A solar collector is the device that is typically placed North facing on your roof which absorbs Sun light and converts it into heat. The heat produced by the solar collector is in turn used to heat the water inside your geyser.

There are various types of solar collectors on the market and the two most popular types are:

• Evacuated tube collectors
• Flat plate collectors

Evacuated tube collector

Demo of how hot evacuated tubes can get in just 30 minutes:

How evacuated tubes are manufactured:

Flat plate collector

Demo of how flat late collectors are used in commercial systems.

An evacuated tube solar collector is comprised of various components:

• Frame – typically made from aluminum
• Manifold
• Evacuated glass tubes – also known as heat pipes

Evacuated tubes can be used in many different configurations in a solar water heating system. In some systems, the water is does not flow through the tubes and in others it does. Some evacuated tubes have a copper pipe inside which is filled with alcohol which transfers the heat produced by the evacuated tube to the manifold where it is transferred to the water.

Evacuated tubes are known for their superb performance in European weather conditions as they are immune to wind chill. The vacuum inside the tube creates and insulating layer which prevents the evacuated tube solar collector from cooling when wind passes over it acting very much like a thermo-flask.

Get solar water heating can connect you with a provider in your area who can install a quality solar water heating solution for you.