Do Solar Hot Water Heaters Need Maintenance?

Learn why “set it and forget it” is bad advice for a solar water heater.

Solar water heaters provide a simple, durable, and reliable way to meet your hot water needs. But can you really “set it and forget it” when using a solar system? Or is maintenance required?

The reality is, while solar water heaters are certainly low maintenance, they are not “no-maintenance.” If you want your equipment to last, you need to invest in proper maintenance. Some maintenance tasks can be performed easily by the average homeowner, while others deserve professional attention from a qualified technician.

Here’s what you should do every month:

• Check the pressure gauge on the storage tank
• Check for signs of leaks

At first, it might seem silly to go out and check for these things. After all, wouldn’t you realize it if your system had lost pressure or sprung a leak? Not necessarily. Most homeowners have their systems set up so that a backup utility takes over hot water production in the event of a problem with the solar system. If you don’t check your system periodically, your first hint of a problem could be when you get a new energy bill with a suspiciously high total. Plus, you don’t really want to wait for a pressure problem or leak to become so severe that you can notice it at the faucet. Instead, you want to catch and correct such issues early, before they actually cause the system to shut down or cause damage to your property.

Here’s what you should have us do each year:

• Clean the collectors and check for damage
• Check the roof mounting hardware
• Check all pipes and seals for integrity
• Check the pump (in an active solar system)
• Check for mineral buildup in the storage tank and clean as needed
• Bleed air from the system as needed

Getting expert eyes on your solar water heater each year provides an excellent opportunity to make sure the system continues to perform at optimum efficiency, just as it did when it was first installed. And when the system is running properly, it will also run longer as many stresses that could otherwise shorten equipment life will be eliminated.

Need Service?

If it has been more than a year since a professional took a look at your solar water heater system, give The Stanley Louis Company a call today. We will be happy to come out, inspect the system, and recommend any adjustments that may be needed to improve the efficiency and performance of your system.