How much money do you spend each year on heating water for your home? If you want a break on the amount of money you pay for gas or electricity for heating water, try installing a solar water heater. This may reduce your cost of heating water by fifty percent or more.

As you research solar water heating systems, you will find that there are two types in general. The one you choose often depends on your location geographically. For warm locations, the passive solar tank is an inexpensive solution that may provide all the hot water your home will need. This tank is a black plastic tank that is installed on the rooftop which allows water to be heated by the sun. In other areas, an active system may be deemed to be the most effective. This system will use solar collection panels that are placed on the roof for heating the water.

The tank of the passive solar water heater is painted black in order to absorb the most heat from the sun. The water is kept at a constant level by a float mechanism that is attached to the cold water supply of the home. Water that has been heated in the tank is fed into the hot water supply of the home by gravity. As water flows from the tank it is replenished from the cold water.

The passive solar tank may require that you strengthen the roof structurally to hold the weight of the tank and the water. The solar collectors are light enough that there should not have to be any structural changes.

Passive heating tanks are only appropriate for homes in warmer climates.

The active solar heater may simply be a pre-heater where cold water passes through the collector on the way to a normal gas or electric water heater in the home or it may have a small pump that circulates the water from the tank through the collector panels to keep it at the right temperature. In either case, the secondary heat source will come on if the solar collector is unable to keep the water at the correct temperature. Most solar collector panels are 4 feet by 8 feet or 4 feet by 10 feet and painted black inside with a clear cover.

Active solar water heating works best if you have a flat roof. If your home does not have a flat roof, then you will want to place the collector panels on the south facing side of the home’s sloped roof.

You will have special instructions for protecting your system any time there is the danger of a freeze. Not following these instructions can cause major damage to your water heating system.

In very cold climates, you may find a heat exchange system is the best investment. This system is filled with antifreeze and has a heat exchanger in the storage tank. A pump moves the solution through the solar collectors and then the heat exchanger to warm the water. The solution continues to circulate to bring the water to temperature.

If your electric or gas bill is much too high due to the cost of keeping water hot, why not invest in a solar water heater and have 100 percent free hot water. More information on solar water heaters now a click away.