How do you build a solar panel & hook it up to a hot water heater as a supplement (build from scratch)?
Question:
Answer:
Ever felt how hot the water in a garden hose is from just sitting in the sun? So. Run a hose on your roof, attached with blocking or clamps and have it preheat the water going into your water heater. if you want to get fancy, you could build a box, and plumb it with several rows of cpvc pipe ( not pvc as it will rot in the sun).
Paint them and the box black to increase the absorption of the UV rays from the sun , thus giving a better performance and hotter water. You can add parabolic mirrors or lens if you really want to cook, but this seems like overkill. Don't forget to add a bypass and shut off for freezing weather, you don't want to leave the water in the unit and have to rebuild it.
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