Millions
of Indians living in suburbs or villages have been
practicing some form of passive heating system to warm
up their bathing water by putting it in a bucket and
leaving it in the sun for several hours. Reportedly,
there are several therapeutic benefits of this – that is
only if the fluid’s thermosiphon properties are allowed
to play a role. But in most other places, solar
collectors are employed in place of the sun to heat
water.
The
essential principle for a thermosiphon
solar hot water heater
involves mounting of the solar collectors at a lower
elevation than the water which is ready to be heated.
Incidentally, it is called a passive heating system
because no electrical appliances are used in the
process. However, the cooler water at the lower end of
the storage tank is thermally siphoned to the hotter
water that is close to the solar collector due to the
higher temperature and greater volume of the warmer
water. This starts the circulation motion that goes on
and on till a sufficiently high temperature is achieved.
Meanwhile, the thermosiphon principle of the fluid makes
all the contents of the storage tank to come to the
desired temperature.
Instead
of water, thermosiphon systems using a heat exchanger
work on the same principle by circulating a nonfreezing
solar exchange fluid through an internal heat exchanger
that is installed inside the solar storage tank. This
type of system is usually installed in climates that
experience freezing temperatures to prevent any damage
of the solar collectors and siphon
pipes.
Although
thermosiphon water heating passive systems cost lesser
than conventional active solar water heating systems,
these units need much more care and attention to make
them work efficiently. Not only should the feed pipes
going to the solar connector be checked thoroughly
before the freezing condition approaches, the water
should also be drained out of the system as a safety
measure.
But
that is not all. You should also get acquainted with the
safety measures and emergency procedures as well. What
you need is a guide that will show you how to set up
such a system and complete the installation and the
wiring. You also need to know about the sources of cheap
parts. Heating water using a solar power system can
drastically reduce your power bills and so, you should
definitely opt for this. Solar power being eco-friendly,
you will also be able to clean up the environment using
this alternative energy.
