Diy Solar Hot Water System Overview and Operation!!!
Вставка
- Опубліковано 5 січ 2018
- Its -29 Degrees Fahrenheit Outside and The Diy Solar Hot Water Heater/Kitchen Floor Heater Still Works!!!
This video is an Overview of my Diy Solar Hot Water Heater and Kitchen Floor Heater and how it works. Its definitely not the best system in the world and has some issues but it does work and keeps my hot water heater hot and the kitchen floor heater warm!
➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖
Top Supporting Patreons:
Runar Klemetsdal 🔗 / alienwaremerrk
njfulwider5
🔗 / @njfulwider5
Exclusive Patreon Supporters:
Ian Lister, Sebastian Kjær Jensen
If you like the channel and videos and want to donate, support me on Patreon, feature a product or help out with a project, you can. Send me message, a package or donate with the Links below :) Thanks to all Awesome people who have donated, parts, tools, stickers and batteries. Thank you so much!!!!
Want to send me stuff and things?
Send to:⤵
AveRage Joe
PO Box 31562
Omaha, NE 68131
Donations and Tips will be used towards the projects and better equipment to produce better videos right here on UA-cam in videos to come!!!
ETH 🔗0x10E0AC75f9F053f146D6d003678F1c9BA1893dCb
Paypal 🔗paypal.me/YourAveRageJoe
Patreon 🔗patreon.com/user?u=3675924
Follow me on⤵
InstaGram 🔗 / average.joe00
Dtube 🔗d.tube/#!/c/youraveragejoe
AveRage Joe T-shirt's are now on Amazon for $19.99!!! amzn.to/2JKCMJp
➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖
My Affiliate Links to Amazon and Ebay for some of the products I have purchased. If you are looking for a particular product in any of my videos, please send me a msg and I will gladly send you a link!
🔗Amazon amzn.to/2wKdndG
🔗EBay goo.gl/e3m5EH
🔗www.tubebuddy.com/YourAveRageJoe
🔗18650 Supplies goo.gl/zPWXLF
🔗Opus BT-C3100 Universal Battery Charger goo.gl/EqhPAC
🔗Xtar DRAGON VP4 Plus LCD USB Charger goo.gl/fEoeun
🔗MPPT PCM60x Charge Controller goo.gl/vq3z9r
🔗Tp4056s I get are here amzn.to/2j5cg0d
🔗Heat Shrink I use now is here goo.gl/vjXcfM
🔗Best Solder Ive Used goo.gl/JDWEZb
➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖
Music Provided by:
Lensko - Cetus [NCS Release]
🔗 • Lensko - Cetus | House...
Lensko - Circles [NCS Release]
🔗 • Lensko - Circles | Hou...
Lensko - Sarvagon 2015 [NCS Release]
🔗 • Lensko - Sarvagon 2015...
Lensko - Let’s Go! [NCS Release]
🔗 • Lensko - Let's Go! | H...
Tobu - Candyland [NCS Release]
🔗 • Video
Jim Yosef - Firefly [NCS Release]
🔗 • Jim Yosef - Firefly | ...
Disfigure - Hollah! [NCS Release]
🔗 • Disfigure - Hollah! | ...
➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ - Навчання та стиль
I've got a solar thermal panel I want to integrate with a natural gas water heater system. Your video has not only addressed pretty much all of the concepts I'm trying to learn about including the floor heating, side arm heat exchanger and venting but also encourages me to believe it is actually possible to accomplish! I learned a lot from your tour and also from the comments. Thanks for sharing.
I really like his frank honesty, explaining both the good and bad (or in need of improvement) of his project.
Thanks! 😀👍
this is a very detailed explanation. it's not the prettiest thing in the world, but it's relatable
Agree! LOL
Wish I could like it twice. Thanks for the detail, sound quality and editing. Going to subscribe!
Thanks Man! Appreciate that!!!👍
Joe, wonderful video! Very impressed with your ability to clearly summarize all the parts of your system toward the end. You were like a newscaster. Not a lot of "uh's" and so forth. I enjoy your videos cause of your self-deprecating humor and your clear speaking. There are wonderful guys doing this stuff who just need to stop stuttering. Also, I am fascinated by the guy who sells a mppt controller to take 3 solar panels and hook them to the bottom connection of an electric hot water heater. Seems simple enough. If you ever get bored... Also, you could use an electric tank for a "tempering" tank for your existing system. Keep up your awesome vid's!
Thanks!!! Really appreciate the comment!!! It does need some updating. I would like to add an extra water heater tank (an electric one) inline with the gas one I have. I want an electric tank pretty much for that reason but was thinking of it as a dump load from excess solar (when I get more panels) or wind.😃👍
You might want to look into an expansion tank. I'm not sure but I think it will allow you to get rid of the vent so you don't have to keep replacing your antifreeze.
Yup, Ill have to add one!👍😃
We used air eliminators from hydronic heating systems to keep the high part of the PEG circuit wet and free of bubbles. Had the building automation system watching sensors everywhere and I was capable of opening and closing valves and turning on and off pumps with it. We had 120 panels with the evacuated heat gathering glass tubes in them. The system would give us about a 40° rise on 50° ground water @ a flow rate of about 100gpm in the summer at noon, Colorado sunshine. It made a scary amount of energy. All panels were on the roof and oriented straight south. The absolute largest problem with this system was the same as every solar water heater system I have messed with, hot days. Really hard to get rid of all of that heat. I have since retired, and I am going to build a system for me here on my acreage NE of Denver. I am going to have a roll of the cloth that is used to block some of the sun going to plants in greenhouses. It is available to block from 10% to 80% of the sun in 10% increments. Just gonna have a gearmotor raise and lower the cloth right in front of the collectors. I really only need heat in the winter to help heat my shop, 35' X 70', R38 walls and roof. Control will come from a PLC, what I used at work. Won't take much to control this one system, AutomationDirect makes some affordable units that I use for other stuff and I will tap into that system to control this system. Will probably make some heat storage to stretch the heat into the night times. I have a 7.5kW PV system on the roof of the house, electricity costs us $19 / Month, the minimum 'meter rental'. Pretty reasonable to utilize the grid to store my summer kilowatt hours up for the winter. Good video, just stumbled across it, am subscribed now. Your system seems to work well, gets way too hot, typical problem. The vent lets the PEG boil out and upset the chemical balance.. You'll get a better handle on it, just keep peckin' away at it, and make more videos. Lol..
Sounds like a pretty nice setup and agree lol Scary amount of energy!!! When I first set it up I was more in a prepping mode and wanted it to work with minimal parts. Now that im more of a hoarder I should take some time and set it up to work a little better for sure lol. Bigger tank and replace that 12v pump at a very minimum. Would like to automate it more for sure. Yeah it works pretty well for what it is. I am also in need of more solar on our roof. Ill be adding to that sooner most likely. I only have 6 235 panels up there now and a diy tesla powerwall that im still working on. I just have to many irons in the fire lol but love to tinker!
This is exactly what I want to heat my floors in the horrible Alabama winters lol. Its all heat pumps down here which arent very efficient at freezing temps (maybe 20 nights per year) except for the best of the new systems. heating gets very expensive here since our systems and houses are designed for the cooling season, leaky windows, doors, very little insulation. Forced air from the ceiling doesn't do anything to heat the floors and our slab construction acts like a heat sink sucking the heat out of your feet. I'd be fine to lay down the panels to route PEX raising the floor 3/4" or so, then do LVP over top.
Very Good Joe..!
Here in Australia we have had Solahart systems for almost 40 years now .. I’d take a look at them and see what you gain from it. I was in England uk when I started out in the building trades so I’ve seen centrally heated hydroponic systems with wall radiators as well .
From this I’ve noted how to control the steam factor which is a header tank with stop cock water supply and the vent steam pipe returns to this tank with a hoop section in the submerged water of this tank. So you loose minimal water. I’d use the low voltage pumps with a solar electric panel and battery to drive it. If it were me but not tried or tested as yet..
good luck ..!
Well done. Nice explanation of your system. Thanks.
Thanks for watching!!!👍
Looks like a pretty good system. I did like the off grid 12v pump idea.
Thanks Man! Yeah original intent was to be able to run the pump off a small 12v battery if needed.
Nice to see how simple a working system can be.
Probably the biggest improvement you could make would to use one or two differential thermostat controllers. One would turn on when panels are hotter than your accumulator tank to pump fluid thru the panels and heat the accumulator. The optional second one would turn on when accumulator tank is hotter than water heater tank to pump thru the side heat exchanger to heat your domestic water. The issue with adding the second differential controller is you might need to come up with a different scheme to run the floor heating loop.
Nice vid, thanks!
Yeah Ive been thinking of a way to shut off the hot water heater tank side once its hot and then dump more heat to the other side of the house for heat because its the coldest part of the house.
It appears you have a closed loop system for the solar collectors and tank. Thus you need to use an expansion tank. This will allow the water/antifreeze to expand without having to vent. Of course you’ll need to have a vent valve for the just in case, but it doesn’t have to set so low. (Don’t quote me on the exact specifics.)
However, do some research into an open loop solar system. There are some benefits of an open loop over closed loop. One, especially in your case, it won’t be dumping water/antifreeze into the outside. As an open loop system uses just water. When designed properly, an open loop drains back the water into the holding tank. Thus the solar collectors and pipes to them won’t have water in them, so no freezing. You may have to turn your tank to be vertical for the ideal open loop though. .
When I purchase my first home, I’ll definitely be installing an open loop solar water heating system. For the domestic hot water, and if possible to help heat the home too.
Yep, you are correct. Its pretty much a closed loop system but partially open from the vent lol. When I first set this up I made it an open loop system because of our climate, I had a used hot water heater tank and the pipes and pump where in different locations and it was a drain back system but then found a small hole in the tank when I added more water to it (thats why it was free on craigslist im guessing lol). So once I started to use this tank I decided to put it on its side and most of the lines are on the under side of the tank and therefore the water doesnt want to drain back into the tank from the panels. I think if either rotate the tank or put the return line from the solar above the water line it might drain back because it can get air back into the line. If I can find another hot water heater tank ill grab it and use that instead + it holds more water.👍😃
Only 5 years ago and you have changed everything still a good one.
😆😆 Yeah all of it over there has changed! I still have those panels btw
Very detailed , appreciate the information thanks!
Thanks for watching!🤘
love your channel brother keep em coming
Thanks Man and will do!!!😃👍
The out takes were great. A live conversation with you would be interesting. Keep up The Good Work......
Thanks Man! You know how to contact me meow!!!😀👍
You speak my language, I have to convince people that graduated high school too. Good video thanks.
Thanks for watching! I did graduate...I promise!😆😆😆🤘
Hey Joe,
What you are referring to as electrolysis is actually galvanic corrosion. If you look at the anodic index here en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanic_corrosion you can then see how much corrosion you might have to deal with in your water loop. Look into different types of antifreeze agents because some have better corrosion inhibitors than others. Any conductivity between two reactive metals even through the electrolyte will result in corrosion but the use of isolating unions will greatly reduce it. Having an inline filter may help keep the corrosion from building up in the pipes but at the same time that should not be too much of an issue where it would require a filter.
One thing you could look into is adding a larger tank inside the house that has a heat exchanger in it to help store more of the heat. Having an expansion tank would also help.
Independent manual controls work just fine but you need to monitor them regularly to ensure the system is working. A digital control system would likely give you more control and more information without having to check the system as often. I would eliminate the use of any extension cords from the system and wire the entire system up using the appropriate wire. Extension cord is fine for testing but it is not something I would want to leave in regular long-term service.
All in all, it looks like a great project so far. Using some of that water to heat the house once the water heater is a good temp will help ensure you get the most out of the system. Keep up the great work and thanks for sharing your videos.
Yep, galvanic corrosion with electrolysis! Ill look into different antifreeze types. I just always grabbed the cheap green stuff 😆. I for sure need to add more dielectric unions and separate the grounds. I would really like to do some upgrades like a bigger collector tank, add an electric hot water heater tank inline with my gas one(for solar or wind dump) and temp sensors ect... Make it more automated basically. It would also be cool to have a few extra valves in there to shut the off going to the hot water heater once its hot and go only to heating the kitchen floor and or some other heating device. Yeah all in all it works and Ill keep sharing videos!!!😃👍
Thanks for the update
Yeppers!😀👍
If you mount your solar water panels more verticle they will probably worrk better. The sun is low in winter months so in summer when the sun is higher they won't heat up so much. I have some solar air heaters that I made and I have them mounted right tight to the garage wall.
Yeah you are probly right! I just used the rack/mounting system that came with it lol
13:10 In a pipe-style heat exchanger, both fluids must flow in the same direction to maximize the temperature differential. I think yours is piped backwards. Very nice installation BTW I like it very much!
You could be right! Yeah mine is going the other direction. I was thinking path of least resistance when I set it all up but that part probly doesnt matter since the fluid has to go down then come back up anyway lol! Thanks for watching!!!👍
@@AveRage_Joe This little calculator puts the math behind the claim.. essentially, this affects the (Thot - Tcold) in the equation. thermtest.com/thermal-resources/conduction-calculator
you need to put some zinc anodes in the tank. like the put in water heaters. they have them at the hardware store. it keeps the corrosion down. it sacrifices the zinc in place of the other metals. its just a plug that screws in with a bar of zinc on it! hope I helped a little.
YES!!! I do need to do that for sure!!!😆👍
Excellent diy..... few valves, expansion vessel new pump and you have sistem that was made like professional installers.... 😉
Thanks Man! Yeah thinking of upgrades!
Never apologize for your UNSCO controlled dumb down degree. You have gone farther the expected in life. Keep up the hard work on your PHD in life. This video show how much you have gone. I like it.
LOL Thanks!!! Im a tinkerer, and love to do it! Id be in heaven if I didnt have a real job!🛠🎥👍
What kind of degree is that?
I was thinking about doing this, but after watching you video, I've decided not. Thanks Joe you are the best!
LOLZ, mine is a made up cobble system from my prepper days and wanted a system to heat water with a 12v pump. The systems you can buy nowa days are pretty sweet. You should look into them!👍
I have a tankless system which I really love and was one of the first people to have it installed. However, I found a system that not only uses solar for production during the day, but uses a chemical reaction to function at night or on snowy or cloudy days. If I were to ever go back to a tank system this is what I would have installed: www.thealternativeenergycompany.co.nz/
Terry Texas Il have to take a lookc! 🖒
You can add rust inhibitor into the system. We typically use wet heating systems here... gas boiler with aluminium heat exchanger, copper pipes, and steel radiators. You add a bottle to the system to stop corrosion.
For some reason I never thought of that! Thanks!!! Will have to do that!!!🤘
Learning by doing! Good for you! As an off-gridder living in a solar home, may I offer a few suggestions? First, if the outside temperature is minus 3 and the apparent temperature (taking into account wind and humidity) is minus 24, the system only 'feels' the minus 3. Inanimate objects cannot suffer from wind chill the way you and I do.
Do you run water through your panels? I watched your video twice and still might have missed something, but you really should consider running a 50/50 solution of non-toxic propylene glycol instead. It eliminates the very real danger of freezing and rupturing a line in a panel. Your heat exchanger keeps glycol and domestic water separate.
Your are using a timer to shut down your pump, because you don't want the system to dump heat back into the panels after the sun goes down. Did I get that right? Consider PV direct: a small photovoltaic panel set up next to your hot water panels, which runs the circulator only when direct sun hits it. I use Chinese-made Topsflo pumps off eBay. They run on 9-24VDC and are surprisingly well made. But go ahead and use that March pump. Make sure the panel wattage is at least double the pump wattage (I have a 12V 30W panel to run my 15W pump) Your snap switch will not allow the pump to start until the fluid is hot, but at the end of the day your PV panel will shut the pump down long before the snap switch can.
I'm concerned about your temperatures. You should never, ever be even close to developing steam. That can be dangerous and sure isn't good for the longevity of your system. I suspect you are collecting Btu's much faster than you can transfer them. The heat exchanger is possibly undersized for this job. DudaDiesel sells very nice stainless heat exchangers on eBay; they are actually made for beermaking but mine is a tremendous handler of Btu's in a very small package. And one more thing: thermosyphon setups are not terribly efficient. If you insert a circulation pump between the tank and heat exchanger you'll transfer far mote heat per hour, and minimize the danger of panel overheating.
Good video. Keep up the good work! Paul in central British Columbia, Canada.
Yes Sirrrr! Suggestions are always welcome!!! At that time I was more into to being a prepper and wanted a minimal but working setup. Now Im not so much into prepping and could/should upgrade the system.
You are correct about the temp and the wind chill. I have been using antifreeze in the system for the most part There was a time or 2 when the mix wasnt strong enough and the return to tank pipe was frozen. Had to help it along with a torch lol. Yes the side arm heat exchanger keeps the system separated.
Yep, when I first started building this I wanted simple items to make it all work and a timer to shut the panel pump off seemed to work and yes to prevent hot water returning panels after sun goes down. I did think about using a solar panel to do that like you suggested but at that time small solar panels were pretty expensive. I do still plan on upgrading that march pump.
The snap switch outside is around 115f if I remember right so it kicks in pretty quick after sun hits the panels. Then the timer shuts off the computer power supply that is connected to that snap switch while its still pretty warm to help keep the heat inside the tank. When I first started I had the snap switch turning off the pump and you are correct, it kept circulating untill the temp got down to roughly 90 or 95f so thats where the timer came to be.
I agree that it shouldnt be getting that hot and a bigger tank would help out a lot and or maybe a variable speed pump. I like the bigger tank idea since I could circulate indoors longer. Ill take a look at the heat exchangers on ebay for sure!
Yup, again in the beginning the side arm heat exchanger was a cheap option with no moving parts lol. I couldnt afford an actual solar water tank lol. There is pump on the bottom of the tank that pumps directly to the side arm heat exchanger then either returns back to the tank or in winter I have the 2nd pump that will help it along to the kitchen floor.
Thanks for watching and commenting. Always good to hear suggestions!!!😀👍👍👍
Nice...
Good to see!!!!
Im working on a prof vaccum tube system on the 5. Year.
Temp messure places = 17
800l buffer
28pcs. ø63mm x 1.8m solar vacuum heatpipe collector
Making my garage 99% heated by the sun i denmark.
And u know we are not that sunny,
Wall mounted towards south.
Spent 200.000kr and stil a bit to showoff:)
It will blow your minds:)
Fully documented and open source.
On any part.................
But programming is a bitch,
Im a mechanical guy.
So it will take a good while before its made. Relying on others.
You said a lot of words that, by themselves I know those words, but when you put them together they make my head hurt. LOL! Love you, and still think you're funny.
Loads of words in a different order😉😘
I would love to do solar water heating. Only problem is I'm a moron at plumbing and never understood a word you said.
Lol, maybe I can make a little drawing or something to help see how its all laid out!👍😃
That’s why we chose to heat our water with a compost pile. There is a little maintenance but we get hot water 24/7. Check out our latest video if you want to see how we did it.
I have seen videos about doing it that way! Ill check out your video!!!😀👍
Solar panel make water hot and then you lost me. JK! Wow Joe, way kewl bro. 👍👏☀️🔥💧
LOLZ😆
"I call this the taco pump" haha! So funny :)
😆🖒
2-suggestion. Make an 20 or 30 gal expansion tank (out of a plastic garbage barrel) like a car so the steam go in and when it cools it sucks the fluid back in. Then you just keep it at a set level. And in the summer cover 2-3 of the Solar panels so you just get the right amount of heat that you need without boiling the water out.
Yeah I think an expansion tank is in order! I have covered the panels in the beginning to keep the heat down. One of the times I had to cover all panels to do a fix during a hot summer day but cant remember what it was.
In order to thermosiphon effectively at your water heating tank, I think you need to be hooked to the hot out pipe instead of the cold in pipe. The cold in pipe drops down to near the bottom of the tank just about where your thermosiphon is trying to draw in from the lower pipe of your heat exchanger.
Also be careful of steam from antifreeze. I once got very, very sick from working on a vehicle that was steaming antifreeze and breathing in that steam.
I use PEX on send/return lines. Insulated etc.
I started with pex but the fluid would get so hot I was afraid the pex was gonna fail.
I wonder if you could equip a vehicle radiator overflow on your outlet/steam line to keep the fluid loss down.
HHmmmm thats an idea!!!👍
Why you don t use a differencial temperatur solar controler to put on and off the circulation pump?
João Luis Martins
👍 that was also my idea! And now i read your comment 😁
That would be a better way to go! I did in like this back in the prepper days so it would be cheap, easy and with minimal parts! Just a hoarder in training now 😉 so it needs updating!!!👍
If the system is a closed loop system I would look into waterless coolant, I use Evans in a lot of trucks/cars. It has a boil point above 375*F, and a freeze point rpund -40*F or lower, when used in automotive systems it never builds pressure and it's inert, Which means you wouldn't have to worry as much about the corrosion in the system. The only down side of it, is the 50 bucks a gallon for it.
I have heard about some stuff truckers use and that Evans sounds like it would do the trick. $50 a gallon is kinda expensive but may be worth it in the end. Thanks for the suggestion!!!😃👍
Engine Ice is what I am going to use in my system. Good friends with the owner. Sponsored us when we raced motocross.
So did you build the panels diy style
excellent.....love the system ....myself I'm Gona do some cobblein tinkerin on heat pipes sooner or later..they're a lot more efficient at energy collection...that would defiantly need a heat exchanger though n my "roundtoit" would have ta be really crankin....we'll see....lol
My panels are basically the same as yours I think. If you added a side arm heat exchanger you could be using yours meow!😃👍
Nah...id have ta add a tracking system...the energy collection area is too small ...its just a storm door glass mounted on a wood box...it works great from the end of March till mid Oct...then I shut off the inlet n outlet n drain the collector n operate the heater through the heating elements...on a timer....the 20 Gal tank uses bout 1kwh(it heats up the water just before I get home)..its a hobby
Oh ok. What size of copper pipe did you use inside the panel. Mine are either 1/4 or 3/8 and thats why they can get so hot. If you ever make another one you could use that size!
its all 1\2 in. copper......the sensors attached at the outlet...when the water filled pipe temp gets to 137 it activates the 12v dc pump....after a few..the temp drops to the shut off temp of 119...then the cycle repeats...until flow temp stays above 119...after that it just keeps circulating ..till hot waters pulled n temp drops to shut off temp...down dirty basic n simple...it works..
8 to 9 mo outa the year so I don't gota put out cash ta get hot water....of course its just the Bean n me.. kids n their mom r long gone... if they were still here id defiantly need something more like ur set up...lol
Wow! Nice video, detailed footage. First time watcher.
Cpl things rang a bell for me...pex generally isn't rated for concrete or sun exposure. Radiant floor heating under kitchen...check out pex,Al,pex.(aluminum sandwiched between inner and outer pex)
Electrolosis has nothing to do with electricity...keep that equal(electrical) potential going with the grounding electrode conductor connected to your water pipes...see National electric code... NEC code 250.52(A)(1).
Hope to watch more of your videos, thx a bunch... inspired.
Thanks Man!!! Ok Yeah I only used the regular pex they had a Lowes in the beginning to try everything out then moved to copper. Ill check out the other stuff. Isnt electrolysis in pipes ect from stray current and from different metals coming in contact with each other with an electrolyte? Yeah I never looked at any codes lol. Probly should tho 😉. I appreciate the watch and plan on making more vids and stuff with the solar when I am able. 👍
Joe, the corrosion you are worried about (and rightly so!) is called galvanic corrosion. Look it up on Wikipedia. Dissimilar metals in contact with each other cause it. Electrolysis IS driven by stray electrical currents, and can be an issue, but it's not for you. The dielectric unions are exactly what you needed.
And on the solar side pipe I miss also expansion vessel 👍 that would compensate pressure spikes in solar pipes and make pressure constant... With pressure gauge then you can control the liquid level..... 👍
Pump.... you need a better pump
Yep, there is no expansion tank right now since I have the vent on it. Might add one and see if I can take the vent off!
HAHA love the bloopers!
Thanks You!!!😃👍
Your prepping days perhaps ended late december 2012? 😉😁😁
Maybe another idea, take 2 temp sensors and messure temp of return water solar panels and messure temp of watertank.
Now switch the system on wenn water temp from solar is higer than water temp in watertank.
This way you don't need a timer (which can go on and off to soon), and you have max effecientcy.
Wenn the sun goes down the solar panels cool and water in watertank is higher and now the system goes off. 👍😁
LOLZ Maaaaaybe😆😆😱😜 I think I wised up earlier in the year but I kept an eye on things lol. I still have some things in the back of my mind because sh!t does happen all over the world and I think its a good idea to have skills and be a little prepared. Yeah I do want to update the system to be more automated, I just need to figure out how Im gonna do it!😃👍
AveRage Joe I completely agree with you.everyone needs to know how to take care of their self and family. I like to think I could. Things do happen like floods volcano's. Look at hawii and Guatamala its crazy! I would just KNOW it was the end if I saw what the ppl of Guatemala went through! Is there any of the thermal solar able to make steam? I would like to build a steam powered generator. I can run it off my wood stove in winter. I need a way to run it in summer. If I can get enough steam I can generate about 150a @ 30v. Well up to that anyway! Wouldn't you just love to have a duce and half military truck for a bugout vehicle! Man I'd like to have one. With a camper in place of the bed. And bigger tires? Go anywhere or over most things! With solar. And 600-1000 gal fuel tank. Run on about any fuel! But the diesel only. Performed better. It will run off motor oil or veg oil if it's hot! You could go from new York to Cali nonstop with a bit of modifications. And port a pot! Anyway do you think just a loop under a floor running the length of room with insulation would heat the floor/room? Sorry you know how I ramble! Sorry!
PS I still wanna / plan to build a bunker! I'm going underground ppl!!!
Look in to soap stone it is a really good thermal mass
Awesome! Ill take a look!👍
You actually need a ground wire from your box to outside ground rods and the water pipe coming into the house. Your electrolysis happens when you have copper attached to steel. a brass fitting between or a dielectric fitting between are good separation methods.
That is one thing I dont have is rods!
Electrolysis is caused by dissimilar metal in contact with each other with water running thru it. Copper is different than iron which is different than stainless. You must have a nonconductor between the metals or you cannot eliminate this. The metals conduct at different rates and as a result with water, corrode.
Consider adding a small solenoid valve, pump, radiator and fan to the system to get ride of that extra heat during the summer. And add some temp sensors so you can monitor the system :P
Yeah I need to upgrade it for sure! I want to make it more automated but just need to figure out what all I want to do and add!😄👍
It may not seem very elegant, but I simply cover two of my three panels with a canvas sheet in the summer, to prevent overproduction of hot water. It works, and it eliminates the need for a heat dump.
Security expansion valve on solar side that I miss also.?..
Correct, no expansion valve on it either.
Very smart. Do you have any suggestions for what you would purchase to do this project with ready made store bought items? Hot water tank, solar exchangers (if different than the ones you purchased) , pump, etc?
To be honest I havent looked at new stuff since most of this free or super cheap.
Its not quite a drainback system. With a drainback system all water drains back into the tank and there is no freezing. But it looks nice i am looking at making one to heat my garage in the winter. Also if you put a higher gpm pump in place of the pump for the panels the water temp wont get as high and wont waste the heat as steam. In the next couple of months i will be starting a channel for my powerwall off grid garage setup i hope you will check it out and give me some pointers
Yep, you are correct. Its pretty much a closed loop system but partially open from the vent lol. When I first set this up I made it an open loop system because of our climate, I had a used hot water heater tank and the pipes and pump where in different locations and it was a drain back system but then found a small hole in the tank when I added more water to it (thats why it was free on craigslist im guessing lol). So once I started to use this tank I decided to put it on its side and most of the lines are on the under side of the tank and therefore the water doesnt want to drain back into the tank from the panels. I think if either rotate the tank or put the return line from the solar above the water line it might drain back because it can get air back into the line. If I can find another hot water heater tank ill grab it and use that instead + it holds more water. Yeah a bigger pump or more gpm would help with the excess heat. It doesnt steam to often in winter. I also add more water in the tank in summer to help slow that steam process down. Yeah Id love to see what you end up doing, I am your first subscriber😱😆💥👍
Perhaps you could create a full flow diagram instead of just the water heater tank section, for clarity
I feel like this was made WAAAAY more complicated than it needed to be.
You don t had any security valve from the pressure thank?
I dont have a valve on this system. Just use the vent for now.
Keep the pump just put a step down converter buck-boost that way you can take your 24 volt step it down to 12
I would need 48v to 12v step down converter but I want a quieter pump.😃
Do use some magnets on the bottum off the tank for the rust to stay in place.
Hmmm no but thats probly not a bad idea!
Anytime you use Palms to ensure the lifespan of it always make sure that it's pushing the water through the system on the cold side the return side and not pushing hot water through it though the cooler water at least that way you're pushing the returned cooler water with the pump this makes the pump run cooler and last longer I couldn't quite tell if that's what you were doing with slightly confused but that's okay I also said please lol
The way I have it set up now I am pushing the hot water. If it was more of a closed loop system I could probly do that. Mine is kinda a mix of a closed loop and drain back system. Not much drains back lol but some does. The pump that pumps water to the kitchen floor is in the middle of the system but even the return after the kitchen floor is hot but I get what your saying and agree it would be better on the pumps!👍
Galvanic corrosion that what you mean is corosion between copper and aluminum but not between iron and copper or Zn...
On your sistem is missing cleaning valve with cleaning screen before the pump.....👍
About the tank try to get that is made from stainless steel... 👍
Yeppers, galvanic corrosion through electrolysis. I also need to separate the ground from my electrical panel to its own ground and that will help a lot. Also put a ground on the solar side to reduce the stray currents! A stainless tank would be awesome!!! 👍
nice. look for evans waterless engine coolant. doesn't boil over 100 celcius . no pressure
Awesome thanks, Ill look into that!!!😃👍
Woah watching a new year eve video on New year day 3 years in the future
🤣💥🤘
Have you thought about a glycol system to reduce the electrolysis
I have but havent looked into cost yet!
As cheap as differential temperature controllers are these days e.g., an STC1000, why use the old clunky snap switches?
Yeah it for sure needs some updating. I did in like this back in the prepper days so it would be cheap, easy and with minimal parts. It works great when the sun is out!👍
Man I got some of these solar water panels, they're like 3' by 8' and I pump my pool water through it continuously but it feels almost like it made no difference. I guess 12-14k gallon of waters overwhelmed it lol. I got like 4 panels and I'm in southern California with tons of sun too. These systems are effective for recirculating 50-100 gallons over and over. But man, my pool is a different animal.
How fast are you pumping through them. Id try pumping slower and will will work for sure!!!
@@AveRage_Joe I'm using a pond pump only. I think overall the thermal energy isn't lost, it's just getting transferred so fast you can't tell with your hands.
all that could be automated with ESP32 or arduino.. would be a nice project.
Maybe make a wishlist of ideal automation you'd like to have eg replace timer so you can set daytime/nighttime when to turn things off on or have it turn off if some conditions are met, like over heating or lost pressure.. etc.
grafana graph the whole thing so you can see it working remotely.
Also using excess heat from cryptocoin mining could be used to heat things up during night as well.
Maybe AverageJoe is the right person to pull something like that off :P
YES!!!! It would be awesome to make it automated now that Im not so much a prepper and just a hoarder 😉 I want to add another hotwater heater tank and install it in series before the gas tank so it would be more like a pre heater. Id also like to shut that side of the pipe off and then route it to the floor only or some other heat exchanger for mor heat on the north side of my house.
I would LOVE a mining rig especially for the heat because damn my basement is cold. To bad I cant afford a rig.... YET!!!😱
maybe a sacrificial anode for the tank to help with electrolosys
Yup thats what a lot of people are saying, will probly do that!!!
Don't forget to change the anode rod in your water heater periodically.
Yeah need to check on that rod for sure. 🤘
Why don't you use the steam in summer to drive a small turbine to generate electricity for whatever use if possible.
will you be selling the pump when you replace it? I'm planning on building something like this. to use with my gas tank less hot water heater. I want it to Also help heat the house. I also want to use the wood stove to heat water . so I will only use gas when there is no sun or fire. and store the water in a electric water heater. used as tank only. .
Are you looking for a 12v pump? Id be glad to sell it to you! Its for real not as loud in person as the video shows lol. I was like WHOA this mic works great lol. Yeah this system is like using a wood stove or whatever to heat water and pump it where ever to heat stuff up.
I have an electric hot water tank. I'm looking into doing the solar setup to cut back on electricity cost. Panels-tanks and just putting a system together with commercial manufactured parts is over the top expensive. I'm looking into getting a system straight from China now green alternative living in America only benefits the company selling the product.
Yeah agree and everything is so expensive. Good luck on your system!
need another heat jacket for the outside panel water line the one you had to defrost
I got some of that insulation wrap stuff to do just that kinda like the side arm heat exchanger!👍
Just found your channel and don't know that much about solar water. But the vent should be like a car radiator. Less checking and visible overflow. Just my thought, might be wrong?
A while back (years ago) when I had it more like a car setup it would get vapor lock and wouldnt move the water/antifreeze. Not sure if it was cause by how I had it setup at that time or not. So to fix it I used the small 1/4" line vented outside and that seemed to help. Then later on I changed it up a little and kept the vent line thinking I still needed it. There is room for improvement in the system for sure but havent had the time to mess with it much lately! Oh and thanks for watching!!!👍
hey man do you think it would be simpler and more cost efficient to have 4 solar panels that would work with the electric water heater inside of the house?
Very Possible Yeah.
@@AveRage_Joe and thanks for the video man, it's a lot of good work 👍
Thanks for Watching!🤘
Joe, It sounds a complicate system that could be automated with raspberry pie. Here in Brazil people put the panels on their roof.
I thought it was kinda simple myself😉 but I do want to complicate it with a Pi or a arduino! Yeah there are a few people in town that have them on there roof. The guy I got them from had the panels on the ground and since I have a bad back I didnt want to try and move these heavy panels up there!😃👍
HERE IS A HINT if your are getting steam.. your storage tank is way to small Looking at what you have your storage tank is WAY WAY WAY to small. Second hint do some research on Radiant heating. Your pump would be great if your pipe run to and from the kitchen were a larger diameter pipe. You may not be aware but it is internal friction in your tubing that keeps the water from circulating correctly. People who use radiant heat do plumbing one of two ways.. a batch of small pumps one for each circuit. These are designed for people with LOTS of money to add to the cost of their mortgage. Then there are those who look at the entire water flow of the system as a good plumber would do and size one SINGLE pump large enough to encompass every heating circuit. The interesting thing is the one big pump will use a great deal less power as it is not constantly drawing current for starting the small pumps. This in addition that if you look at current draw all those little pumps will far exceed the draw of one single pump. Wrote this for those who might enjoy your video
The Taco pump is for heating systems and oxygen free water. You need a stainless pump or it will corrode. "Water heater" always sounds better than "hot water heater".
A stainless pump would be nice for sure! Agree "water heater" does sound a lot better for sure!!!
shouldn't the steam vent be at the top?
Its venting off the top of the tank!
put it in yourself ? if you did- bet that took a little time! only solar heated water gets pumped through pex for heated kitchen floor? what percent of your hot water is heated by solar over a year's time (guesstimate)?
Yeah I cobbled it all up myself lol. When I first started this venture I started with pex but since the water could get so hot the pex would sag from the ceiling in the basement and It looked kinda scary lol. I probly didnt have enough clamps. So I changed it to copper. The system has had changes as I would figure out what doesnt work but yes, I did use pex only under the kitchen with a lot of clamps to hold it up there. I also installed metal roof flashing under floor for the pex to be up against to help radiate the heat. The internet says 214 days of sunshine at my location so I would say less then that!
Galv is the worst to use for Water as it will cause the most gunk of any type of fitting and it does not take long for Galv to rot away either. It's cheaper to use Galv but does not last as long and needs constant upkeep to ensure it stays clean. You might want to check yearly by taking those Galv Fittings off and you will see what I mean... Cheers...
Im thinking Ill just change them for that reason alone!👍
Holy Duct-Tape batman.
😆🤘
What state are you in and what Latitude?
Im in Omaha Ne 41.257160 N 95.9980 W
Taco-taco-taco pump.....now you really need burrito deflagulator. Not a bad job, but try making friends with an electrician. We usually like food and beer. You just need a little help with motor control circuits and put it all in one enclosure on the wall by your tank. You would be amazed what can be done with a few cube relays and the proper types of sensing devices.
You are correct on finding an electrician friend!!! I do want to make it more automated. I did in like this back in the prepper days so it would be cheap, easy and with minimal parts!😃👍
solar side is open sistem...... not efficient but works....
Yeah its kinda a mix between open and closed loop!
man oh man, you could do with some major improvements.
boiling the antifreeze is not a good idea at all. it will disintegrate and clog up your pipes. this is solved either by a diversion, like an outside radiator. or stagnation, where the circulation pump is turned off. the panels get hotter than the antifreeze boiling point and evaporates inside the panel. the panels get super hot, but no more boiling of antifreeze. you will need an expansion tank though. and the water needs to be pushed out at the bottom. and needs the right kind of panels. (not the snaking pipe ones) i like the first idea more.
thermosyphon, a thermosyphon does not need a circulation pump. it does it all alone. hence the word "thermosyphon". warm water is lighter than cold and tends to go up. conversely cold water is heavier and pushes down.
anyway, your system works, that is the main thing
Yeah it needs some improvements for sure. I did in like this back in the prepper days so it would be cheap, easy and with minimal parts! Now Im just a hoarder in training and want to improve stuff. Really only gets that hot in the summer and usually if I dont have enough water in the tank. I ran the intake side on the lower side of the panels since heat rises I wanted to go with the natural order of things. Yes, my hot water heater tank is where the thermosyphon happens and there is no pump on that. Yeah it has its kinks but at the end of the day if its sunny I have hotter water and a nice warm floor in the kitchen!👍
6:06 this must be using a ton of electricity
Why not do the same thing and use it to heat your house in the winter
I may try to utilize more of it to heat the house. Just need to figure out what I am going to do in order to do that!👍
@@AveRage_Joe here's a radiator you may want to look at
www.frozencpu.com/products/23375/ex-rad-681/Phobya_Xtreme_400_Radiator__-85mm_Version_2-__Full_Copper_.html?tl=g30c95s1586
@@AveRage_Joe have two in parallel and add them to your central air
Thats not a bad idea!!!
mmmmmm TACOS
Yummy🌮
why are u heating water w antifreeze? shalom
I needed to use antifeeze since all the water doesnt drain back into the indoor tank. If I change the tubing around a little bit I can get most of the water to drain but havent had time to do it.
@@AveRage_Joe but its toxic. please tell me that water antifreeze mix is not touching any mammal. shalom
Oh no its all in its on system! 👍
@@AveRage_Joe huh?
This is terrifying.
i heat a cup of water at a time for my cheapo ramen noodles, or use my rice cooker (usually to cook rice in about 15 minutes, or boil water for ramen) or a 35W tiny crock pot for some warm water... I don't see what people need this humongous water system for.. OVERRATED! [edit:] I think it'd be a great general heater for the house though. It'd work better was a water preheater, those four panels, instead of just a heat exchanger. During a sunny day have your hot water tank input (cold mains) diverted through the panels and pretank (taco)... which could feed directly into your main hot water tank (burrito?)
on a side note... Check out GreenPowerScience on youtube. TONS of cool stuff.
about this system you couldn't be using any antifreeze... keeping the water pumping through the panels at night with taco might not be enough to keep it from freezing. I take this for granted. I'm in Tucson where the beginning of January here has been highs in the 80s (F) and lows in the 40s (F). it did freeze a couple times in December, once 28F and another 31F (and it varies a lot around here by elevation, the waterless rivers here called "washes" get a bit colder but they're mostly unpopulated) (*ahem* bums)
I for sure like hot showers as does the wifey😄 Yeah I do want to add some sort of radiator for extra heating i the winter and I would also like to add another hot water heater tank inline before the gas one to preheat the water👍
2:53 hoarder
For sure!!!😆
Tap water? That should not be a good idea.
Yeah tap isnt the best. I was using distilled in the beginning
Wide angle lenses and close ups on faces are unmixy things... just saying.
True that!😆
You lost me at installed solar facing east
Amazing
🎉❤
Thank You!