Solar water heaters are a great way to save money on energy costs. Your water heater is probably one of the biggest energy consumers in the house because it has to keep the water temperature up at all times, even when you aren’t using it. Using a solar water heater can dramatically reduce your costs, particularly if you live in a sunny climate like Arizona.

Water Heaters in Arizona

Arizona is well known for their high temperatures and year-round sunny days. In this climate, things like furnaces don’t get a lot of use, but the same doesn’t apply to water heaters.

While you may not be using your water heater to take hour long hot showers on a daily basis, you probably do use it for more than you might realize. Your dishwasher, for example, needs to have the water heated to about 120 degrees F. in order to properly clean and sterilize your dishes. Your washing machine also relies on hot water for certain loads as well.

Because it’s inconvenient to turn on the heater and wait for it to get up to temperature before you turn on an appliance or run some hot water for cooking, your water heater typically remains on 24 hours a day. Maintaining your water at a set temperature takes a lot of energy, and probably contributes quite a bit to your monthly bills. In fact, in households that do a lot of laundry and otherwise use quite a bit of hot water, switching to a solar water heater can cut your energy bills by as much as 50%.

Using a Solar Heater in Arizona

Solar water heaters are different. They still work to maintain an even temperature in the tank all day long, but rather than relying on traditional energy sources, they make use of the sun’s power. Photovoltaic panels or shingles capture the sun’s energy and transfer it to the heater to warm the water. It’s only when the sun isn’t out or at night that the traditional energy sources are used. Add in solar batteries that can store the sun’s energy and use it to keep your heater going all night long and you won’t need to use traditional sources much at all.

In Arizona, where the sunny days number greater than 300 a year, your benefit from using a solar water heater is even greater. Because most households in Arizona don’t use overly large tanks, it really doesn’t take much to get the water up to the temperature needed for your appliances to run.

Features of Solar Water Heaters

Solar water heaters look a little different than the heater that you’re probably used to seeing in your utility room. Many heaters are hooked up directly to a solar panel that captures about 97% of the sun’s rays. The tank itself is made up of two parts, an inner tank and an outer tank that helps to hold onto the water’s heat so when the sun goes down you don’t have to resort to traditional energy sources as quickly.

They typically come in several different sizes, which lets you get the exact amount of water that your family requires each day. Most solar water heaters are fairly maintenance free and will last for years, so with the savings you’ll see on your energy bills, you can be sure that your new heater will probably pay for itself in a very short amount of time.

Change the Way You Heat Your Water

While you probably don’t think much about your hot water when living in Arizona, the fact of the matter is that switching to a solar water heater makes a lot of sense in this area. Your bright sunny days are perfect for generating lots of hot water energy, providing you with a significant savings every month.

Stefanie Miles works for Precision Air and Heating, helping educate Arizonans about their HVAC, plumbing and home performance needs. Follow Precision Air and Heating on Google Plus.