[richie4u]

@tush, Believe me, a single 200LPD is more then sufficient for your home. I do not know why are they even proposing another additional system in series but for your use I'd go with a 200LPD system with my eyes closed(I know cause I deal in them)

[tush]

@richie4u thanks for the guidance. One more question will it have sufficient pressure for normal shower bath? House is at the top floor and SWH would be installed at the terrace above it. Additional storage tank has been installed which has been planned above the height of the SWH tank. We are planning the Racold Alpha tube model.

[richie4u]

Originally Posted by tush

@richie4u thanks for the guidance. One more question will it have sufficient pressure for normal shower bath? House is at the top floor and SWH would be installed at the terrace above it. Additional storage tank has been installed which has been planned above the height of the SWH tank. We are planning the Racold Alpha tube model.

For a normal shower or normal use the SWH is good enough but do remember if you use a pressure pump then the SWH comes in a pressurised model, you cannot use a regular SWH for the same. DO remember while plumbing that a NRV(no return valve) and a airvent (equal to the height of the airvent of the main water tank)has to be installed.

[tush]

Originally Posted by richie4u

For a normal shower or normal use the SWH is good enough but do remember if you use a pressure pump then the SWH comes in a pressurised model, you cannot use a regular SWH for the same. DO remember while plumbing that a NRV(no return valve) and a airvent (equal to the height of the airvent of the main water tank)has to be installed.

Thanks for the information. If I understand correctly a normal shower bath would be possible with the non pressurized SWH model. And for this as well NRV and an airvent has to be installed other then the one that's for the main water tank.

[null]

@Tush: if you are planning to use the hot water, at both, morning & evenings, I doubt if you will be able to get hot water in the morning when you have used it (part, if not fully) the previous night. The problem is, the remaining hot water will get mixed up with cold water. If my understanding is correct, a series connection would ensure that, the 2nd tank, which gets used up at night, will get filled with hot water from the 1st one, there by ensuring hot water the next morning. I suggest you inquire with few others & experts on this topic before concluding for a single tank solution.

[graaja]

Originally Posted by tush

BHPians who are using single SWH as well as series could enlighten me with their experience/suggestions/inputs.

Thanks in Advance!

tush.

If you use hot water in the evening, definitely the temperature would be less for morning use. How much temperature drops depends on how much hot water you draw in the evening. A series connected water heater solves this problem and provides 24 hours hot water. I have a 2x200 liter series connected setup for a family of 5 and it works great. However, if the evening usage is not regular, then 2x200 may be an overkill for a family of 4. In that case, you can either use the supplement electrical heater or a 200+100 or 200+150 combination depending on usage.

[tush]

Hello Friends,

Thanks for suggestion and advise.

The Solar Water Heater has been installed. Went for Racold after giving more importance to the quality of product and its availability within our region.

Thanks!

tush.

[nijelj]

Hello GM, I had fitted 4 systems of the ANU Solar water heaters in my home in Bangalore in 2011. I was getting ok service from them. Tank leakages were promptly handled. A technician would come, replace the tank and not take a single paisa (5 years guarantee). I have some invoices which show the tank's worth as Rs. 1000.

The technician would throw the old tank down 3 storeys (which would completely damage it). As per him, the tank cannot be repaired, only replaced.

Last Sunday, one of the tanks developed a small leak at the end caps, for which I called the Anu Solar people. They came today and looked at the tank and said that for repairing the tank, they would need to take it to the factory. I was surprised when he said that since they usually carry a spare tank, when you tell them the problem beforehand. The unpleasantness came later when he said that while I'd get the tank replaced for free, I'd have to pay 1700 Rs as 'Transportation Charges' , which was never the case before. 1700 Rs to transport a 1000Rs 100 lt tank!! I told him that I need to talk to Anu Solar and sent him on his way.

The people at Anu Solar are not attending the phones. Can you guys look into your warranty documents and see if thats the case with your suppliers?

[maddy42]

I had a query with regards to solar power. Has anybody installed rooftop solar in their house and if so could you provide info on the costing like? Different states are coming out with various net metering opportunities but all we hear is the huge solar projects being constructed but nothing on the little heros.

[nowwhat?]

Originally Posted by nijelj

Hello GM, I had fitted 4 systems of the ANU Solar water heaters in my home in Bangalore in 2011. I was getting ok service from them. Tank leakages were promptly handled. A technician would come, replace the tank and not take a single paisa (5 years guarantee). I have some invoices which show the tank's worth as Rs. 1000.

Don't know much about Anu Solar, but I am befuddled reading your post.

I have a Solarizer solar heater I installed 10 years ago and it has never sprung a leak nor have I serviced it even once up till now. In fact it has given me such hassle-free service that I usually go and take a look at it maybe once a year.

[sgiitk]

@maddy42; What the gurus tell me that the cost of the panels has come down, and efficiency gone up. The main catch is the batteries which cost a lot to replace as well, so they recommend a two way street, incl selling surplus to the utility, and no batteries.

[maddy42]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

@maddy42; What the gurus tell me that the cost of the panels has come down, and efficiency gone up. The main catch is the batteries which cost a lot to replace as well, so they recommend a two way street, incl selling surplus to the utility, and no batteries.

Thank you sir! Could you give me a rough idea of the price with just panels and installation?

Here is my pain point:
House is in rural india with lot of power cuts and the price of power is also cheap. The price of power makes investing in solar not worth it.
If i go with panels only, will i be able to power the household at times of power cuts?

Battery technology is atleast a decade away to be cheaper.

Solar water pump seems to be a good one for farmers but the drawback would be theft or vandalisms.

Maddy

[Juggy]

Originally Posted by maddy42

Thank you sir! Could you give me a rough idea of the price with just panels and installation?

Here is my pain point:
House is in rural india with lot of power cuts and the price of power is also cheap. The price of power makes investing in solar not worth it.
If i go with panels only, will i be able to power the household at times of power cuts?

Battery technology is atleast a decade away to be cheaper.

Solar water pump seems to be a good one for farmers but the drawback would be theft or vandalisms.

Maddy

To be honest it is still expensive unless you have commercial / industrial applications. I just installed a solar water heater, and some panels to power a few lights that the dealer encouraged me to buy. This simple system is under 10K.
From what I understand, BESCOM allows you to connect to the Grid, and pays flat 6.50/unit, but the paperwork for the same is a pain for households. Most stares have their own variation on rates, slabs and paperwork required.
In the regular scheme of things, we still connect to a battery or recharge the Inverter battery. This still makes sense for rural areas with erratic power, but is a far cry from what is possible if we were to disconnect from the Grid altogether.

[nijelj]

Originally Posted by nowwhat?

Don't know much about Anu Solar, but I am befuddled reading your post.

I have a Solarizer solar heater I installed 10 years ago and it has never sprung a leak nor have I serviced it even once up till now. In fact it has given me such hassle-free service that I usually go and take a look at it maybe once a year.

I have the Evacuated Tube Collector based Solar Heater. This is less robust than the Flat plate collector type Solar water heater. I'm not sure which type you have.

BTW today an Evacuated Tube was found cracked and as usual not covered under warranty. The cost is 450 for the tube and 500 as service charges. So in the last 3-4 months, I've shelled out 2600Rs for one Solar heater.

I didn't know that there would be so many issues with the Evacuated Tube based Solar heater, otherwise we would have bought the Flat plate type at a higher cost, considering peace of mind.

[nowwhat?]

Originally Posted by nijelj

I have the Evacuated Tube Collector based Solar Heater. This is less robust than the Flat plate collector type Solar water heater. I'm not sure which type you have.

BTW today an Evacuated Tube was found cracked and as usual not covered under warranty. The cost is 450 for the tube and 500 as service charges. So in the last 3-4 months, I've shelled out 2600Rs for one Solar heater.

I didn't know that there would be so many issues with the Evacuated Tube based Solar heater, otherwise we would have bought the Flat plate type at a higher cost, considering peace of mind.

Thanks for an enlightening post. I have seen the Evacuated Tube Collector solar heater before, but didn't give it any thought. I just assumed they all worked similarly.

As you guessed, I have the Flat Plate solar heater and I have had no problems in the past 10 years. For a long time, I used it with water from my borewell which I later found out had all sorts of sediments and minerals and I am honestly amazed that it is still working.

To answer someone else, I have a PUF insulated tank and as a result I end up getting lukewarm water only on the second day if there are two consecutive rainy overcast days. On the third day, the sun usually comes out in Bangalore.