My main objection to them is that, to me, they were ugly and far too expensive. This customer feedback helped to answer his second question. As he worked on his design, it occurred to Rich that his ideas might be patentable. In 1993, Rich was awarded a second patent that detailed further improvements to his original design. The system works in conjunction with a conventional water heater in order to supply hot water to the home.
Water is heated using the solar system primarily.
However, during long stretches of cloudy days or during high levels of hot water use, the conventional water heater will fire so that adequate supply is maintained. Inside the tank is the water the household uses to wash dishes, take showers, etc. This household water is transferred to the regular hot water tank, where it can be heated to the desired household temperature. Part of his patent includes a floating valve manifold which allows the water to fall into the drainback tank whenever the pump is not operating, thereby preventing the water from freezing in the exposed pipes during cold weather, a problem in many other passive solar designs. When the pump starts up again, a floating ball rises and closes the L-shaped joint which would have allowed the water to fall back into the drainback tank.