IMPORTANT: PROTECTING YOUR SOLAR WATER HEATER DURING A HEATWAVE.

What distinguishes a high-quality solar water heater is not, as many mistakenly believe, the number or size of the collectors, but the choice of the right type and size of collector to achieve balance between the collector and the boiler. A solar water heater with a very large collector surface will work well in winter but will cause overheating problems in summer due to excess energy absorbed by the collectors.

However, even the most balanced solar water heater will reach very high temperatures when there is no water consumption during summer months, when we are away from home for a few days. During these days, the solar water heater continues to collect solar energy without corresponding consumption, resulting in very high temperatures. High temperature can exceed 100°C depending on the type and quality of the solar water heater, leading to very negative consequences.

Obviously, consequences of overheating increase maintenance cost of our solar water heater. Apart from the premature wear of our solar water heater, high pressure inside the boiler strains the entire water supply network of our house (pipes), while high temperature poses risk to our health, as hot water can cause severe burns if it comes into contact with our body at temperatures higher than 70°C.

Therefore, to protect our solar water heater from adverse effects, it is important to cover solar collector when we leave home in summer for several days.
Proper coverage is done with special reflective collector covers, which are designed to reflect most of the solar energy, fit securely on the collector without being carried away by strong winds, and can be easily stored when not in use.