Solar geysers mainly use solar panels or tubes, all known as collectors, which are fitted to your roof of your residence or business. The water is heated in the collectors using thermal solar energy from the sun which is then kept in a tank. This can be used in conjunction with an older model of electrical geysers to reach your required temperature, especially useful in colder climates during the winter months. There are two main types of solar heating geysers.
- Tube Solar Geysers – Also known as vacuum tube collector they compose of multiple glass tubes filled with a transfer liquid, this is normally a mixture of water and antifreeze. The heat is then transferred to the water through an interchange, called a manifold.
- Flat Plate Solar Geysers – The Development came in the early 50’s; this is the most typical type of panel geyser used in solar water heating. In areas where freezing or frost is most frequent, adjustable polymers are used and the panel can freeze and unfreeze many times without any damage.
Saving Money
Residential or commercial your electric geyser is the largest energy user, it uses up to 40% of your monthly electricity spend on average. When you change to solar you will see huge savings. Not only will your electricity bill drop heavily, but you also might qualify for an Eskom rebate. You might be worried about the expense of changing over, but once you see the amount of savings, you’d be silly not to.
Maintenance & Servicing
Serving for solar geysers is generally very low and a SABS approved solar geysers will come with a 5 year guarantee. After installation most providers offer a manual which covers some simple maintenance checks which should be carried out every now and then to ensure the system is working correctly.
By far, the most important thing to check is are there any leaks, these can be easily spotted by the dripping water. If your system is not boiling the water on a warm day we suggest you contact the installation company. Some installation companies will offer a yearly service check.
