How to Use Solar Power to Heat Water
There are many simple ways to harness solar power to heat water. Although these two methods will not result in boiling hot water, they will allow you to turn your water heater thermostat down a few degrees. These techniques work best in climates where there is year round sunshine and the ambient air temperature is at least 75 degrees Fahrenheit.Due to the rapidly rising cost of home heating methods, you may not see a significant drop in your power bill, but you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you have done what you can to conserve energy and reduce your carbon footprint.
- Difficulty:
- Moderate
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- For method one:
- 1 or more 100' lengths of black garden hose
- Southern exposure, preferably on the roof
- For method two:
- Clean black plastic 30 gallon barrel with spigot
- 50' black garden hose
- 4 8' long 4" by 6" treated posts
- Concrete mix
- 3' by 3' sheet of one inch thick plywood
- 4 2 by 4s, three feet long
- 16 carriage bolts with washer, lock washer and acorn nut
- Post hole digger
- 4 three-foot lengths of 4" x 6"
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Method one: Stretch black garden hose out over the southern side of your roof, using large loops. Attach one end of the hose to the incoming cold water line of your house, being sure the valve is open. Attach the other end of the hose to the cold water intake of your water heater. The hose will absorb heat from the sun, warming the water before it enters your water heater.
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Method two: Build a 3' by 3' by 6' tall platform on the south side of the house, in full sun. Dig four holes three feet apart in a square, two feet deep. Center one post in each hole and fill with concrete, being sure to make each post level and square to the other three. Allow concrete to set 24 to 48 hours.
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Attach the 2 by 4s flush with the tops of the posts, using two carriage bolts at each end of each of the 2 by 4s. Top with the 3' by 3' plywood sheet, using 1 1/2" wood screws. Be sure to use plywood one inch thick to provide adequate support for the barrel when it is full. Space screws every six inches, about one inch in from the edge.
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Screw three feet long pieces of 4" by 6" posts in place along the top of the platform to create a ledge that will keep the barrel from falling off the platform, using 6" screws. This will ensure that the screws go through the posts, through the plywood, and into the two by fours of the top of the platform frame. Place empty barrel on platform, with hose attached to spigot. Attach hose to cold water intake of you water heater. Fill barrel with water.
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You may have to modify a window in order to run the hose into the house. The resources at the end of this article provide a sample water line system. The illustrations show hot water lines as red and cold lines as blue to make it easier to picture how they run into the house and from the water heater to the kitchen and bathrooms.Because it takes several hours for the water in the hose or barrel to heat, you may only get one or two showers' worth of hot water per day using these two methods.
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