Free Offgrid Hot Water?

Find out if you can generate free off-grid solar hot water with this system! Learn about its claimed efficiency, ease of installation, tricks to install correctly and low cost in this video.
North Solar northsolar.com.au/
Check out my website for even more content timthompson.ag/
Support me on Patreon / timthompsonmedia
Facebook / timthompsonmedia
Instagram / timthompson.ag
Subscribe for a new video each week! New content uploaded every weekend.
My Channel / @farmlearningtim

[@andrewsteele7663]

Good morning Tim, absolutely brilliant, Cheers

[@spidrespidre]

Hi Tim. I keep coming back to this video to show everyone how feasible it is to have free, constant, on-tap hot water after initial costs. The reason I'm piping (pun intended) up again is that I've just been to Crete for a holiday weekend and 70-80% of all buildings have similar systems in place. Most of these are panelled rather than tubed, so may not be quite as efficient - but if you're in the Mediterranear, who cares.

[@gregbell2117]

Just a note that efficiency doesn't matter when the fuel is free. Also, when a home is "going solar" and getting PV as well, it's actually more economical to avoid solar thermal hot water systems altogether and instead add an additional PV panel or two to drive a conventional resistive element in the hot water tank.

[@vsvnrg3263]

i just posted a comment about this very subject, thank you. i cant watch youtube using the solar hws.

[@FarmLearningTim]

Efficiency matters in winter when there is not enough sun. These systems take the load off solar over to allow you more electricity to watch KZbin but still take a shower so that you don’t stink

[@gordonserone4297]

I have installed one of them. But have installed other evacuated tube types ad well. There are other suppliers of evacuated tubes with copper inserts that I believe are better. Old plumber.

[@spidrespidre]

94%! 2 hours plumber time! Heating costs #1 factor in your bills ... ? Not any more. Stunning

[@normesmonde5332]

Beats the $275 we were promised

[@Zendukai]

These look amazing!!! Thanks Tim.

[@allistairpennychapman3863]

What great timing….just what we’ve been looking for. Thanks Tim

[@tonycortese2165]

Brilliant especially for off grid living. A bit of chain link fence framed across the top would stop larger hail, sit it half metre above it wouldn't give enough shadow to bother its efficiency especially for off grid short not often showers

[@jamesthefisherman832]

Great product

[@mikenicholson2548]

Looks cool. I will say the best I have seen is tankless gas waterheaters. I have one with four in my household. My gas bill is 27.00 dollars a month. Very cheap. My family takes very long showers.

[@andreabond3501]

Impressive

[@vsvnrg3263]

how does this hws compare to the older solar hws systems that have been around for years.? i have one of the older ones, a non-chinese ss edwards which doesnt provide enough hot water in winter. i'm considering putting solar electricity panels in its place which can boil water as well as run equipment to watch youtube videos.

[@KenEvans-go9or]

Looks great what is the cost all up i am interested

[@FarmLearningTim]

Link in description

[@malcolmcheyne3803]

I checked these out many (maybe 20) years ago for North Queensland and was advised they are TOO EFFICIENT for the tropics.

[@rw-xf4cb]

6-9 months of the year up there one wants a cooler shower, probably only for washing the dishes do you want hot or super hot water. Was in Townsville many many years ago and they just had a coil of poly on the roof as their primary hot water system, and I guess gas for the cooler month(s).

[@gregbell2117]

Do you see them on any roofs now? I'm surprised they didn't tell you to simply remove some tubes.

[@malcolmcheyne3803]

@@gregbell2117 Not that I take much notice. No in Townsville.

[@rw-xf4cb]

@@malcolmcheyne3803 This was out past Townsville place called Calcium on the way to Charters Towers. A roll of 19mm or 1inch poly for hot water. Though these days probably will see them for pool heating (though again probably not so much in Townsville/Cairns) but in Atherton in winter gets pretty cool at night and down BrisVegas way houses have them for pools though they occupy a large percentage of the roof to heat a large body of water.

[@jumboegg5845]

Its not stupid that everything has to be lagged. Get up there on a cold day with cold hands, and you'll quickly find out why it all has to be lagged. The evacuated tube type that I know works on a heat exchange system, no water goes in the tubes and the tank is at mains pressure. The one in this video is gravity fed, and the water is heated directly in the tubes. A bigger tank means a longer tank and more tubes I presume.

[@lachlanjoyce1]

Is this the bee guy?!

[@FarmLearningTim]

Yeah…

[@jaytimms2955]

Tim, I'm not sure you should be showing this. those guys are up there without a harness!

[@justwait...1388]

Good job with the video, so much so that I bought one. BUT, the bee guy did do a good sell on a product that is NOT viable during June/July etc, unless you definitely have the electric elements to go with it. Water goes cold overnight if the air is chilly, warms just enough during the day but the moment you turn the tap on the influx of fresh cold water dramatically reduces the temperature, and is exponential after dark. NOT WORTH THE MONEY! Speaking with the local solar/plumbing guru (post purchase) it is sooo much better to buy an electric water system and additional panels where you set the timing of the system to activate during peak daylight hours. Or just go gas.

[@FarmLearningTim]

Sorry to hear that mate. I will follow this up

[@justwait...1388]

@@FarmLearningTim Thanks but not required, unless it is for your own research. You did a great job, in no way did anything you say during the segment indicate guarantee of satisfaction. And my comment is my own opinion, even though it should serve as a point of awareness for potential buyers.

[@australianbeesupplies]

Hi Justwait, Andrew here form North Solar. Our clients that have issues contact me to find why there may be an issue with their system. I always help out with a solution, if the system is not suited to them we are happy to give a refund....no questions asked. I don't believe you have contacted us, hence this appears a little bit of a 'Troll' comment'. The most common issues we see iare: - Tempering valve gets blocked on off-grid properties (this is easily fixed by cleaning the mesh), - Installed by a non Registered plumber - Installation under a carport (solar systems don't work well in the shade!) - Tubes being installed the wrong way around I don't know your location, hence can not comment on your situation especially when it comes to the amount of sunlight on your system. Unfortunately we can not control the sun. I always inform my clients that Autumn/Winter may need boosting by either 'Electrical Heating Element' or Wet-back/wet-flue. Please get back to me with a real name so I can assist with a solution. Andrew

[@rob1733]

What a shame! Your thumbnail says "Off Grid Water!" not HOT water. I was hoping to see a system that would extract water from humidity and fill a tank during the week at our rural property so we could have fresh clean water for the weekend.... Oh well. This is good too. But not what I was looking for.