Author Topic: Solar water heating and other  (Read 1613 times)

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Basil

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Solar water heating and other
« on: February 02, 2009, 01:10:58 PM »
Adding this to the diaries because it's an up date on what I am doing. I have done zip on the house. How the wife lets me get a way with it I don't know. I made one solar water heater with 100 ft of 1'' black pipe and a double glass door. It holds 3.5 Gallons of water. It's on the porch with a little shading from the rails. I only did one test and it did ok being winter and having no back plate in it. Temp out side was up to 50 deg's F by mid day. Water was 35 deg's F at the start.

Note only had sun on it for 4 hr's.

At different times I turned the pump on an mixed the water. 3.5 gallons in the unit and 2 gallons in the bucket. By the end of the day it was at 100 deg's F. This thing is build out of black board,plywood, 2x4's, the glass and 100 ft of 1'' 160 psi rated black pipe. I did not put metal sheets in behind it. I made this one to test in the summer. I though the black pipe might melt in the summer with metal backing. I will have to wait for summer.





I got my hands on a 10 dish with ever thing on it. There is a lot of them around here. People give them a way to get it out of there yards, The pole and mount I have done put in place.

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The dish I plan on putting Mylar on it. Still working on the best way to do it. I did a lot of searching and found that people use copper tubing as an absorber. So I will try that first. About 10'' round will be my starting point. I'm just not sure about copper. I picked up 2 disk about 30'' a cross for testing. Yes it burns a board with no problem and fast. I have done a lot of reading and have learned enough to build it. Any advice on building this would help. There is nothing like learning the little things that makes a difference.

Also working on this slowly.

Now you know why I have not worked on the house.
« Last Edit: February 02, 2009, 01:10:58 PM by (unknown) »

fcfcfc

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Re: Solar water heating and other
« Reply #1 on: February 02, 2009, 08:04:29 AM »
Hi:


What exactly are you trying to do... a goal that is... or is this all just for fun and experimenting...


.....Bill

« Last Edit: February 02, 2009, 08:04:29 AM by fcfcfc »

Opera House

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Re: Solar water heating and other
« Reply #2 on: February 02, 2009, 09:23:16 AM »
Interesting idea.  I have a couple old sat dishes and would like to heat some water.  I could just glue onto the dish some aluminum foil as a reflector.  Trouble is, that isn't any better than rolling up some tubing in the same area.  A flat collector is less invasive and no pointing needed.  A large amount of tubing also provides storage.
« Last Edit: February 02, 2009, 09:23:16 AM by Opera House »

Basil

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Re: Solar water heating and other
« Reply #3 on: February 02, 2009, 01:09:26 PM »
I am hoping to do some thing like this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8bvqXxbTbM&feature=related

If it does does perform good then I can take the dish off and put solar panels on it.
« Last Edit: February 02, 2009, 01:09:26 PM by Basil »

fcfcfc

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Re: Solar water heating and other
« Reply #4 on: February 03, 2009, 05:52:02 PM »
For regular water heating, you are better off with flat plates or evacs. It really does not make any sense to concentrate except under special circumstances.

But tracking does rate high on the fun scale.....


.....Bill

« Last Edit: February 03, 2009, 05:52:02 PM by fcfcfc »

Basil

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Re: Solar water heating and other
« Reply #5 on: February 03, 2009, 06:45:11 PM »
The 10 ft dish was free. A tracker( about $ 50.00 ) ( Mylar $40.00, Glue $10.00 ) Ever thing else you have to buy for flat panels any way. The one flat panel cost me $50.00 to make and that's with out copper absorbers. That's using the 1'' black pipe. And it is more like a batch heater. I can't even drain it. It would have to be a closed loop with antifreeze.

I will keep testing the black pipe panel but I don't think I will build and more like that. Now what to do with all the glass doors in the back yard.

With the dish if it does not work out. I can remove the dish and I am set up for tracking solar panels. Not a lot of wasted time and money. I was hoping some one on the board had done this before and could guide me.

« Last Edit: February 03, 2009, 06:45:11 PM by Basil »

fcfcfc

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Re: Solar water heating and other
« Reply #6 on: February 04, 2009, 08:22:21 AM »
Hi:


Its been done before... the Mylar will not hold up unless you wax it with car wax often. Your missing out on all of the diffuse radiation. You only get direct sunlight. There will be maintenance issues with everything that moves.

I built a tracker for my evacs as an experiment. There are lots of pit falls believe me, and mine is only a one axis tracker... but have fun though


www.WeAreSolar.com


If you really want to see and learn allot about trackers, go to this site:


http://www.redrok.com/main.htm


.....Bill

« Last Edit: February 04, 2009, 08:22:21 AM by fcfcfc »

Dave B

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Re: Solar water heating and other
« Reply #7 on: February 04, 2009, 11:37:09 AM »
More power to you, pun intended. Kudos to you for doing this and posting your project. There are many out there who wished they had, thought they could and never did or never will. Again, great posting and it's refreshing to see new projects posted without being intimidated by the ever present present nay sayers. Keep on keepin on, the fun always wins out. Thanks again for posting.  Dave B.
« Last Edit: February 04, 2009, 11:37:09 AM by Dave B »
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Basil

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Re: Solar water heating and other
« Reply #8 on: February 04, 2009, 02:11:03 PM »
Thanks fcfcfc and Dave B,  

The maintenance part will always be there. I had to work on my solar panel tracker yesterday.  Thanks about the tip of waxing and yes I have had a red rock tracker, They rock.

Thanks for the inspiration. I'll post updates as I go.
« Last Edit: February 04, 2009, 02:11:03 PM by Basil »