Bradford-White Corp Solar Water Heater User Manual

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Water Connections continued- 
TWO-TANK SYSTEM INSTALLATION 
 
THE TYPICAL TWO-TANK SYSTEM 
A typical two-tank system is provided in Figure 5.  This system holds two separate volumes of water.  The cold 
water supply is delivered to the solar water heater.  If solar energy is available, the water in the solar heater is heated.  
This heated water is delivered into the backup water heater.  If no solar energy were available, the backup water 
heater would heat the water through electric elements or gas combustion, depending on the backup water heater.   
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 5 – Water Heater Piping in a Two-tank Installation 
 
 
The solar with electric element backup can be used to replace either the solar or backup water heater in the two- tank 
installation.  Replacement installation configurations are provided in Figures 6 and 7.  By replacing either tank with 
the new solar with backup heater, replacing the remaining tank when it eventually fails may be unnecessary.  This is 
due to the solar heater’s capability to satisfy the requirements of a two-tank system.