countrytalkandtips.myfreeforum.org

rool · Joined: 19 Mar 2007 Posts: 14 Location: South Limerick

Is anyone handy enough to have tried these:-

http://www.bigginhill.co.uk/solar.htm

keithrawlins · Joined: 18 Feb 2007 Posts: 152 Location: banbridge

not yet but thanks to your link i will be this summer, the thing seems prety easy to make,(ishouldent have said that its going to be a nightmare now)
Twisted Evil

JayBee · Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2007 9:29 pm Post subject:

I'm about to start work on a solar water heater myself.

I'll be using the design detailed on the Mother Earth News website.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Gr...01/Mothers-In-Line-Collector.aspx

Even though there is a grant for the evacuated tube solar water heater I still won't buy any. The reduced price still smells of a big middle-man mark-up.
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http://the-goodlife.blogspot.com

wayland · Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 1171 Location: Campile. Wexford

Interesting thought. I like the evacuated tube design and it aint rocket science to build. Once we have found some glass tubes that is. I thought of recycling florescent tubes but fear that the glass is too thin. As to the grant etc. I may well use it but will have to do some costings first. They are much cheaper in the UK of course.
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JayBee · Posted: Tue May 08, 2007 7:57 pm Post subject:

I've started work on my simple solar water heater.

You can see the progress on my blog - http://the-goodlife.blogspot.com/search/label/solar%20heating

Depending on the results from the prototype I will build a series of these to provide for all summer hot water needs.

For winter hot water I am working on wood gasification, which you can read about here - http://the-goodlife.blogspot.com/search/label/wood%20gas
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James

http://the-goodlife.blogspot.com

wayland · Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 1171 Location: Campile. Wexford

Nice one James. I notice with the commercial arrays the need for a pressure relief valve in case the fluid boils. do you think that your system has this risk?
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JayBee · Posted: Wed May 09, 2007 9:06 am Post subject:

wayland · Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 1171 Location: Campile. Wexford

I think I shall have mine pumped by a vairable speed pump. With a stat fitted I would be more comfortable in the knowledge that if the water got to boiling point, the pump would go up a notch and dump the hot water more quickly. Keep us posted Wink

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JayBee · Posted: Thu May 10, 2007 5:27 pm Post subject:

My first solar heating panel is now complete.

I've posted annotated photos to Picasa.

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/butler.jm/SolarWaterHeater

No water in it yet. I need a few more fittings from JRs before I connect it to a small test tank.

However, I left it out in the sun and took readings with my IR thermometer. The collector plate touched 60C after 15 minutes in the sun. The unlagged output pipe was at 35C. There is currently no insulation behind the collector.

Total cost so far is about 35 yoyos. Some of the copper pipe, all the wood and fixings are of "obtainium" thus free.

I think boiling point water is not feasible with these designs. I regard it as more of a pre-heater so that you spend less money getting the temperature of your water over the required 60C. There shouldn't be any need for 100C water in your hot water cylinder.
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James

http://the-goodlife.blogspot.com

killerflies · Joined: 11 Jul 2008 Posts: 40 Location: Galway

Any update on how that has worked for you?

Would be keen to know.

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