Posts Tagged ‘Solar Water Heaters’

The Solar Hot Water Heater – Top Ten Reasons Why This is the Best DIY Solar Project Ever

And now the top 10 reasons why the solar hot water heater is the greatest project on earth for anyone considering DIY solar power conversion for their home.

10. Limited Scope. The project has a specific purpose, start, and finish which means it won’t overwhelm the beginner.

9. Educational. You will learn important solar concepts on this project that will serve you well in the future when you embark on more complicated projects to expand your solar energy system.

8. Inexpensive. You can usually build a solar hot water heater for around $100 – pretty darned good considering that a professionally installed solar water heater can cost well over $1000.

7. It’s easy! The parts are all simple to get and available from a number of local sources.

6. Reliability. People use solar water heaters in every part of the world, so the local climate is not an issue. The design technology has been around a lot of years and is very reliable.

5. No experience necessary. Assuming you have the average DIY’ers basic understanding of wiring and plumbing connections, you’ll be able to do this project with no trouble at all.

4. It’s Fast. Most people who try this project can complete it in a weekend. Start on Saturday morning and you can be taking a nice warm solar hot water shower on Sunday night.

3. No special tools are required. Are you a DIY enthusiast like me? Then you probably have the tools you need to complete this project. Nothing fancy here.

2.Hassle Free. The solar hot water heater requires very little ongoing maintenance and should even out-last  traditional gas or electric water heaters.

And the number one reason the solar water heater is the best  DIY solar project on the planet… Instant Gratification! Most people don’t realize it, but a full 1/3 of the average monthly home energy expense goes toward heating water. This is second only to HVAC (air conditioning and heating). If you usually spend $300 a month on power, you can expect to save about $100 of that; every single month going forward. Talk about an immediate impact. The project will pay for itself in a month or two.

Now for two items of caution

First, as with any solar component, you should have a backup source for long periods of cloudy weather. You will rarely need your backup because water in the tank will stay hot for quite a while. Still, its better to have it.

Finally,  beware of misinformation on the internet about building solar water heaters. Don’t fall for the claims that it can be done for $5 because it cannot. If you are going to do this project, do it right and make sure you can produce enough hot water for your entire home whenever it is needed.

Learn more about the solar hot water heater project here.

Stop paying hundreds every month to the the power company. Anyone can reduce or eliminate their monthly electric bill using affordable, homemade solar power. More and more people are moving to DIY solar power each day. Find out how you can join the revolution starting with a solar water heater that you can build in a single weekend.