Introduction: Solar hot water heaters are a viable and cost effective means to heat hot water. The solar hot water heater is an acceptable alternative way to heat water for your home rather than using the traditional hot water heaters that use oil, gas, and electric power. However, not all solar hot water heaters are equally effective at providing hot water for your home.

There are three basic types of solar collectors in use today for solar hot water heaters. All three are efficient at heating hot water at a much cheaper cost than traditional hot water heaters. They are commonly used for residential hot water and swimming pool heating. The three types of solar collectors used in these systems are; the evacuated tube solar collector, flat plate solar collector, and the unglazed solar collector. Each operates a little differently and their effectiveness depends upon the sun position from season to season.

1. The evacuated tube solar collector is the most expensive. The tube design of these collectors makes them extremely efficient at collecting and transferring solar energy to your home's hot water. The evacuated tube solar collector operates at high efficiency earlier and later in the day and during the winter months when the days are shorter and the sun is at a far lower elevation in the sky.

2. The flat plate solar collectors are less expensive than the evacuated tube solar collector, but in warmer climates it is just as efficient as the evacuated tube solar collector. However, the flat plate collector is not freeze protected and requires the sun to be directly overhead at as close to a 90 degree angle as possible in order to operate effectively. Because of these factors it is not ineffective during the winter months for northern cold climates where freezing is a problem. In southern climates where winters are mild, the days remain long, and the sun remains at a relatively high angle it is one of the most cost effective solar hot water heaters on the market.

3. The unglazed solar collector is specifically designed for swimming pool heating. They are effective because they are low temperature (about 120F to150 F) and high volume heaters. This is the lowest cost of a these three solar hot water heaters. A single collector cost as little as $200. They are usually constructed of flexible tubes that can simply be rolled out and mounted directly to a roof or on a ground platform in a matter of minutes. These collectors are extremely efficient and use in all areas of the United States during the summer months, but are not used during the cold months where the climate has freezing temperatures.

Each of these solar hot water heaters can save the homeowner hundreds of dollars a year in energy cost. Hot water heating costs account for approximately 40% of the total household energy cost. This can be reduced as much as 70 to 80% by installing a solar hot water heater. Purchasing and installing a solar hot water heater often costs as much as installing a new traditional hot water heater. A solar hot water heater can pay for itself in 3 to 5 years and it will last a lot longer than a traditional heater.

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