Hello, I am new here and very excited at what we might learn. I love solar power and am hoping when we buy our next home in 2 years that we will have learned enough to use solar on our entire home.

Right now, I want to build out an idea that I have.

We have a sunroom on the back of our house with a tar top. It is so hot up there in the summer, 120 degrees with the sun on it all day. What I want to do is put a drum up there to catch rain water with a screen over the top of it to keep things out.

I then want to run a hose from the drum to the input for the hot water inlet on the back of my washing machine.

Will this work? Would the washing machine pull the hot water as it is needed?

Gravity will feed the water, but at a very slow rate as the pressure will be low. Problem with just a drum, is it will be very slow to heat up 55 gallons of water. Then at night, any heat gain will be lossed into the cooler night air.

To get any heat gain and keep it, need panels/tubs, pumps, insulated storage tank.

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as long as I can get the washing machine to take the water then I will be able to do it for really cheap.

As far as reflectors, I think that I can build them for use in the winter to help warm the water but in the spring, summer and fall it is so hot up there that having the drum just up there will heat it up enough.

Very excited at the possibility of doing this. Any more feedback?

More Feed back

Few more things I would considor

Remember 55Gals of water weighs alot so make sure the structure is Well Built and strong

research building a batch water heater some good information

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Update 2-17-2010
TED 5000C FOOTPRINTS http://98.214.188.176:80

The problem with batch water heaters is that the warm water goes to the top. You'll have 30 seconds of hot water, followed by 30 seconds of warm water, followed by 49 gallons of cold water. A small solar powered circulation pump will help make the water uniformly warm. A coil of black-painted copper tubing would make a great collector, but be sure to add a temp/pressure relief valve or you'll likely get a leak.

Now I agree and Disagree with you my parents had 2 Batch 55 Gal drum solar heaters all there lifes with a family of 7 in the summer that was More then enough hot water for us with left over some day and by hot i mean 120 deg water no as you said it has draw backs just like Evactuated tube heaters cant shead snow in the winter but flat panel collectors can but are not as effiencet as a vacuum tube solar heater ETC you get my point every system has its draw back so I recommend doing some research to meet you demands I my self have a flat panel and a 10 tube vacuum tube solar water heater on my house to meet my needs

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Update 2-17-2010
TED 5000C FOOTPRINTS http://98.214.188.176:80

I think my problem with my batch heater was the siphon tube, and the fact that it was standing upright. If it was horizontal, or just had a tiny bit of circulation it may have worked better. I still prefer a collector and a solar powered circulating pump over passive tank. I'd be interested to learn more about your folk's design with the 55 Gal drum.