Does a Solar Hot Water System need Maintenance?
Quick Answer: Yes, but a well-installed solar hot-water system does not require constant attention. Routine professional checks can help identify problems before they become expensive repairs and may extend the useful life of the system. Some components may last for many years, while others will eventually need attention or replacement.
Does solar hot water need regular servicing?
Solar hot water systems are designed to spend a lifetime outside, exposed to strong sunlight, heat, wind and rain. They are relatively simple and reliable, but that does not mean they can be installed and then forgotten.
Routine servicing gives a technician the opportunity to check the condition of the system and identify signs of deterioration that may not yet be affecting the hot water supply.
The exact service interval depends on the type of system, its age, the installation and local conditions. Your installer or the manufacturer should be able to advise what is appropriate for your system.
What happens if I don't have my solar hot water serviced?
A system that is not serviced may continue working perfectly well for years. This is one reason maintenance can easily be overlooked.
The problem is that components can deteriorate without causing an obvious problem at first. Corrosion, scale, worn seals, damaged insulation or other deterioration may eventually affect performance or lead to a failure.
Finding a problem while it is still relatively minor is generally preferable to discovering it when the system has stopped producing hot water.
How long does a solar hot-water system last?
There is no single lifespan that applies to the complete system. A solar water heater is made up of several components, and they do not all have the same working life. The collectors, storage tank, pipework, valves, seals and other components are exposed to different conditions and may require attention at different times.
This means that an older system does not necessarily need replacing simply because it has reached a particular age. A component may be replaced or repaired while the rest of the system continues to provide useful service.
Good maintenance can help you get the most useful life from the system, but it cannot guarantee that every component will last for a particular number of years.
What can affect the life of a solar hot-water system?
Several factors can influence how well a system ages. Water quality is important. Hard water can contribute to scale and deposits inside the system and may increase the need for maintenance.
The installation environment also matters. Collectors and tanks installed on exposed roofs spend their entire working lives outdoors, where they are subject to strong sunlight, high temperatures and weather.
Maintenance history can also make a difference. A system that has been inspected regularly gives the technician an opportunity to identify deterioration before it develops into a more serious problem.
Does an old solar hot-water system need replacing?
Not necessarily. Age alone does not tell you whether a solar hot-water system is still worth keeping. If the system continues to provide hot water and the main components remain in reasonable condition, continued use may make perfectly good sense.
On the other hand, if an older system begins to require repeated repairs or a major component fails, replacement may become more sensible than continuing to repair it.
The condition of the actual system is more important than simply looking at the date it was installed.
Why is maintenance worth considering?
Solar hot water is intended to provide many years of useful service with relatively little day-to-day attention. Routine professional inspection is not about constantly working on the system. It is about checking that the system is still in good condition and identifying problems before they become major failures.
A little attention during the life of the system can be considerably less troublesome than waiting until there is no hot water and a major repair is needed.
What to do next
If you are unsure whether your solar hot-water system needs servicing, or you have noticed a change in its performance, contact Ambience for advice. We can discuss the system with you and help determine whether it needs attention or whether there is another reason for the change in performance.