Heat Loss of Solar Water Heater After a Short Shower

Posted on by

How many degrees does the solar water heater drop after a typical shower?

The temperature of the water in the solar water heater can drop noticeably during a typical shower, but exactly how many degrees it decreases depends on various factors. These factors include:

  1. Capacity of the solar water heater: Larger solar water heaters with a capacity of 160-200 liters will be less affected by a shower compared to a 120-liter heater.
  2. Water flow during the shower: A typical shower lasts about 5-10 minutes and the water flow is approximately 8-10 liters per minute. So, a shower can use 40-100 liters of water.
  3. Initial temperature of the water: If the water starts near 60°C, it may drop by 10-15°C during a shower, depending on how much water you use and the temperature of the cold water entering the system.
  4. Environment and cold water temperature: In cold weather, the cold water entering to replace the hot water can be very low in temperature, significantly affecting the overall heater temperature.
Read also :  Solar Water Heater Performance on Cloudy Days

Indicative temperature drop:

A typical shower can reduce the solar water heater temperature by 5-10°C, but this may vary depending on the tank size, usage, and conditions.
Let’s see how much hot water is actually consumed during a typical 5-10 minute shower based on data recorded by the Solar LIVE project

Conclusion

Although the temperature drop is significant, a well-designed solar water heater with proper capacity and installation can maintain the temperature at acceptable levels, even after a typical shower.

Thomas Karaferis
Follow me
Latest posts by Thomas Karaferis (see all)
Visited 5 times, 1 visit(s) today