Solar Hot Water Collectors

The solar collector is assembled so that it faces south. Sunlight passes through the collector’s glazing, striking an absorbent material which then converts it into heat, the glazing then prevents this heat from escaping. The temperature inside a glazed solar collector can easily reach 150°C if there’s no heat transfer fluid flowing through it.

A glazed flat plate collector consists of a shallow rectangular box with a transparent glass “window” covering a flat black plate. The black plate is attached to a series of parallel tubes or one serpentine tube through which air, water, or other heat transfer fluids pass.

An evacuated tube collector consists of several individual glass tubes, each containing a black metal pipe through which the heat transfer fluid passes. The space between the pipe and the glass tube is “evacuated,” so the air is removed.

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The more unusual, unglazed plastic collectors can be used as a seasonal solar water heating system. However, they are used mostly for pool heating. Each collector has its advantages, and each can perform well if matched with the proper, well-designed, storage unit.

Our Thermomax solar collectors after installation. LOTS of hot water even though we don't have the best solar exposure

Temperature gauge for hot water leaving storage tank. (A heat exchanger dumps some of the heat from the fluid into the domestic hot water)

This is our Triangle Tube boiler which is the heat source for our home. It heats water used in our radiant floor heat and domestic hot water when the solar collectors can't get enough energy. It modulates between 25,000 BTU and 100,000 BTU to help increase efficiency.