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Just like any water heater, the temperature in the tank is always hot and ready for a shower 24/7. This one uses an electric element backup. It could also be installed as a pre-heater to a conventional gas, propane, electric, heating oil, or heat pump water heater and provide 24/7 hot water that way.

These SS connectors are specific to water heaters and have a 180F rating. Because this system is set up with the automatic overheat protection, the temp will never go over 180F. Most people will achieve that just by using their water heaters daily and spinning the tubes when they go on vacation. For systems that are left to regularly exceed 200F (which is best to avoid), we would recommend soldered copper connections.

The evacuated tubes are exactly that. They each create a (almost perfectly insulated) greenhouse around the copper heat pipe that transfers heat into the tank. It will be 400 degrees on the inside of the tube and is always cool to the touch on the outside, because of this vacuum. A second piece of glass around the tubes would be unnecessary and would reflect some of the UV radiation that heats up the tubes.

We have systems dotted all over the South, yes. Using solar panels instead is an option, but a less efficient one. Solar panels are getting up to 20% efficiency, but evacuated tube solar collectors are 3 times that. So, you would need 3 times the roof space to create the same amount of heat as the Sunbank. Solar panels are also more expensive. And you'd have to buy and install the electric water heater. So, there are quite a few advantages to a purpose built solar water heater.

East or west is also fine, with a small hit to your overall production. You do not want to point a system to the north (in the northern hemisphere). If on a north facing roof, you would want to reverse mount the system facing to the south.

The system itself is not really concerned with freezing. The tubes are good to -35F and the tank is very well insulated with 40 or 80 gallons of thermal mass. We have a lot of systems installed in places that freeze and they don't have freezing issues. More info about how to prevent freezing here: thesunbank.com/freeze-protection/

The system itself is not really concerned with freezing. The tubes are good to -35F and the tank is very well insulated with 40 or 80 gallons of thermal mass. We have a lot of systems installed in West Virginia and the Southeast and they don't have freezing issues. More info about how to prevent freezing here: thesunbank.com/freeze-protection/

The cost of installation labor varies widely. But if you're installing the system yourself, then you just have equipment costs which can be found here: thesunbank.com/products/

Absolutely - in fact, we sell a recirculation kit to be used with the system. Since you have a dedicated return line you don't need the valve and supply lines, so you could just buy the pump or get one from another supplier. Ours are incredibly reliable, have magnetic impellers, and only draw 8 watts. thesunbank.com/products/

Good question - our systems are pressurized, meaning that they accept city water pressure and have 316L stainless steel tanks that are pressure vessels. They are much more expensive to manufacture than non-pressurized systems that handle low-pressure and are the appropriate system to comply with building standards in the U.S. Non-pressurized systems are often used in developing countries. thesunbank.com/similar-solar-technologies/

We don't sell non-pressurized systems - these are much cheaper systems and are mostly used in developing countries. But yes, in order to achieve a reasonable water pressure I believe that you do install a pressure pump between the outlet and the points of use.

Every vacuum tube should have barium to help maintain the vacuum. We're not sure of any that don't, at least.

Hi Balwat, our systems are installed by Earthship with their headquarters in Taos and have been working really well for them. If you takes baths in a big tub, then you will definitely want the 80 gallon system. You can start by pre-heating your natural gas water heater and if you find that the Sunbank produces enough hot water then you could eventually bypass and eliminate the natural gas. With the Sunbank as your sole heater it would require the electric element backup in the winter, and possibly other times, depending on your hot water consumption. You can find the products and pricing on our website: thesunbank.com/products. Feel free to give us a call with more questions or if you'd like to order.

Cody - you're absolutely right. Teflon then dope. Thanks for catching that!

Eric, good question! We put it on the bottom so that you can flush the tank while changing the anode to remove all of the debris. This is an important step, in addition to changing the anode.

Absolutely. You can pre-heat a tankless or a tanked water heater with this system. The only difference is that tankless water heaters typically have a high end temperature for pre-heated water they accept, so the tempering valve is installed upstream of the tankless water heater, whereas it would be installed downstream of a tanked water heater.

This varies by city and jurisdiction. Contact your local building inspector to see if you need a permit.

@@SunbankSolar thank you I will

These are third party controller and I believe there are different versions of the same controller. The version we sell accepts 110V-240V. They may make one that only accepts 110V. There should be a sticker on the side of the controller that mentions the operating voltage.

There are bolts that are inset and part of the tank and they fit into a slot of what we call the "saddle" part of the rack. So it mechanically attaches to the rack and the rack is attached to the roof.

It does, but with some important notes. First, any plumbing in an unconditioned space will need to be properly freeze protected. In cold climates, it may be more efficient to use our system as a pre-heater instead of a stand-alone, so that your main tank isn't mounted outdoors. You could also use the system as a pre-heater, but only use it seasonally, from spring to fall when you'll get the most solar gain, and drain the system for the winter.

It can, yes. That's the AH function described in the video.

Hi Eric, good question. For 6 months (or more in some climates) the system is using 0 kWh. For the rest of the time the solar is still doing the heavy lifting, but the element kicks on to help when the temp falls below a setpoint. Solar should still contribute ~80% of the heat year-round, depending on climate and consumption. But to answer your question, yes, you can use our system as a pre-heater to a gas (tank or tankless) or even a heat pump water heater if you don't want to use as much resistive heat.

@@SunbankSolar Thanks

The condenser bulb fits into a manifold in the tank that is perfectly sized to receive it. The entire tube is held in place by the tailstock that holds the bottom of the tube and keeps it held up against the tank.

That is all aluminum ducting and is used to protect the pipe and insulation from UV. We call it insulation jacketing.

That's right - plenty of sun in central Florida. The Sunbank could either be installed as a pre-heater to your conventional water heater - meaning the cold water goes to the solar system first - or you could bypass your conventional water heater and just use the Sunbank with the electric backup element. If you install it as a pre-heater, then the Sunbank will heat the water and for 6-8 months it will keep it above 120F and you'll like use no backup energy/your water heater won't turn on. In the winter you'll use some backup heat.

The Sunbank tank is really well insulated, so it doesn't matter what time of day you use it. If you go to bed with 140F water in the tank, you'll wake up with 135F water. Also, all systems are installed in such a way that you always have hot water, either using the Sunbank backup element, or pre-heating a conventional water heater as is the case in this installation.

Southern California is one of the best places in the country for solar water heaters. We have systems dotted through SoCal - we ship them all over the country and people either install them themselves or work with a local plumber to install the system. It's not so complicated to install.

Absolutely. You'll want to be sure to minimize the pipe outside of the house, insulate and jacket the pipe that is outside, and consider active overheat protection measures like a recirculation pump. Our systems have experiences -20F with no problem. thesunbank.com/freeze-protection/

Hi Brian - the tubes are resistant to a 1 inch diameter ball of hail at terminal velocity. The tubes are made of high strength borosilicate glass - more commonly known as Pyrex - so they're quite strong and hail resistant. We also ship 5 spare tubes with the system and you could purchase more if you were concerned about it.

Glad you liked it!

That's true for much of the country. There are parts of the country that are primarily hydro or nuclear, but we are still entirely too dependent on fossil fuels. We have a lot of energy coops in California that source their electricity as much from renewables as the can, but we should all be moving much quicker.

This is not a controller for a low pressure system and it does not have that feature. Our systems are pressurized with heat pipe collectors.

You can change the anode without draining the water. When you close the isolation valves going to the Sunbank you remove the pressure to the system and so very little water drains out while changing the anode. Having water in the system while changing the anode is important because that helps flush the anode bits out of the system. It only takes a couple of minutes to change then you can restore pressure to the system. To answer your question, you do not want to drain the system and leave it like that with the tubes uncovered.

One more note - you'll want to make sure the water temperature in the Sunbank is safe to work with while doing this. Probably best in the early spring or late fall, but consult your controller (thermostat) before removing the anode.

I'm sorry to hear that. If you are considering a solar water heater then feel free to send us an email or give us a call and we can help you out.

You can purchase on our website, thesunbank.com, but it's usually better to give us a call first so that we can make sure that you get all of the right parts for your specific project.

Hi Juan, many of our customers are off-grid. Yes, we would recommend installing the Sunbank downstream of the filter, so that you can provide better water quality to the Sunbank. Any other questions just let us know. Thanks

The Sunbank collectors are good to -35F and the tank has 40 or 80 gallons of thermal mass and good insulation, so those components are both fine in freezing weather. The part of the system that is susceptible freezing is any plumbing between the tank and the conditioned space. We have many systems installed in New Mexico, including on the Earthships near Taos - they all perform really well. More info here: thesunbank.com/freeze-protection/

@@SunbankSolar great. Do you sell the system or it comes with installation only? I am asking that becausei do eant to buy one but i do plumbing and i could install it myself and save some money.

Careful, Walter might knock on your door

There is a 1/4" temperature probe that measures the temperature in the tank and connects to the Smart Controller. You can see that in the installation video for this system.

Happy you brought this up because it is a good myth to dispel. This system is located in Santa Cruz, CA, a fine place for solar, but where it is often foggy and below 50 degrees at night...in the summer! Palm trees grow in places that don't have hard freezes. We have so many of these systems installed and working perfectly on the east coast and in places that DO freeze and definitely do not have palm trees. You don't have to live in southern Arizona to have solar - every BTU created in all 50 states reduces our emissions. Thanks for the comment.

It does, yes. Just like any conventional water heater. The pressure at your shower is from your municipal or well water pressure and that passes through your pressurized water heater to get there.

No problems with freezing. The tubes are rates to -35F and the tank has 2.5" of high density polyurethane insulation plus 40 gallons of thermal mass. Our systems have experiences -20F with no problem. The part that is susceptible to freezing is any plumbing not in a conditioned space and as you can see the installers did an excellent job of insulating and jacketing that. Plus, with four apartments in each building, water is moving through the pipes regularly.

Thanks! Four 40 gallon systems (complete with 316 stainless steel tanks) on each four unit apartment building.

@@SunbankSolar so Nice! i also do Solar Hot Water here in Sunnyvale ca! im at "Guilt Free Hot Water on FB , love to see ur system?

That's great! If you're in Sunnyvale then you can drive by Sunshine Gardens in Mountain View and see the systems on the roofs there.

Yeah, absolutely. You could mount a system next to the trough and use a solar powered pump and a stainless steel coil to heat the water in the trough and keep it above freezing. We've helped people design similar systems because of the lack of available power. Give us a call if you'd like to chat about it.

Sure! Here you go: thesunbank.com/products/sunbank-smart-home-controller/

No worries!

Thanks!