What’s involvedWater heater

A solar hot water system's controller and gauge: what's involved

What a solar hot water system is, what its controller and gauge should show, the signs it needs a look, and what a pro does. No hands-on steps.

What’s involved

No hands-on steps here: what the job is, what a pro does, and what to have ready.

Panels up top heat a liquid that runs down to a tank and warms your water. A controller box runs its pump.
Its screen or lights show the panels' and the tank's heat, and whether the pump runs. On a sunny day the panels read hotter.
A pressure gauge on the pipes near the tank should sit in its normal band, marked on it or in the manual.
No hot water on sunny days, a warning light, the gauge low, or a drip at the tank or its pipes.
They check the pump and the controller, top up or change the liquid, and look over the panels and the pipes.
A warning, a low gauge or a drip: photograph the controller and the gauge, and ask Handyman for a solar hot water pro.
Never go up to the panels, and don't open its pipes: the liquid can be scalding.

Handyman says: I'll find a solar hot water pro.

Free for every home. Handyman asks a few questions, then books a pro it trusts.