Did you know that nearly 15% of the average family's power bill in America is spent on heating of their water! An installation of solar water heaters costs around $7,000 initially, but the benefit of these systems is that the initial upfront cost can be recouped over time ( less than 5 years ). There are further savings to be made by a competent do it yourselfer person by doing most of the installation yourself and afterward getting a qualified person to oversee the work done and get a progress report for enhancements. Keep in mind though that even with a team of several assistants -- including a professional -- the installation can take up to 2 days
An average family in America has a hot water usage of about 20 gallons per person per day. Now, keeping in mind that it takes about 1 square foot of solar panel to heat a gallon of water. These are averages and each family has differing needs, so the first thing you need to do is determine you families needs and future needs.
Look into getting a passive system, which doesn't use a pump, a pump is routinely installed in systems using solar water heaters to circulate and deliver the hot water. The passive system type is considerably more reliable, longer-lived, and easier to maintain than an active system.
Having a backup system in place just in case you do not receive the minimum solar energy needed to heat the water to a high enough temperature, in this case it would be wise to have a backup system in place that would alleviate any discomfort to the family.
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