Solar Water Heating FAQS

Solar Thermal – Frequently Asked Questions

Savings & Benefits
What do I save by installing a solar water heater?
-A big cost of multiple electric geysers can be replaced by a low costing central solar water heating system.
-It significantly reduces the electricity bill.
-80% accelerated depreciation for commercial users.
-Rebate on monthly electricity bills from discom for domestic users as per state government rules.

How does use of solar water heater help the environment?
A 100 litre system for the average size of a household of 2-3 members can prevent emissions of 0.4 to 1.0 tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum. The reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide (one of the major green house gases) can positively help in slowing down the pace of global warming.

Working & Technology
How does it work?
A Solar Water Heater comprises of a single or an array of solar collectors to collect solar energy and an insulated tank to store hot water. Both are connected to each other. During day time, water in solar collectors gets heated to automatically rise up in the tank through a natural thermosyphon principle. Hot water stored in the tank can be used for various applications.

How does the system work in winter season?
A SolarMaxx solar water heating system comprises of evacuated tubes. These evacuated tubes comprise of inner and outer tubes with vacuum in between. This allows Sun rays in but prevents heat from escaping the inner tube. Our tanks are insulated either using PUF or Glasswool to prevent heat loss even during winter nights. Each system comes with an option to install an electric heating element that could be used during overcast conditions.

How long will the water remain hot in the tank?
Hot water produced by the solar system during the day is stored in an insulated storage tank. The insulation of the tank is such that water remains hot without significant drop in temperature for upto 24-48 hrs. Thus water heated during the previous day should be available for use in the next morning.

We have an existing water heating system, can solar be integrated to it?
Yes, SolarMaxx solar water heating solutions are compatible with most conventional type of water heating systems such as boilers, geysers etc.

Are the tubes made of glass? How sensitive are they ? Can monkeys break them?
The tubes are made of a material called Borosilicate that is also used in laboratories. They can withstand hailstorm with hails up to 30 mm. Monkeys could break them only if they get notorious whereas mere climbing or sliding on the tubes should not particularly damage the system.

What are the main differences in your technology than the traditional solar water heaters?
Evacuated tube collector (ETC) technology has several advantages compared to the traditional Flat Plate Collector (FPC) systems. The ETC’s are more efficient especially in winter season. The vacuum in the tubes make heat loss through convection of conduction impossible. The system depends almost completely on the availability of sun and not as much on the ambient temperature. ETC tubes are made of borosilicate glass, which does not scale due to hard water in the region but FPC system requires regular de-scaling and cleaning with chemicals, making the traditional FPC’s high on maintenance.

How much time does it take for the system to heat water?
5 to 6 hrs of normal sunlight is required to heat the whole capacity of the tank.

Is solar water heating feasible for apartments?
If you have a roof space or if you have a south facing balcony space in your apartment then you can easily use a solar water heating system.

What if I have high pressure bath fittings such as rain showers, Jacuzzis or body jets?
We have a range of pressurised systems available to cater to high pressure bath fittings.

Warranty
Click here to know about our warranty policy.