Honestly, I’ve noticed the same thing—moving blankets just don’t cut it for real insulation. The R-value’s way too low compared to actual tank jackets. If you want to keep the tank hot overnight, you really need that thick foam wrap. But yeah, recovery rate is a big deal too. If the solar collector isn’t getting enough sun in the morning, the tank just can’t keep up, no matter how well it’s wrapped. I’ve seen setups where adding a circulation timer or tweaking the controller settings helped more than any insulation upgrade. Sometimes it’s just about squeezing a bit more out of the system controls.
Getting More Hot Water From My Solar Heater—What Am I Missing?
“I’ve seen setups where adding a circulation timer or tweaking the controller settings helped more than any insulation upgrade. Sometimes it’s just about squeezing a bit more out of the system controls.”
That’s a sharp observation. I’ve run into similar issues over the years, and honestly, it’s easy to get caught up in insulation upgrades when sometimes the real bottleneck is how the system’s being managed. I do agree that moving blankets are a bit of a stopgap—fine for a quick fix, but they’re not going to give you much staying power overnight. The R-value just isn’t there.
But I’d say don’t underestimate what a well-tuned controller can do. I had one property where we kept throwing money at thicker jackets and pipe wraps, but the tenants still complained about lukewarm water in the mornings. Turned out, the controller was set to start circulating way too late, so by the time hot water was needed, the tank hadn’t recovered at all. Once we adjusted those settings and put in a simple timer to pre-heat before peak demand, complaints dropped off almost overnight.
That said, there’s only so much you can squeeze out if your collector isn’t getting enough sun. Shading from trees or nearby buildings can really kill performance, no matter how efficient your insulation or controls are. Sometimes folks overlook that part entirely.
One thing I’d add—if you’re already optimizing controls and have decent insulation, maybe look at usage patterns too. In multi-unit buildings especially, staggering shower times or laundry cycles can make a surprising difference in perceived hot water availability.
You’re definitely on the right track by questioning whether insulation alone is the answer. It’s usually a combination of things—insulation helps with losses, but recovery rate and smart control make all the difference when demand spikes. Keep experimenting with those settings; sometimes it takes a few tweaks to find that sweet spot where everything just works better than expected.
Funny, I used to think insulation was the magic bullet too, but it’s wild how much difference the controller settings can make. I’m still tinkering with mine, and it’s like every little tweak changes the whole morning routine. Have you noticed if your system loses heat overnight, or is it more about not having enough hot water at peak times? Sometimes I wonder if I’m chasing the wrong problem.
The bit about sun exposure really hits home. I spent ages fussing over pipe wraps before realizing a neighbor’s tree was blocking my collector half the day… felt a bit silly after that. Ever tried tracking your hot water temp through the day? I started jotting it down, and it helped me see when the system was actually falling short.
You’re definitely not alone in questioning if insulation is the answer. It’s a puzzle for sure, but sounds like you’re digging into all the right places. Sometimes it just takes a few experiments (and maybe a little luck) to get things dialed in.
Getting More Hot Water From My Solar Heater—What Am I Missing?
Controller settings are a game changer, no doubt. I’ve seen folks throw money at insulation and still end up with lukewarm showers because their differential temp was set too high or low. I remember one call where the homeowner had the pump kicking on way too early, so the collector was just circulating cool water before the sun hit it properly. Once we adjusted that, it made a noticeable difference.
Losing heat overnight usually points to either poor tank insulation or a faulty check valve letting hot water backflow. But if you’re running out during peak times, I’d look at storage capacity or maybe even your usage patterns. I’ve had clients swear they needed a bigger tank, but it turned out their morning routine just overlapped too much.
Sun exposure’s a sneaky one—trees, new construction, even seasonal changes can throw things off. I’ve used cheap wireless temp sensors to track temps through the day, and it’s surprising how much you learn from a week’s worth of data. Sometimes it’s not about chasing the wrong problem, just figuring out which one’s biting hardest.
I’ve used cheap wireless temp sensors to track temps through the day, and it’s surprising how much you learn from a week’s worth of data.
Honestly, tracking temps like that is underrated. I’d also double-check that your mixing valve isn’t set too low—seen a few cases where folks were blaming the solar side, but the real culprit was a conservative anti-scald setting. Did you ever check if your collector loop is getting airlocked? Sometimes a trapped bubble will kill flow, especially after a service or refill.
