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[H1160]How To Get Hot Water

by Alex Perry, Ale

Hot water straight from the sun may sound too good to be true, but even in the UK a solar hot water system can supply you with over 50% of your hot water needs over the year (the other 50% coming from a conventional gas boiler or electric heater). With recent high energy prices, and concerns about Climate Change, more and more people are looking to take advantage of this tried and tested technology to save energy in their home.

A solar hot water system works by capturing the sun's heat with solar panels fitted to your roof. This transfers the heat to a fluid, which in turn transfers the heat to a hot water cylinder to store the heated water during the day.

A surprisingly large amount of energy can be captured this way, even in cooler climates like the UK. Over 1000 kwh of energy is received each year in the UK on each square metre of surface. That's about 60% of the solar radiation found at the equator. Even on cloudy days we receive energy from indirect sunlight and this energy replaces the gas or electricity that would otherwise be used to heat water. Altogether this adds up to a big saving on fuel, and a big benefit for the environment. Each solar hot water system saves around half to three-quarters of a ton of carbon dioxide each year

Solar hot water is usually the most cost effective renewable energy system you can install at home, with a shorter payback than other options, e.g. wind or solar electricity generation. The payback is improved even more by the government grants that are available in the UK.

It is also a tried and tested technology that has been around since the 1970s. Very little maintenance is generally required for solar hot water systems. They normally come with a 10 year guarantee. They generally only need a basic check by you once a year and a check by a professional every 3-5 years.

Before you decide to move ahead with the purchase of a solar hot water system you need to check that your property is suitable. You will need 2 to 5 square metres of southish facing roof space (i.e. southeast, south, or southwest facing), that has little or no shading during the day. You may also need space to locate an additional hot water cylinder if it is needed. Solar hot water systems generally work well in partnership with condensing boilers. They do not generally work well with combination boiler systems. Installation with these usually involves extra cost.

Installation costs vary due to factors such as size of the solar panels, type of roof, the existing hot water system and where your house is. The typical installation costs are between £2,000 and £5,000, although you can get several hundred pounds in grants from the UK Government to help with these. The cheapest systems are generally those based on ‘flat plate collectors', which will cost between £2,000 and £3,000. Another type of system (an ‘evacuated tube' system) generally costs £3,500 to £5,000, but needs less roof space to provide the same amount of water heating, because it is more efficient. An installer will help you decide which type of system is best for you.

If you are interested in installing a system, you should contact a reputable installer to carry out a survey of your home, and get a quote. They will be able to assess your property's suitability, advise you on which system is best, give you a quote and help you with grant funding. Before you can qualify for grant funding from the UK government for a system like this, you need to have already installed some basic energy efficiency measures in your home, such as low energy light bulbs, insulation and efficient heating controls.

Are you using your spa as much as you used to? Is that heavy foam cover the reason why? In Search of the Perfect Replacement Spa Cover? If you have had your hot tub for a few years you've probably bought a few foam covers. You probably bought the first replacement cover from the same place you bought your spa.

You went in and told the salesman that your cover got heavy. More than likely he told you that now they have developed a better foam cover. One wrapped, glued, dipped, sealed in multiple layers of special stuff. But even that one got heavy eventually.

One friend of mine just thought he was getting weaker, until he went to the spa dealer and looked at a new cover. Preparing to use as much effort to lift the new cover as he did his own at home, he nearly threw the cover through the front window of the store. It was then that he realized his cover was getting heavy. Like him you have most likely figured out that rigid foam spa covers are flawed technology.

All rigid foam spa covers will always eventually become moisture saturated, heavy, and might even break or blow away. Regardless of what wrapping is around the foam it is doomed to get heavy.

Even if it were possible to keep the foam from saturating with water no rigid cover is ever going to be in contact with the water that it is supposed to keep warm. Every rigid foam spa cover is constantly losing heat between the bottom of the spa cover and the water surface. As the spa water produces steam that steam hits the bottom of the cooler rigid foam spa cover, condenses and falls back into the spa actually cooling the water.

But the real point is that with a foam cover that slowly gets heavy we slowly stop using our spas. Generally speaking the foam fails slowly so you don't notice it. If you use your spa every day, an ounce different here and there does not get noticed. It just becomes a little more work. So you just put up with it. But after while you get home from work and the thought of wrestling that cover off the spa just becomes less important.

That is a shame considering how much you looked forward to it when you first got your spa. It is also a shame considering how much you spend to heat the water that you are less willing to get into. It is a shame considering how much you paid of your hard earned money to get that spa in the first place. Did you know that the more time you spend in your spa the less sleep your body requires? If you got your spa for therapeutic purposes how often do you think you can afford to go without that therapy before you start to suffer?

Are you willing to loose all that just for the sake of a few inches of foam? I see it every day. People with spas in their back yard, but instead of using their spa they pile stuff on it. It might be the picnic table they moved just to make it easier to mow. Maybe it is toys the kids left out or the barbecue. Seems like an expensive place to pile your stuff but people do.

I propose you get back to enjoying your spa. Instead of replacing your heavy spa cover with another one that is just going to end up the same way, shop online for a different type of cover. Find a different type of spa cover that does not use foam so it will not get heavy. If you do, you can enjoy your spa for years to come. You will thank me later.

Article Source : Pg. 143

About Author

Both Alex Perry & Spa Covers are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Alex Perry has sinced written about articles on various topics from Home Management, computers and the internet and Employment Law. Alex Perry is a founder of DownwithCO2.co.uk, which helps people through providing information and contacts.. Alex Perry's top article generates over 165000 views. to your Favourites.

Spa Covers has sinced written about articles on various topics from Spa, Home Management and Spa. The Author is a business owner with more than twenty years experience. A former Police Sgt, Pilot, Heavy Equipment Operator, Trained Mechanic that has written technical manuals and short stories. An accomplished motorcycle rider he enjoys riding the back. Spa Covers's top article generates over 823000 views. to your Favourites.