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Author:
loydclayton (HI)
I have an electric solar water heater. It recently stopped giving us hot water. I had a plumber check it. On top of the water heater is a pump (I assume it pumps water from the water heater up to the solar panels on our roof). The pump was not working so our plumber disconnected it. I have purchased a brand new pump (not connected yet). Our plumber says our water heater is old and it also needs to be replaced. But the water heater works fine when I turn on the electric power to it. It just does not work with solar power. I cannot help but wonder, do I really need to change BOTH the water heater and the pump?
Thank you.
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Author:
North Carolina Plumber (NC)
No, don't replace the heater. The pump needs to be checked to make sure it's getting power. It could be a sensor that's bad and not letting power go to the pump.
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Author:
hj (AZ)
You replace the tank when it starts to leak.
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Author:
PlumberLoren (CA)
You should check the power to the heating elements first and replace as needed. Then look into the pump if it is not working properly. If you trust your Plumber and he is experienced, take his advice.
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Author:
stuckinlodi (MO)
Does your solar panel arrays make electricity that operate your electric water heater in place of the voltage that would normally come from your electric company? Or does the solar array heat the water flowing thru pipes inside the solar array? There are 2 different ways to do this.
It sounds like the second method but I wanted to make sure. If it is then your water heater is just a storage tank, the pump moves water thru the solar heater and heats the water, which flows back to the water heater tank. Just get the circulation pump working and you will be back in business. As hj said, the water heater doesn't need to be replaced no matter how old it is, as long as it isn't leaking. The lady across the street from me has a water heater that was made in 2002. Hard to believe but I saw the mfr sticker myself.
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Author:
loydclayton (HI)
PlumberLoren (CA), Doesn't it stand to reason that power to the heating element is okay since the water heater does heat the water when I turn on the electric power?
Thanks.
Edited 1 times.
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Author:
hj (AZ)
Yes, especially since the heater only has one element so there is no way "one could be bad".
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