Solar water heater

Claim 1

An improved solar heater of the type primarily intended for use in heating water; comprising in combination: a plurality of heater panel means including substantially identical length water flow channeling means formed therein, each of said plurality of heater panel means comprising an intake orifice formed at one end of said water flow channeling means and an exhaust orifice formed at the other end of said water flow channeling means whereby water may enter said intake orifice and travel through said water flow channeling means and exit from said exhaust orifice; intake manifold means including a main intake conduit disposed in fluid communicating relation to a water supply, said intake manifold means further including a pair of substantially oppositely extending supply branches formed thereon and communicating with said main intake conduit, said intake manifold means including a plurality of supply heads formed on said supply branches, a first plurality of water conduits disposed in interconnecting relationship between said plurality of supply heads and said intake orifices of said plurality of heater panel means; exhaust manifold means including a main exhaust conduit comprising a pair of substantially oppositely extending exhaust branches formed thereon and communicating with said main exhaust conduit, said exhaust manifold means including a plurality of exhaust heads formed on said exhaust branches, a second plurality of water conduits disposed in interconnecting relationship between said plurality of exhaust heads and said exhaust orifices of said plurality of heater panel means, and means establishing the sum of the longitudinal dimensions of each pair of said first and second water conduits to be substantially identical throughout said solar heater to provide a balanced flow of water through said heater panel means without the use of mechanical valves.