Test? Is it safe?

[Peter Korsten]

The Dong schreef:

> Along with a rooftop DIY Solar water heater, this 
> system would definitely be better and cheaper to run than the storage 
> heaters.

I wouldn't bother with a DIY solar water heater, because you're never 
going to get the efficiency that you need at the latitude where you live.

So we live around the 35th parallel rather than the 57th, but we're more 
than happy with the evacuated tube collector that we have. Contrary to 
what Wikipedia claims, they aren't any more expensive over here than a 
more conventional one, and one tube costs less than getting a takeaway 
for two people.

In summer, the water is obviously soaring hot. In winter (when outside 
temperatures rarely go below 10 Celsius) we only need the heating 
element if it has been overcast for several days. It helps to take a 
shower in the evening rather than the morning, obviously. In summer, you 
can take a shower any time you like.

You can get a computer with it, so you always have hot water, but to me 
that's an extra expense that ends up using extra electricity as well. 
And for what? The knowledge that you have hot water 24/7?

As for price, we paid Lm 370 in total at the time, including 
installation, which translates to €850, and then we got a government 
subsidy (forgot the exact amount). So that's a fair amount of money, but 
something you recoup very quickly, probably in about two years.

At least, that used to be the case. Now that energy prices have risen so 
much, it's probably sooner. We just got an €800 electricity bill for 
three months, but people have been known to get €3000 bills.

What you have to be weary of is lime scale, especially in this country, 
but you can put an element in the tank for that. Total lifespan of the 
system should be the best part of a decade, and my parents-in-law have 
had a solar water heater (a flat panel one)  for ages, and it still works.

Anyway, my €0.02 worth. Although DIY is often a good solution, I don't 
believe this is the case when it comes to solar water heaters.

- Peter