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The 5 Panel Standard SW-38 Hybrid Solar Water Heater Kit by Heliatos Solar is designed to efficiently heat water using solar energy while providing a backup system for cloudy days. Weighing 65 pounds and featuring a compact design, this durable copper system connects seamlessly to your existing electric or gas water heater, ensuring you never run out of hot water while significantly reducing your energy bills.
Manufacturer | Heliatos Solar |
Part Number | 077.0050 |
Item Weight | 65 pounds |
Product Dimensions | 28 x 12 x 28 inches |
Item model number | SW-38 |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Material | Copper |
Power Source | Gas Powered, Corded Electric, Solar Powered |
Maximum Power | 10 Watts |
Item Package Quantity | 1 |
H**N
Free hot 116 degree water, and lots of it
Kudos to Heliatos for crisp, easy installation instructions... I put the four panel kit up on a sunny April day, using 100 feet of pex, and I get 80 gallons of hot 116 degree Fahrenheit water on a sunny day and 100 degree water on a cloudy day, have not used propane since.
C**.
Great value and product performance.
Quick shipping, even to my Guam address. Easy to assemble, very good instructions. Works like a charm.Great value and far cheaper in cost than commercially marketed brands.
A**R
easy to install and walk away
if you want to save on your light bill install one of these! easy to install and walk away.... even during the xams mouths
0**0
Pros & Cons
Pros: Affordable cost. Simplicity of operation and, to an extent, installation. Bottom feed feature allows conversion of conventional hot water tank. Good instructions and quality materials. Quick, free shipping with individual components clearly organized and labeled (if you are purchasing one of the packaged systems).Cons: No SRCC (Solar Rating Certification Corporation) rating; therefore not eligible for most federal, state and local government income and property solar tax credits/exemptions. The 2'x 2' panel requires 7xs the panel connections (which could prove vulnerable) and over 2xs lineal feet of a standard 4'x 8'panel. Metal filings left on the inside of panel copper connection pipes.Overall: Five STARS because this product and customer service exceeds expectations. Excellent for preheating hot water (no doubt that payback will be short-term), but could manage as a primary hot water heating source depending on individual HW demands, effective tank insulation, and climate. A 4-panel system, with a 40 gallon HW tank, with a family of two located in the Northeast (Lat. 42 deg.) is adequate to supply domestic hot water needs on most sunny days in warmer months (colder months the system would be drained-down/winterized). You will have to decide whether the trade-off is better to purchase SRCC rated 4'X 8' flat collector or evacuated tubes for solar hot water and designing a system with more sophisticated circulating controls and much less connections and reaping the tax benefits; or, purchase the very reasonably priced Heliatos will the smaller, easy to handle panels with the simplistic, direct PV controlled circulating system (pump's speed runs in direct proportion to the degree of solar radiation), but with the elongated installation, requiring multiple panel interconnections.Update:6/19/2013 System consistently performing well, but it is essential to insultate all of the circulating pipes as well as "super" insulate the hot water tank to retain the heated water and maximize this solar hot water collector system. I have insulated my 40 gallon HWT with 6 inches of fiberglass insulated blankets, plus 3 layers of Reflectix.
C**K
4 Panel set may be good enough for Hawaii
I installed the four panel EZ system in Hawaii (sunny) in December (least sunny). I get ~115 on a clear day, and about 95 on an overcast day. I have the thing fitted with thermal sensors driven by Raspberry Pi. At first I was a little worried that it was acting as a water cooler on cloudy days, but experience shows that the water in the loop never moves when the panels are cooler than the water at the bottom of the tank. In Hawaii, at least, the water panels are warm by the time the PV starts the pump. I extrapolate that if the water is hot enough in December, then we'll have excess in March and hotter, so I have a contingency plan to install a constant temp mixer at the tank. I have used water at friends' houses that was dangerously hot -- solar in Hawaii is sometimes almost too successful. Our tank is 55 Gal. Currently two people taking showers, got a house coming...
Trustpilot
2 weeks ago
2 weeks ago