Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why not 100% solar?

Solar water heaters, when designed correctly, produce an average of 75% of the necessary hot water per year in a 4 season climate. The correct sized Sunbank will handle 100% of your water needs in the Summer but less during the Winter. If you had a Sunbank that provided 100% capacity year round in a 4 season climate, you would have to install a system that could provide 100% of your water in the Winter. This is not an efficient strategy as you would have excess capacity in the Summer.

A year round 100% solar solution is possible in places that do not experience a significant winter, like Florida parts of the South, and the Southwest. Even so, we recommend that the system be installed with a controller and auxiliary heater for those times when there is excess demand and/or prolonged rain.

2. How do I keep it from freezing in the winter?

The Sunbank collector and tank are both protected from freezing by their insulation. The tank has 55mm of high density polyurethane insulation. The collector tubes each have a heat pipe which contain a small bit of distilled water under low pressure and copper dust. This solution has a low vaporization point and the copper dust keeps forces the solution into a slush instead of a solid piece of ice which could damage the heat pipe. That, combined with the fact that the tubes are evacuated (almost perfect insulation) means they are good to -35° below zero.

External plumbing is the most vulnerable point for freezing, and here your PEX tubing must be well insulated, first, and for prolonged freezing temperatures should include thermostatic heat tape in the insulation bundle or a recirculation pump.

3. What is the criteria to place one at my house?

The only thing you truly need is a place to put the Sunbank. Roof mount or ground mount, with a ground mount often being preferable as it will usually make the installation easier, avoid roof penetrations and shorten the plumbing run.

4. Will it work on a cloudy day?

The Sunbank works even on cloudy days. The only days that you will not get solar gain are those in which the sky is black and it is either raining or snowing all day.

5. Can I paint it?

You can paint the it any color under the sun. As long as the tubes don’t get painted the Sunbank will work fine.

6. Is there any maintenance needed?

The only maintenance needed is the replacement of the Magnesium anode which, depending on you water quality, is every 3-5 years.

7. Can I heat my pool with it?

The Sunbank is designed to heat 50 degree ground water to above 120 degrees and maintain that temperature. While good for heating a hot tub, it is generally not the appropriate technology for pool heating.

8. Will I have to worry about snow sticking to it and piling up?

In normal conditions you will not have to worry about snow on your Sunbank. There are spaces between the tubes for snow to fall between and if snow does stick to the curved surface then it will melt or evaporate off.

9. Would I have to cut down trees to put one in?

It is optimal to have six hours of full sun per day or more, but the Sunbank will still make valuable heat in indirect sun and if it only has direct sunlight for, say, four hours. Anything solar energy you absorb is free and contributes to your bottom line.

Jump to more info about how to purchase a Sunbank solar water heater…

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