Solar Hot Water Installation: Complete Walkthrough
Watch a full solar hot water installation from start to finish. Our team explains roof panel placement, tank positioning, plumbing connections, and the backup booster setup that ensures you have hot water even on cloudy days.
Transcript
Today we're installing a solar hot water system on a typical Brisbane home. The first step is assessing the roof — we need a north-facing section with minimal shading and enough structural support for the collector panels. We're installing two flat-plate collectors here, which will be connected to a 315-litre storage tank on the ground. On the roof, we secure the mounting rails to the rafters using stainless steel brackets, then slide the collector panels into place and connect the copper flow and return lines. Down at ground level, we position the storage tank on a concrete slab near the existing hot water location. The circulation pump and controller are mounted on the tank, and we connect the solar loop with glycol-filled copper pipes running from the roof. Finally, we connect the cold water inlet, the hot water outlet to the house, and wire in the electric booster element. This booster kicks in automatically during extended cloudy periods so you never run out of hot water. The whole installation takes about a day, and your system starts generating free hot water immediately.
