I want to put a solar hot water system on my house, but I don't want to just jump right into it. Has anyone had experience with these systems? Do they work efficiently and reliably? What other equipment is needed?

I am installing a new floor throughout the house and doing the whole radiant floor thing, so I am guessing that I can link into that. Is this correct?

They are very reliable if you live in an area that gets sun or at least just light cloud cover. I actually know some people out in Seattle (notoriously overcast) who use these systems and they work just fine. I think you would be served well by going with a radiant floor system tied in with a SHW system.

Keep us up to date on how this all goes.

Good luck.

Could I make a solar hot water system myself or is it better to buy a consumer product? I have seen some make-shift applications and just want to know if they perform as well.

Take a look at this home design for solar hot water. It's a bit extreme, but shows how far you can take this technology. http://www.engineering.com/Blogs/ta...fault.aspx

That's pretty cool. Do you know if the person that posted that has finished photos yet? I would love to see the thing in all its glory.

WOW! Now that is completely over my head. How does it work?