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Forum Index : Solar : Solar Water Heating
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MacGyver Guru  Joined: 12/05/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 1329 |
Crew After two days of maximum effort, I finally have a solar water-heating system in place and working fine. I had to resort to having help from my neighbor, who lives on the farm "next door". Even though the tank weighs only about 140 pounds, I just couldn't lift it the full 8 feet without help; I tried, but didn't have the strength -&- balance. Now that it's installed, it provides me with 100% FREE hot water whenever the sun shines, which in Texas is nearly daily. If it snows, I've built in a system of isolation valves, which will divert the water away from the exposed panel and drain it. That way, it won't freeze and crack the pipes inside. When it snows or rains for days on end, I have pre-wired it to run on 220 VAC, which I get FREE between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. You may wonder why the FREE electricity. There are three power grids in the United States; the West Coast, East Coast and TEXAS grids. Texas has its own grid and because there's little to no use at night, they encourage usage by offering it for free. Apparently, it's less costly to run the power plants at a steady rate rather than turn the production up and down each day. The solar-energy collector is made of copper tubing, sitting atop a serpentine sheet of reflective barn roofing material (galvanized steel). When the sun shines in from any angle during a 6-hour southern-exposure, the light is made to bounce around inside the collector and hit all the sides, bottom and top of each verticle collector tube. As the water inside the tubes heats, it becomes less dense and rises against gravity. This produces an automatic "pumping" action, called "thermo-siphoning" which exchanges the cool water in the tank inside and above my laundry room with the warmer water below at the collector. No mechanical pumping is required and it turns on and off automatically whenever the sun shines or doesn't. 
The receiver (water tank) is seen here mounted above my unfinished laundry room at the south end of my building. 
This is the collector panel (2' x 3') which is mounted permanently on my south-facing wall outside. The "glass" cover is bullet-proof Lexan and will withstand a direct hit from even the largest of hail balls. . . . . . Mac Nothing difficult is ever easy! Perhaps better stated in the words of Morgan Freeman, "Where there is no struggle, there is no progress!" Copeville, Texas |
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Gizmo Admin Group  Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5078 |
We have something like that here, called "off peak". Its cheaper, but not free, and its there to keep the coal/gas fuelled power stations operating under load and at best efficiency. Most electric how water systems use this off peak power to heat water at night. I'm a little concerned about your tank sitting on that timber frame. Once full of water, it will be very, very heavy. How big a tank is it Mac? Any idea of it litres/gallons? Glenn The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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| MacGyver Guru Joined: 12/05/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 1329 |
@ Glen The (40 US gallons) tank and contents weigh in at about 400 pounds. I built the structure with that in mind. It is situated in a corner sitting atop a sheet of OSB and I intend to shear the walls below from the inside. As it stands, it supports its own weight and mine (250 lbs) without any problem. I intend strapping it to the wall in case it gets bumped or whatever. Earthshakes here are almost non-existant. I "may" also build in a small closet below the receiver, which will transfer the load directly through framing members to the concrete slab, but it seems to be holding just fine for now. Thanks for your concern. . . . . . Mac Nothing difficult is ever easy! Perhaps better stated in the words of Morgan Freeman, "Where there is no struggle, there is no progress!" Copeville, Texas |
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| MacGyver Guru Joined: 12/05/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 1329 |
Crew Turns out, the tiny collector panel is not big enough to "pump" as vigorously as I desire, so I spliced in a small pump on a timer. Although thermo-siphoning works, the mechanical pump works much better, by moving more water through the thing. Now, instead of a 'warm' shower, I get a hot one. Live & learn, eh? . . . . . Mac Nothing difficult is ever easy! Perhaps better stated in the words of Morgan Freeman, "Where there is no struggle, there is no progress!" Copeville, Texas |
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