We are testing a Solahart Black Chrome XII 80 gallon hot water system we intend to use on the house. We have built a 4X4 frame for it next to our cabin. We lifted it in place using the skid steer since the collectors weigh 88 lbs. each and the tank weighs 363 lbs. Next we hooked up all the pipes and turned on the water to fill the tank, then mixed the heat transfer fluid with water and filled the collector panels. The fluid heats in the collector panels and then the heated fluid travels upward and around the tank warming the water inside. No electrical pump needed.

 

 

We have also installed a heat dissipation kit which runs through the inside of the tank and out the back side. It is designed to keep the water temperature below 176 degrees (F).

We're not going to use the optional gas or electric backup for our testing, only solar. We're curious to see how the winter affects it.

 

 

August 2005 Update:

The Solahart is still doing fantastic! Last winter we only had a couple of nights that got down to -20 degrees but still had hot, but not scalding, water. There were only about six times that we had to heat water for showers, each time due to 3-4 consecutive days of clouds during a cold winter. This reinforces our intent to enclose the tank when we install it on the house. Right now, as it stands, it is unprotected from the cold, wind, and snow. This will not be the case on the house.

About the Solahart:

Solahart has been making solar hot water systems since 1953 and are made in Western Australia. They are extremely popular there and are in use all over the world. Solahart has recently been bought by Rheem Manufacturing here in the U.S. and now should gain more popularity here. We got ours through Rheem in Montgomery, Alabama. Click here for a listing of contacts.