solar water heater

[harley1782000]

I did some playing around today to see if 1 1/2inch PVC schedule 40 pipe would work to collect the heat from the sun.
Here is the results:

6 ft of 1 1/2 PVC schedule 40 pipe painted with flat black paint.
Started at noon, temp out side 83.1F
Water temp when filled pipe 56.2F

At 5pm I stoped.  5 hours worth of heat. 
End temp outside was 84.9F
Water at end 126.3F

Now the pipe ends where on blocks so it was not laying on the ground.  There was a 50.1F gain in temp in 5 hours.
The reason I did this was to see if I could use this pipe for a solar pre hot water so my electric hot water heater didn't have to do all the work.  I have so much of this pipe laying around.  Next is to build the box and plum it up and get some hot water going.

Jim

[willib]

I was just playing around with tubing for hot water.
But mine was made from 5' lengths of black PVC 3/4" pipe from Lowes.
and i was happy with the outcome.
its pretty cheap in 5' lengths and cheaper in 100' length i think was around $25

[harley1782000]

That is why I played with the pvc pipe cheap and have a crap load of it.  I may start out with 3/4 for a run or two them go in to the 1 1/2.  Need to do something, My electric bill jumped $45.00 here.  It use to be capped but the state lifted the cap and pp&l went nutts with the rates. 

Jim

[willib]

Damn 
My setup was six 3/4"id  x 5' black pvc connected to 50' of 3/8"od copper tubing painted black
sort of a hodgepodge , but it is just lying on the porch , not installed or anything.
and being that its almost summer i dont think that i need an inclosure right away.

[Tinbendr]

... for a solar pre hot water so my electric hot water heater ...

What brand do you have?

I use 2) Titan SC2 in parallel.

I wanted to do this, but Titan warns against incoming water hotter than 100 degrees.  If I did this, I'd have to regulate the incoming temperature. (Ugh!)

[harley1782000]

My hot water heater is just a normal 50 gal electric.  Not on demand.  I do have a timer on it so it only runs a few hours a day witch was great.  But when the rate increase took ahold, well lets say they got my money back on what I was saving with the timer. 

[harley1782000]

I am really debating on if I otta make an in closed box for mine or not, I am not going to use it in the winter cuz I pre heat my water with my coal stove.  So this is just a summer thing.  I have some 1 x 6 x 10 foot ruff cut lumber.  I was going to use that for the box or just lay a bunch of pipe on my roof for the summer.  Not sure yet, the box sounds better.

Jim

[ghurd]

I am not going to use it in the winter cuz I PRE heat my water with my coal stove. 

Why not Totally heat the water with the coal stove in winter?


This is not solar, or on topic, or mine.
http://s701.photobucket.com/albums/ww20/ghurd1/Pumpless%20Water%20Heater/

G-

[harley1782000]

I should have worded that different.  It basically does heat all of it in the winter.  Sorry about that.  Your set up is similar to mine. 


Jim