Water heater

Solar water heating systems have a good economic payoff, and are manageable systems to install or build.  Some of the solar water heating designs are simple and low cost.  You can save a great deal of money by building your own system -- several thousand dollars.  There are dozens of free plans listed below that should meet just about any need. 

Simple batch systems are basically a tank painted black housed inside of a glazed box -- they work well in warm climates, and can be used in cold climates if drained for the winter.  There are also plans shown for quite a few solar water heaters that can be used in cold climates right through the winter -- this includes Hells Kitchen Plumbing and Heating own solar water heating system that has provided a solar fraction in excess of  90% through our cold winter.