Going for a price of between fifty thousand Kenyan shillings to around a hundred thousand, a lot of questions can be asked as to why many Kenyans opt for solar systems than electricity nowadays. Basically, a solar water heater in Kenya and most parts of the world relies on the heat produced by the sun to convert the solar energy to heat which in this case is used by households and even institutions to heat water.
A high cost of living in the country has seen people look for alternatives to reduce bills. This includes avoiding the high electricity bills from Kenya Power. That said, it is also important to note that adequate power supply is a major challenge facing under developed areas in our country. This means that electricity is not reliable for everyone. With solar energy however, this problem is slowly being solved with majority of people opting for solar systems which include solar water heaters.
Below is an image of a solar water heater:
With almost everyone shifting to using solar systems, there has been an increased production and manufacture of solar water heater in Kenya. However not all solar heaters are genuine. This means that choosing the right solar water heater may be a challenge. To avoid your solar system not being to last the following are some of the factors to consider before getting one here in Kenya.
The type of the system should be the first thing you look out for. There are two types of collectors that use solar energy. There is the Evacuated Tube Collector famously known as ETC and the Flat plate Collector also known as FPC. The ETC have a higher retention capacity than the other type which makes them favourable for temperature and tropical regions. The ETC are made of glass and therefore require a lot of care to handle.
The FPC collectors on the other hand are made out of copper or aluminium. These materials are metals hence they are not as delicate as the other type. This makes them suitable for tropical climates because of their high conductivity. However, this type retains heat poorly under low temperatures.
Another factor to consider is the plumbing work. Solar water mostly is used for cleaning utensils and bathing in a home. In that case a two- way piping system is used where both hot and cold-water pipes are connected to the house via two different pipes. A mistake may be made when plumbing is done as some unqualified plumbers may use only one pipe to connect the water. In that case the correct people should be identified to avoid messing up your water heater system.
Again, it is important to know and understand the service life of the solar water heater before making a purchase. When getting one, wanting a value for your money should be your priority. It is therefore to consider the life span of the water heater system. It is advisable to deal with products that have a specific service life. In this case you are able to match between the price and the quality of the solar heater system.
The above are some of the many factors you should consider when getting a solar water heater in Kenya. Note that you can only find the best product by gathering as enough information as possible from the dealer or seller. Also consider the sellers that give their customers a warranty for the solar system. For more information about a popular brand called seven ss stars, visit sevenstarssolarwaterheater.co.ke