Solar paneled water heaters really work - my last one lasted 29 years.

[Bobbieo]

The heater was installed in November of 1981 and finally gave out today - Jan 8, 2010. The solar panel on the roof was installed about 1986 and is still working. Average of about 3 people in the family.

I don't know how well this would work in Detroit but it sure can't be beat in the Desert SW. The workman who installed the new one today said the max life of a water heater is about 12 years and the average life is 8 years. WOW!!!

I advised him not to spread this information around in his business ads but I'm passing it on to DUers.

[LiberalFighter]

1. I've had my gas water heat for 22 years. Is it time to replace it?

[conscious evolution]

3. Keep it till it dies

I would,however,start saving for a new one.

[conscious evolution]

2. Not sure about solar water heaters

but everything I have read and observed with PV panels is that they last for a long long time.
I know the ones at my place are at least 15 years old and are still producing more power than they are rated for.
I'm convinced the main reason they last so long is because they have no moving parts to wear out.Pretty much all they do is sit there and produce power.

[randr]

4. My panels are at least 20 years old and still trucking

We bought our present home 2 1/2 years ago. It had 8 large panels on the roof that had not been operating for a number of years due to neglect and pumping systems failure. Last summer we flushed them out and installed new pumps and controls. I installed 3 additional 80 gallon storage tanks, hooked the infloor heating system back up, and even put in a heat exchanger in my hot tub. I also added a zone to an old stand up radiator that maintains the temp in our sunroom/greenhouse. It all works like a charm. Every day the sun shines, here in Western Colorado we have abundance of sun shine, I celebrate. I have as yet not connected a conventional heater though I have found a high efficiency natural gas boiler that I will hook up next summer. Every day I get enough heat to provide back up for my domestic water use, pump heat into the floor for at least 3 hours and keep my sunroom from going below 50 at night. Temps have been in the single digits every morning for more than a month. The first year we got a considerable tax break on the purchase and I look forward to another this year for our recent expenses. The house was also built with a very good insulation package and we have a wood heater as our only back up until we hook up the gas.
I would encourage anyone who can afford one and has the opportunity to do so take advantage of the situation and help support the move to energy independence.

[joshcryer]

5. Wonder if these newfangeled panels will last nearly as long.

They don't make stuff like they used to anymore.

[Po_d Mainiac]

6. My solar powered refridgerator/freezer still works great

between November and March.