/
http://www.yourhome.gov.au/technical/fs65.html
http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/S/AE_solar_water_heater_maintenance.html
http://www.instructables.com/id/Water_Heater_Maintenance/
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/hotwaterheatertips
Image Credit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rjl20/294102918/
