Wonderful information. !! I'm wondering if you have a source you could share, for the tanks required, in the drain-back configuration. I am working on a solar system for a 600 sq. ft. subterranean greenhouse... which has a 550 gallon hot water storage medium (two tanks). I have suspended half inch copper coils in the tank... which put heat (but not water), into the tank. The water is merely the storage medium. The supply to these two coils, is a 3/4 inch copper tube.... (the return line from the hot water solar panels). I have split this return pathway into 2 smaller, 1/2 inch lines... Each half flows slowly through the copper coil, and disburses its heat into the water. these two half inch lines, then re-combine, into a single 3/4 inch copper line.... and pump it back to the solar panels. Another set of 1/2 inch coils... with a smaller coil circumference, ... and which fit comfortably within the diameter of the larger coils.. are created, and will pull heat out of the tank... when a thermostat turns on another small pump, which circulates the heat from the tanks, into an insulated cement slab (insulated from the Earth... so that the slab becomes a warm or hot thermal mass... This will be the first Winter that I will (hopefully) have the system in operation... Just some plumbing between now and then. 🙂
Hello Ben, Really nice you just saved my---- . with the 1 in in 20 ft ,Thank you. What the best angle for winter I am in 44 latitude and 74 longitude , is 90 degrees up and down ok or what angle should I use . I have not built my roof on my garage yet so i like to go the best angle , will be using for heating my house, I ,am facing true south and theres nothing blocking it.
one question. your new supply to the tank seems to drop the added cold water to the top of the tank, where the hot water is. wouldn't you drop that to the bottom instead?
Doug, The cold water you refer to is the tank water make up. There is so little water introduced this way, that its affect is negligible. Many systems go years without needing any water make up.
These look like old first projects. Today each module must have pressure release valve, cause air gets trapped in manifold that will later lead to overheating.
How is this better the just using Pv solar to power only the lower element on you electric water heater and leave the top element as a back up or booster when needed please explain your ideology on this subject thanks
Hi, wondering if you could help. Im looking for a small\ mini water pump that can take pressure for my closed loop system. im just experimenting with thermal panels as a heat source. When i say mini i mean like the ones used for pc cooler or fish tanks, but made of metal an well sealed. ill buy second hand as its all just for experimenting. Cheers
This is a fantastic presentation. Many thanks for posting.
Wonderful information. !! I'm wondering if you have a source you could share, for the tanks required, in the drain-back configuration. I am working on a solar system for a 600 sq. ft. subterranean greenhouse... which has a 550 gallon hot water storage medium (two tanks). I have suspended half inch copper coils in the tank... which put heat (but not water), into the tank. The water is merely the storage medium. The supply to these two coils, is a 3/4 inch copper tube.... (the return line from the hot water solar panels). I have split this return pathway into 2 smaller, 1/2 inch lines... Each half flows slowly through the copper coil, and disburses its heat into the water. these two half inch lines, then re-combine, into a single 3/4 inch copper line.... and pump it back to the solar panels. Another set of 1/2 inch coils... with a smaller coil circumference, ... and which fit comfortably within the diameter of the larger coils.. are created, and will pull heat out of the tank... when a thermostat turns on another small pump, which circulates the heat from the tanks, into an insulated cement slab (insulated from the Earth... so that the slab becomes a warm or hot thermal mass... This will be the first Winter that I will (hopefully) have the system in operation... Just some plumbing between now and then. 🙂
Exceptional. You have helped out a lot of people with all this information.
Thanks for sharing your wisdom in a practically applicable way
Hello Ben, Really nice you just saved my---- . with the 1 in in 20 ft ,Thank you. What the best angle for winter I am in 44 latitude and 74 longitude , is 90 degrees up and down ok or what angle should I use . I have not built my roof on my garage yet so i like to go the best angle , will be using for heating my house, I ,am facing true south and theres nothing blocking it.
great video , planing on using a solar hot water heating system for a green house
Great video.Thank you for the time and effort you put in your videos.
one question. your new supply to the tank seems to drop the added cold water to the top of the tank, where the hot water is. wouldn't you drop that to the bottom instead?
Doug, The cold water you refer to is the tank water make up. There is so little water introduced this way, that its affect is negligible. Many systems go years without needing any water make up.
These look like old first projects. Today each module must have pressure release valve, cause air gets trapped in manifold that will later lead to overheating.
How is this better the just using Pv solar to power only the lower element on you electric water heater and leave the top element as a back up or booster when needed please explain your ideology on this subject thanks
PV solar has a very low efficiency. It will cost at least 5 times more with PV solar.
Hi, wondering if you could help. Im looking for a small\ mini water pump that can take pressure for my closed loop system. im just experimenting with thermal panels as a heat source. When i say mini i mean like the ones used for pc cooler or fish tanks, but made of metal an well sealed. ill buy second hand as its all just for experimenting. Cheers
Quit smacking your lips