Anyone who use storage or solar heater will learn to turn on the hot side full first then move to the mix. I need to wait just 5 seconds just before the water get hot in my bathroom upstair. To me there is no much waste of cold water. Down stair the waiting time is 10 to 15 sec.

The first thing to do is try to lay the pipe as straight as possible and less bend. the more bend you have the longer is the wait though the volume is the same but you get the hot water mix with the cold inside the pipe and more volume of water has to come out before you get a good mix.

2nd is use half in pipe all the way, never use 3/4 inch pipe for your hot water piping.

with/ without insulation won't change the water flow but if your piping is insulated, your wall won't be heated up i tot some one here was saying is a waste of energy

When I stay at my friend home in aus, he advise to turn on the cold water first, than hot water. It is to save the hot water which need energy to boil. And the tank is small. I said over here we do opposite and i totally no sense to do this as I use instant heater. He....

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Added on April 16, 2012, 9:53 pmSo how is your heater efficiency?

This post has been edited by ozak: Apr 16 2012, 09:53 PM

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Wrong thread

This post has been edited by coconutzz: Apr 17 2012, 09:39 AM

So, you see here we are talking about Solar water heater. With solar water heater we dont bother about heat lost as the sun continues unjealously doing the work as we wake up to before the day turn dark. Our only concern is waste of water when waiting for the hot water to come out of the taps.

With storage tank, any lost of heat is $$$$. Too small a tank you got to wait for the water to heat up. Too big a tank you waste $$$$ if you dont use it to its optimum and heat will be lost all the time even with good insulation of the tank. The hotter the tank water the more heat lost.

So I will say, with solar heater dont bother to insulate the pipe. With storge tank yes you better as every drop of temp is $$$.

Why? because during the day where you often on off the tap the lost heat in the pipe is of no concern becasue the sun keep heating the water tank up and up until the pressure valve has to release the pressure built in the tank due to being too hot. And during the night whten the sun take a rest we also take our rest and there is little or no on and off of the tap and less hot water in the pipe to be cooled and wasted.

With solar we dont mind even to pipe it to kitchen and washing machine but if you use storage tank noone will advise you to do that, you waste $$$.

Just got my solar water heater tank replaced yesterday. (Under warranty)
In the morning the water was lukewarm.
Suspect it was because of insulation in the tank.

As for heater efficiency.
From a lukewarm water in the morning , the water become very hot in at 1.30pm.

So after replace the tank, does this problem happen again? Heater look ok. But seems like the tank cannot hold the hot water.

Guys, as JBA water has small quantity of Chlorine, it is advised that not to use stainless tube for the water tubing as the chlorine will cause the stainless steel to be corrosion.

Will observe a few days. Update later.

Is too minimal to consider any harm to the pipe, furthermore chlorine will not stay long in water.

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Added on May 3, 2012, 11:00 pmThis few days so hot, maybe wait for rainy day.

This post has been edited by weikee: May 3 2012, 11:00 PM

what is the current price now for good quality of solar heater? any good brand recommended? pump necessary? The solar and the tubing can be installed in advanced before the renovation rite?

My house got 4 room, 3 at second floor and 1 at 1st floor. Can any supplier here give me the best quote?

Thanks.

The most efficiency is microsolar. Read back previous pages. Or check their website.

You need to provide how many person using to determine the size of the solar heater.

Microsolar good. Give them a call.

If you want cheap one call OE marketing. If can last you 5 yrs, celebrate!

Targeted 5-6 ppl using.

http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/2097573/+100

For solar water heater, after mixer tab, the pipe can use grey pvc or also need to use hot water pipe?

From the mixer tab is final my fren but if you still want to connect it further it has to be hot water pipe because it is hot at times. You can still use cold water pipe but it will not last due to expansion and if the connection has an end like a tap it will brust under water pressure when it is closed at the end pipe after the mixer.

This post has been edited by stevie8: May 18 2012, 04:14 PM

hi stevie8, thank you for replying. I don't really understand, care to explain more clearly. As I'm using conceal mixer tab, it mix hot water (using hot PA pipe) and cold water (using normal grey PVC pipe) and output it to the rain shower head on top passing through normal grey PVC pipe. So, is it ok for the ouput to be connected using grey PVC.

I am assuming that in normal usage, the mix water temperature will not exceed 50 degree celcius.

Normally the output pipe should be hot water pipe for durability. If you got the choice use hot water pipe. PVC will get soft and the joint screw-on part will have problem. 50 degree is ok for PVC but sometime when you want to have really hot water like filing a tab or bucket you have problem. It expands though it wont bend or melt. Nobody suggest to use pvc in such situation unless due to cutting cost. Morevoer if you use class 0 you have problem maintaining its shape as the wall of the pipe is too thin. You also see that to bend pvc pipe is to heat it will fire. Even a candle fire can make it soft for bending within few minutes. Of course boiling water cannot bend the pipe. Still if you got the choice use hot water pipe.