Replacing electric hot water system
I’m looking at changing over to solar hot water, i only have a small house on Phillip island and currently run a 160 litre electric tank and wonder if this could be a suitable replacement, and are there any extra items required to run the system.
Hi,
This would be an ideal Solar Hot Water System – NS-200 (SHWS) replacement for the electric one.
The only concern you may have is if you go through several days of fully overcast weather, in that scenario you may have days where the water will be around 30 deg. If the sun comes out for a couple of hours, this is no longer an issue, but something to be aware of.
If that doesn’t worry you, it will be perfect.
Another option is to use your electric system as a booster in the event of poor weather. To do this there are a couple of scenarios you can plumb;
1. Run the SHWS into the electric heater directly – Disadvantage; first 160 L would need heating up (but you could always drain the first 160 cold L)
2. Run the SHWS directly as a standalone system – Disadvantage; Several days of cloudy weather will effect the temperature of water to be below ideal comfort
3. Run the SHWS into the electric heater with a bypass (3 way valve) and only direct it to the electric water heater when necessary
Everything is supplied for unit except for fitting and piping. These will be specific to your needs.
For a general fitting you will need;
1x ball valve
1x tempering valve (where necessary, but always recommended)
1x 3 way valve (if using as a bypass)
Copper (ideally) or Poly (pressure rated) piping
Fittings as needed.
The below diagram is an example with a 25L electric system. This set up suits a lot holiday homes
(This blog should not be taken as professional advice on installing gas/water/electric devices. Always seek a professional who is registered with your local authority for installation. North Solar does, as a seperate paid service, offer professional installation which adheres to local regulations. Please contact us if you are interested in this service)
