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Which solar water heater is more efficient – ETC and FPC Solar Water Heater

by Vivek Choudhary Nice life

The solar water heater is a scientific innovation that has changed the way water heaters are used today. A collector is an integral device in a solar water heating system, which heats the water by absorbing solar heat. There are two types of collectors: solar Flat Plate Collectors (FPC) and solar Evacuated Tube Collectors (ETC). In this post, we will be looking at the differences.

Flat Plate Collectors

Using the greenhouse effect, the Flat Plate solar water heater converts solar energy from the sun into heat energy and then transferred it to the water system in residential and commercial houses. The water is then used for bathing, washing, cooking, or cleaning.

Design

This collector comprises a large sheet of the copper or aluminum absorbing plate. They are painted black so that the surface absorbs as much solar energy as possible. Tubes or pipes (made of copper), which transfers the heated fluid, are lined and soldered across the absorber plates' surface.

As the leaves are heated, the heat is absorbed by the liquid in the pipes, circulated in the house. The absorber plates and tubes are enclosed in an insulated metal or wooden box to minimize heat loss. Inside the insulating material is a sheet of glazing material that does not significantly absorb the thermal energy.

Benefits

·         Low MaintenanceFPC solar water heater functioning requires less maintenance to keep it running effectively. The collector, when installed outside, is more reliable to withstand harsh weather conditions.

·         Reliability: The solar Flat Plate Collector is more effective at delivering the desired quantity of heated water at the needed temperature. This is one of the reasons why it is highly in demand in many houses.

·         Easy Construction: The construction is easy because of the simple stationery design. The collector box is designed in a way to keep the water sufficiently heated. 

Evacuated Tube Collectors

Evacuated Tube Collectors (ETC) consists of a heat pipe inside a vacuum heat tube, and they function differently from Flat Plate Collectors.

Design

The Evacuated Tube Collectors (ETC) comprises a row of parallel transparent tubes. Supported on a frame, they are connected to a header pipe. The header pipe is used in place of a blackened absorbing plate used in Flat Plate Collectors.

The glass tubes are cylindrical and built to deal with the issue associated with the flat absorbing plates of Flat Plate Collectors. Unlike FPC, Evacuated Tube Collectors (ETC) does not heat the water directly. The vacuum tubes have the air removed within the frame to reduce heat loss. This way, ETC solar water heater collects enough heat energy to heat water. They are usually installed in cold and wintry areas.

Benefits

·         It is easy to install. The manufacturing of Evacuated Tube Collectors (ETC) allows for easy installation. It takes less time to install, and users can start enjoying its benefits.

·         There is less heat loss. Because the absorbing plates are cylindrical, Evacuated Tube Collectors (ETC) absorbs heat energy from the surrounding weather reaching the required temperature quicker than Flat Plate Collectors. They can extract heat out of a humid atmosphere and do not need direct sunlight to function.

·         The transparent tubes guarantee the efficiency is high and offers better performance even when the sun is not at a suitable angle.

·         Due to the simple configuration of Evacuated Tube Collectors (ETC), heated water is optimally circulated. 

It has low maintenance. The components of the solar water heater are designed to withstand unfavorable weather conditions. For this reason, they can be installed in areas of extreme weather conditions for water heating. 

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About Vivek Choudhary Advanced   Nice life

64 connections, 2 recommendations, 289 honor points.
Joined APSense since, April 10th, 2019, From Noida, India.

Created on Jan 22nd 2021 05:19. Viewed 351 times.

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