Solar Hot Water System Owners

[blackbock]

Looking at replacing an electric storage hot water service with something solar powered.

I just wanted to hear from people who have swapped over to solar and what they think of it, because it's a fair amount of money even with govt rebates.

Also, has anyone got one of the evacuated tube style systems?

Any feedback is appreciated!

 

[Airgead]

Blackbock

I've had solar for years (old style system - flat panels and big tank on the roof)). There was a solar system on the house when we bought it that was around 20 years old. Still working though. Lasted around 5 more years then finally died. We replaced it with a newer system of the same type. We could have gone for something like the evacuated tube type but the roof/plumbing was already set up for the traditional type and the switch-over costs would have been too high so we just got the drop in replacement.

As far as I am concerned, they are bloody brilliant. Our off peak power bill (for the electric boost) is bugger all even in winter. Best of all when we had a big storm and the power in the street went out for 4 days we cold still have a hot shower (much to the disgust of our neighbours who were showering cold).

Everyone should have one.

Cheers
Dave

 

[GMK]

I went for a solar heat pump from skyline energy.Qualifies for all rebates - handles frost etc.

Best one on the market IMHO.

I also looked at the evacuated tubes - did not like the idea of a pump being on 11 hours a day to pump the water up to the collector on the rrof.
Especially when Hills only give 12 months warranty on the pump.

 

[blackbock]

As far as I am concerned, they are bloody brilliant. Our off peak power bill (for the electric boost) is bugger all even in winter. Best of all when we had a big storm and the power in the street went out for 4 days we cold still have a hot shower (much to the disgust of our neighbours who were showering cold).

Everyone should have one.

Cheers
Dave

Thanks for the encouragement Dave and GMK,

It's good to know that they last as long as a conventional HWS.

The tube systems seem to nearly all come as part of a pumped system, I am also a bit concerned about the working life of the pump, and the power it uses could cancel some of the benefits. I had not considered the possibility of a lasting power failure before either! It does happen...

 

[Airgead]

Thanks for the encouragement Dave and GMK,

It's good to know that they last as long as a conventional HWS.

The tube systems seem to nearly all come as part of a pumped system, I am also a bit concerned about the working life of the pump, and the power it uses could cancel some of the benefits. I had not considered the possibility of a lasting power failure before either! It does happen...

Our first system lasted nearly 30 years (mind you we only saw 5 of them). The second has been up for around 8 and hasn't given us a days trouble. We know people who have gone through 2 or 3 conventional systems in that time. Last I checked the warranty on the panels is something like 20 years and 10 on the tanks.

Cheers
Dave

 

[FarsideOfCrazy]

Yeah my parents got the one that had been on my grandparents roof for 15 years then had it installed on their roof (because the grandparents house was being knocked down). It lived up there for another 18 years before it got replaced about 4 months ago with a new solar system.

When I lived at the parents place we hardly even needed the off peak booster on, only in winter when it rained for about 3 or 4 days in a row it would start to get a bit colder.

The only thing that we had to be careful of was that in summer the water could be too hot. Not sure if this has been addressed in the newer models.

But over all these systems are by far the best hot water systems anyone can get installed. Also unlike solar cells for power generation you will get your money back on the extra cost to install these over the life of the unit.

 

[Airgead]

The only thing that we had to be careful of was that in summer the water could be too hot. Not sure if this has been addressed in the newer models.

Yep. The newer ones include a mixer valve that mixes in cold water to make sure the hot water leaving the unit isn't too hot. Actually I think they are compulsory on all new hot water systems now.

Cheers
Dave

 

[Kleiny]

Had solar in a new house in shepp, but moved to bendigo to an older house and will be swapping the electric system for solar as soon as i can afford it

 

[spog]

solar is the way to go these days,and getting more popular with the carbon trading/green house problems etc.
go for it,the price of electricity will soar as it becomes even more popular in the not too distant future.
i reckon the" green" age will (is) going to be the next boom industry.
25 plus yrs ago my dad ordered a solar hws for the new house being built, the account came in and instead of reading 750.00 it read 7.50 dollars, never seen the old man move and pay for something so fast.a shovel could;nt have wiped the smile of his face.........cheers......spog.........

 

[blackbock]

For anyone else considering it, I just learned that the Apricus tube system currently offers a 7yr warranty on their pump, against everyone else's 1yr. For me this is enough to make me consider that system, it seems like it gets ticks in every box.

 

[Jase71]

Better still, convert your whole house into an energy supply, not just the hot water system. There are two basic ways to do this, firstly to have a bank of batteries that 'charge' throughout the day (when your household probably ueses the least amount of energy) then tap into that source of a night when the UV is dead. The second, and a really great advancement (although not relatively new, just not as well known) is to feed your energy back into the district grid via your meter box. With solar cells becoming much more efficient these days, it's a reality that your house may produce more energy than you consume, and your meter wil actually turn backwards. Your next energy bill may well show up in credit (im not kidding). Not that I think you can cash this money in, but it's nice to be paying zero dollars for a household utility.

An early pioneer of this concept is Michael Mobbs, who converted his house about 15 years ago. Read more at

http://www.abc.net.au/science/planet/house/special.htm

 

[Airgead]

Better still, convert your whole house into an energy supply, not just the hot water system.

Too right. Come bonus time next year (all being well) I'll be ordering 5Kw of solar cells for our roof....