A DIY solar hot water system is a great alternative to the excessive costs of professional solar hot water contractors.

You are considering getting yourself a Solar Hot Water System? Great!! You won´t regret that decision. Let´s look into the different alternatives: A DIY Solar Hot Water System, a system installed by a professional solar hot water contractor or a ´pre-build´ DIY Solar Hot Water System. All of them use the sun´s energy that gets you some great benefits. You will…:

  1. Save Big on your electricity bill. Heating water accounts for 15-30% of our energy bill. DIY Solar Hot Water Systems or any other Solar Hot Water System can reduce this bill by 50-90%, saving you between $100 and $400 per year.  Besides, so you don´t have to worry about future price hikes or fuel shortages. All thanks to the sun´s free energy.
  2. Reduce your environmental impact. According Obama´s energy bill, presented last July, the American carbon output has to be cut by 15 per cent by 2020. You will have reduced your household carbon emissions by that amount if you install yourself a solar hot water system.

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There are a couple of alternatives how to get yourself a solar hot water system.

 

3. A solar hot water system installed by a professional solar hot water contractor.

The easiest, but least economical as long as you´re not drawn-back (as many of us are) from the high out-of-pocket costs when installed by these contractors. The installation costs by a professional contractor can be high, up to a whopping $15,000 for a common Indirect Solar Hot Water System. Considering a saving on your energy bill of a maximum of $400 per year, will make a payback within 10 years very difficult.

2. Pre-build DIY Solar Hot Water System.

Easier and less expensive. When you don´t have the time to start-up and new DIY project or it goes slightly over your head to build a DIY Solar Hot Water System completely by yourself, consider a ´pre-build´ DIY solar hot water system. We pre-selected some best-selling ´pre-build´ DIY solar hot water systems for you that are far less expensive than the prices that professional solar hot water contractors will charge you for a solar hot water system, but obviously more expensive than a ´starting from scratch´DIY solar hot water system project. .

1. DIY solar hot water system.

The cheapest solution and the one that gives most fun!!  Building these panels is not too complicated. You don’t have to be a DIY black-belt to make one yourself. What you do need, is a great guide that explains you step-by-step what to do.


Financial impact of contractor installed, ´pre-build´or DIY solar hot water system versus a Conventional Heater


Getting yourself a solar hot water system is one of the best investments in your house you can make nowadays…

…..if you do it wisely. You´ll get the best return on your investment if you decide to build a DIY solar hot water system by yourself. You can achieve the great benefits of a big saving on your energy bill, at a limited investment.


DIY Solar Hot Water System

DIY ´Pre-Build´ Solar Hot Water Kit

Solar Hot Water Installed by Professional Contractor

Conventional gas/electric Water Heater
Investment

$200 – $1,500

$2,000 – $10,000

$8,000 – $15,000

$5,000 – $10,000
Life expectancy

5 -10 years

15 – 30 years

15 – 30 years

8 – 12 years
Annual Operating Cost (fuel + maintenance)

$50 (maintenance)

$50 (maintenance)

$50 (maintenance)

$500+ (fuel + maintenance)
Increases equity of your home

Yes

Yes

Yes

No
Protection from future price increases

Yes

Yes

Yes

No
Availability Hot water

Always

Always

Always

Not during blackouts

 

There are some great DIY solar hot water system manuals available in the market that will guide you through the process of making yourself a DIY solar hot water system. These guides can be used for heating your domestic hot water or your swimming pool. Working with the right manual, makes making a DIY solar hot water system yourself a very doable DIY project.


We reviewed the best DIY solar hot water system guides available in this market. From this selection we found two guides that provide great instructions and explain step-by-step with excellent illustrations how to build the panel itself, and how to connect it to your existing hot water tank.

Check out our review of these best DIY solar hot water system guides.