Shocking Secrets of Solar Heaters.. Revealed!

Picture this.. You get home to an $8000 renewable energy solar heater you just invested in..
Sure, it was a hefty price tag but the sales people promised it could supply all the hot water you needed. What’s more, you would expect massive energy savings and hope to break even in a mere few years..

But here are some secrets that homeowners only find out about several years later, when it is too late.

What you about to read here will shock you.

Just because a solar heater cost you a whopping $8000 does not mean it will work like advertised.
And I’m about to tell you why.
Almost 50% of the year, Singapore’s weather is rainy and Solar Heaters do not work reliably under these conditions.
Smog from neighboring countries causes haze and blocks out the sun. When this happens, Solar Heater efficiency drops.
You waste time and electricity whenever you run out of hot water and need to switch on the electric element.
Even though we carry Solar Heaters, we must say they don’t seem so attractive now.

Are you Surprised?

Actually, so were we!
This is something no solar heater company will tell you, but we will, because we have a moral obligation to do so.
As water heater specialists, we have a range of solar water heaters too but the feedback we’ve gotten over the last few years has been nothing short of alarming.
We know of homeowners who are forced to spend and pay extra $$ on large over sized tanks
Why oversized tanks? It is because solar water heaters heat up slowly. A huge tank serves as a kind of insurance that you don’t run out of hot water that quickly. But the downside is that the home owner has to cough up a lot of upfront cash, for a tank size that is usually 200% to 300% more than what is required for the family.
We have seen ‘solar energy savers’ transform into major ‘energy guzzlers’, especially on rainy days.
Rain translates to bad news for solar water heater owners. Now, your solar heater just won’t perform. So what happens next? You switch on the power for the heating element and suddenly, your renewable energy solar heater transforms into a mega power consumer that will wipe out whatever savings you had over the last 6 months in a single day.

That’s just some of the feedback we’ve gathered from solar heater owners. Mind you, they’ve not even begun to mention how expensive solar heaters are to maintain. If you have a solar heater, answer this honestly – when’s the last time you got someone to wipe the grime off your panels? If your answer is never, it is likely that your heater is already performing at a significantly lower efficiency.
What then, is a good heater for Singapore’s climate?
As your trusted water heater specialists, we suggest you start studying this type of green energy water heater that works so much better in Singapore’s tropical climate – Heat Pumps. 
Heat Pumps ensure you never have to pay full price for heating bills again.
Like solar heaters, heat pumps are renewable energy systems. But instead of using free heat from the sun, these ingenious heating systems use free heat from the ambient air. In our hot, tropical climate, we have an unlimited source of heat in the air to spare.

More about what heat pumps can do for you..

Heat Pumps can operate 24/7, as long the ambient temperature is above 15 degrees Celsius.
Heat Pumps save up to 80% of energy. Solar only saves around 50%.
Heat Pumps are 3X more efficient than electric heaters. The smallest one can save up to $600 per year.

Want a fast solution to your water heater troubles?

It’s EASY as 1, 2, 3.
Get in touch with a water heater specialist for advice. You can drop us an email or for convenient and faster responses, simply WhatsApp us.
Tell us your requirements, and let us give you some options to choose from. Remember, getting a quote is completely non-obligatory and will not cost you a cent.
If you decide to proceed, great. Just order the heater best suited for you and fix an installation date. (All this can be done in a single day)
It truly is that simple.
You can start saving real money, in just a single day.

Never ever want to pay full price to heat up your water heater again?
Click the button below to get started.
GET A WHATSAPP QUOTE NOW

Rainshowers: 7 Reasons Why I No Longer Use Them

Rainshower post feature image
Like many others, I used to love my rain shower. It felt relaxing. I always thought of my rainshowers as a pleasant comfort that I could indulge in in my own home.

After a long day of work, I could come home to a powerful and invigorating water massage. At $400+, it was an affordable luxury that was within my reach, every day.

But after many months of using a rainshower, the novelty has worn off. Here is what I didn’t know about rainshowers before and what I discovered later.

1. Rainshowers have less water pressure than hand-held showers

My rain shower came as a set. It is a single system with a mixer, diverter, and hand shower combined. This means I get to do a fair comparison between two types of shower heads.

You would think, bigger shower head, more water pressure, right? Wrong. Surprisingly, my hand held shower gives me more water pressure.

Let’s think about it for a second. With a bigger shower head surface area, water pressure is spread out over a larger area. The larger spray pattern causes the overall pressure to drop.

I have long hair and consistent and strong water pressure is important to me. It helps get all the soap out of my hair fast, and cuts down the shower time! Believe me, it takes longer to wash the soap out of my hair with a rain shower than with a hand shower.
Rainshower Water Pressure Disappointment

2. Rainshowers drain your water heater tank faster

Bet you didn’t know this, but I actually timed how long it took to drain my heater tank. With the hand shower, it took 6 minutes. But with the rain shower, all my hot water was gone in 4 minutes!

Not a fan of standing under cold water? Then you have to pick up your shower speed if you choose to use a rain shower. Rainshowers run at about 10 lit/min.

Compare that to hand showers, which are 7 lit/min. No wonder a nice rain shower session can use up all the hot water so fast.

This also means rainshowers burn more energy. Consumption is measured by the total volume of hot water we use. I save more going through 30 lit of hot water versus going through 50 lit of hot water.

If I can use less every day, my savings will stack up and my bank account will thank me later.
Rainshower Water Pressure

3. The Rainshower angle has limited flexibility

Many of you already know about the rainshower’s fixed overhead angle. But let me tell you how it makes daily tasks harder.

I have a pet dog and need to give it a bath every week. There is no way I can use that rainshower. I’ll get myself all drenched struggling with a dog and water coming from the top!

Another inconvenience? It is almost impossible to avoid getting my hair wet, even on the days I want to avoid washing my hair. Even with a shower cap, it isn’t easy. Having water fall directly on your shower cap is noisy and awkward. Might as well take a full shower now.

Bonus tip: the hand shower is great for doing a quick rinse of the floor and walls after a shower. I don’t like leaving the place soapy and slippery. A rainshower can’t do that for you.
Rainshower Limited Versatility

4. Ever had a rain showers drip cold water on you?

There is always some balance water in the rain shower. Even if you don’t use a rain shower, this can come from the person who used the shower before you.

The thing that really throws me off is how I can be taking one of my famously long and hot showers, when drip drip.. two drops of awfully cold water sprinkle down on my head out of nowhere!

That’s the balance water in the rain shower dripping down on you. There is nothing you can do about this! It is natural, just like gravity is natural. But it sure feels weird.

This can happen at home, or even at a hotel. Sometimes it happens if you are drying yourself off in the shower area, under the rain shower. For this reason I always try to dry off without a rain shower head above me. It is worse in winter countries when those droplets are ice cold.
Rainshower Dripping Cold Water

5. For a rainshower to run well, you must use a storage heater

This means you are limited to your choice of heater. You can’t go for a water saving heater like the BathBox. You must make room for a large storage tank water heater.

For some, this is ok because they can hide the heater above a false ceiling. For those in HDB, you have to put up with a huge tank in the bathroom.

If you don’t already have a storage heater, I will suggest not considering the rain shower at all. Upgrading from an instant to a storage heater is a massive job. Lots of pipe work, drilling, and dust. It does not make sense to undergo this major renovation especially if you are already living-in.

It makes sense to upgrade to a rain shower if you are doing a major reno.
Rainshower Temperature Fluctuations

6. No one told me how hard it was to clean a rainshower

To keep your rain shower shiny, you need to polish it. To ensure the ‘rain’ flows out in a smooth jet, you have to clean the tiny heads and make sure it is free of dirt.

But that rain shower is so high up! Ugh, cleaning it gave me a neck ache. Polishing it made my neck worse.

Today, I just do the bare minimum for my rainshower. Try not to use it too often, and clean it sometimes. Life is already busy enough, and I don’t want to be a slave to my house.

The less to do, the happier I am.
Rainshower Cleaning Challenges

The rainshower trend is coming to an end..

Rainshowers were popular five years ago, when anyone and everyone followed the latest trend. I got muddled into buying mine because the sales person gave me a look of disbelief saying, ‘You don’t want one? Everyone has a rain shower at home now..’ So I got it.

Fast forward a few years later, I barely use it. After asking my friends and clients about rainshowers, I’ve found that the popularity of rain showers are going down. I guess people move towards what's practical in the end..

Instead of following a trend, think about how you use your shower and see if a rainshower suits you. This can help you save on unnecessary costs. Who knows, it may even create a better shower experience.
Rainshower Showerhead

Rainshower FAQ

What height should a rainshower be installed at?
A rain showerhead should be installed at a height of 200 cm from the shower floor. If you are not sure, there should be a height suggestion in the instruction manual.

If there are tall people at home, the rain shower head should be 10 - 15 cm above their height.

Don’t fix a rain shower too high up! You’ll find that the water will feel colder coming down. The higher up the shower head goes, you will have even less control over the water spray as it comes down.
A storage water heater, or any heater with a big tank. Heaters with a big tank are high pressure systems and the rain shower will love it.

Don’t go for gas heaters, instant heaters or any tankless models. The water pressure output on those heaters are too low. Your rain shower will become a rain drizzle.
There will be a buildup of scale from minerals and calcium found in water. This can block the rain shower water holes and cause the flow of water to be uneven.

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