Closed loop or indirect systems use a non freezing liquid to transfer heat from the sun to water in a storage tank.
Closed loop solar water heater.
Closed loop solar heating system.
The sun s thermal.
Glycol or some equivalent antifreeze fluid fills.
Closed loop active antifreeze systems are the most versatile and failsafe of all the solar supplemental water heating systems.
These systems are preferable in climates where it rarely freezes.
When the controller senses that the sun is shining and your tank needs a warm up it signals the pump to send water through the black collector panels.
Closed loop solar water heaters have few limitations with collector placement the collector loop is antifreeze filled and are permanently charged.
Propylene glycol and the new bio green are common antifreeze materials we have several options for exchanging the heat to the clean domestic hot water.
The heated water then flows into the storage tank before it s channeled into the heat exchanger.
They are more complex but within the capability of many diyers.
Closed loop and drainback solar water heaters drainback and closed loop systems provide freeze protection for year round operation in cold climates.
The heated water is then stored in a tank sent to a tankless water heater or used directly.
Freeze protection is necessary in cold climates.
Most new solar homes feature a variation of one kind or another.
Here s how a solar powered water heater works.