One of my favorite marriages is a solar ready (preheat) tankless and a ProgressivTube SHW collector. With this combo you get batch type collector that is storing the heated water, a 10 yr. P&L warranty, and no pumps, sensors or controls on the SDHW side. I double insulate the supply and return lines and in most U.S. climes you will not freeze the collector and surely not in So. Cal. I have an old SunFamily evacuated tube batch heater that supplies my Takagi T-KJr. that works great as the lowest flame modulation at 17k BTU heats little and if incoming is hot enough the burners do not even come on. The T-K3 modulates down to 11k BTU. I do not like electric back-up storage tanks as I can't handle the concept of greeting the sunrise with a tank full of hot water! For about 4 months of the year my Takagi is simply turned off, if you switch the power to it this is very simple and when supplemental hot water is needed beyond what the solar is providing you simply flip the power switch and you have instant and endless hot water.
>From the Solar, Wind and Hydro powered office of Jeff Oldham/Regenerative >SOLutions ____________________________________________________________ Get Free Email with Video Mail & Video Chat! http://www.juno.com/freeemail?refcd=JUTAGOUT1FREM0210
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