Cheap and simple evacuated tube solar hot water.
- Thread starter RigidRaider
- Start date
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Hi RigidRaider
I'm currently planning a solar thermal addition to my thermal store, and read your thread with great interest. I know this is an old thread, but I was wondering - a year or so down the line - whether you are still happy with your set up?
Would you do it again - knowing what you now know?
Is the kit any good?
I've been looking at the solarproject site. Would you still recommend them?
A really random question (from looking at your pics)... I love the clear tube you've used on the header tank to show the level externally. Where did you get it? I'll definitely need something like that given where I'll have to site my tank!
I'm currently planning a solar thermal addition to my thermal store, and read your thread with great interest. I know this is an old thread, but I was wondering - a year or so down the line - whether you are still happy with your set up?
Would you do it again - knowing what you now know?
Is the kit any good?
I've been looking at the solarproject site. Would you still recommend them?
A really random question (from looking at your pics)... I love the clear tube you've used on the header tank to show the level externally. Where did you get it? I'll definitely need something like that given where I'll have to site my tank!
Wow, hello it's been a long time since any correspondence on this! It's a good thing I just happened by!
Yes, we are very happy with the setup. It's been through two summers now and the system has been completely trouble free and maintenance free. We don't even need to add any liquid as none evaporates. In high summer the pump was a little noisy and the supplier was quite prepared to replace it for me for free but since then it has quietened down.
In May and June on sunny days the system has been achieving around 58 degrees C in the tank and last summer I fitted a small 12v diverter valve run by the controller, which switches over at 60 degrees and sends the heated liquid from the manifold down into a secondary coil in the main house cylinder as a way of dumping excess heat. I've only ever seen it do this once and to be honest I can't actually remember what happened; it must have been pretty un-spectacular. I guess that what this means is that I have accidentally achieved a pretty good balance between solar energy collection and debit from the coil - as the temperature in the manifold peaks towards 3 or 4 pm the temperature in the attic tank is also just reaching its hottest and it only takes a small reduction in available sunshine to keep it from achieving the target, so it must be well balanced.
Whatever happens, once the CH has stopped running our condensing boiler is hardly doing any work at all on summer evenings; it fires up briefly then ramps down pretty quickly. I have no idea at all how much it is saving us, probably only around £60 a year but that doesn't account for the enjoyment I derived from fitting the system! With luck it might also increase the sale appeal of the house when eventually we move on.
Right now in early March with good sunshine the top of the attic tank is achieving around 18 -20 degrees with an incoming water temperature of 11 degrees.
The clear level tube is nifty, isn't it! It took quite an effort to find a supplier of that 15mm perspex tube, which is plumbed in with a bit of PTFE tape and gentle torque on the brass fitting. I have the remains of a 2 metre length left so if you want some, PM me and I will stick what you need in a cardboard tube and post it to you.
If you're anywhere near Blackburn you'd be welcome to nip over and inspect the setup.
And yes, the supplier is an all-round good bloke and very helpful.
Yes, we are very happy with the setup. It's been through two summers now and the system has been completely trouble free and maintenance free. We don't even need to add any liquid as none evaporates. In high summer the pump was a little noisy and the supplier was quite prepared to replace it for me for free but since then it has quietened down.
In May and June on sunny days the system has been achieving around 58 degrees C in the tank and last summer I fitted a small 12v diverter valve run by the controller, which switches over at 60 degrees and sends the heated liquid from the manifold down into a secondary coil in the main house cylinder as a way of dumping excess heat. I've only ever seen it do this once and to be honest I can't actually remember what happened; it must have been pretty un-spectacular. I guess that what this means is that I have accidentally achieved a pretty good balance between solar energy collection and debit from the coil - as the temperature in the manifold peaks towards 3 or 4 pm the temperature in the attic tank is also just reaching its hottest and it only takes a small reduction in available sunshine to keep it from achieving the target, so it must be well balanced.
Whatever happens, once the CH has stopped running our condensing boiler is hardly doing any work at all on summer evenings; it fires up briefly then ramps down pretty quickly. I have no idea at all how much it is saving us, probably only around £60 a year but that doesn't account for the enjoyment I derived from fitting the system! With luck it might also increase the sale appeal of the house when eventually we move on.
Right now in early March with good sunshine the top of the attic tank is achieving around 18 -20 degrees with an incoming water temperature of 11 degrees.
The clear level tube is nifty, isn't it! It took quite an effort to find a supplier of that 15mm perspex tube, which is plumbed in with a bit of PTFE tape and gentle torque on the brass fitting. I have the remains of a 2 metre length left so if you want some, PM me and I will stick what you need in a cardboard tube and post it to you.
If you're anywhere near Blackburn you'd be welcome to nip over and inspect the setup.
And yes, the supplier is an all-round good bloke and very helpful.
I also came across this thread quite recently and am keen to have a go at it myself. Having studied the various layouts I'm wondering if I can leave my existing hot water cylinder as it is and add an additional indirect cylinder in the loft to receive the heat from the solar and feed from there to the existing tank.
My idea is that the cold water feed would be diverted to the new tank then the take-off would be reconnected to the feed to the existing tank. My cold water tank is high up in the loft space so there is enough room to place the new tank directly below it. If my theory is correct then I will simply be passing pre-heated water into my existing cylinder and avoiding the need to disrupt any plumbing around the existing cylinder.
Rough layout of my plan - can anyone see any problems with it? I have only shown the tank layouts. Obviously the solar input would be via the coil in the new hot water cylinder in the loft - not shown that as it is a given based on the equipment available from the suggested supplier in previous posts.
My idea is that the cold water feed would be diverted to the new tank then the take-off would be reconnected to the feed to the existing tank. My cold water tank is high up in the loft space so there is enough room to place the new tank directly below it. If my theory is correct then I will simply be passing pre-heated water into my existing cylinder and avoiding the need to disrupt any plumbing around the existing cylinder.
Rough layout of my plan - can anyone see any problems with it? I have only shown the tank layouts. Obviously the solar input would be via the coil in the new hot water cylinder in the loft - not shown that as it is a given based on the equipment available from the suggested supplier in previous posts.
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Thanks for getting back to me RigidRaider.
I did try to PM you, but the system wouldn't let me... it said you'd blocked PMs from non friends.
I've not managed to work out how to do a friend request, so I did the next best thing and chased you around the forum!
If you could PM me with your contact details that would be fab, then if I can't get hold of any tube I can take you up on your offer. I think I've found a supplier online since I posted, but I've not yet bitten the bullet and ordered anything becasue I'm still in the planning phase.
My house layout and orientation is causing me a few headaches, so I'm considering a 'split panel' layout with a dual channel programmer (which I don't think solarproject sell - sadly) but the pipe runs I need are a bit of a nightmare, and I've not got my head around the best layout yet.
I also came across this thread quite recently and am keen to have a go at it myself. Having studied the various layouts I'm wondering if I can leave my existing hot water cylinder as it is and add an additional indirect cylinder in the loft to receive the heat from the solar and feed from there to the existing tank.
My idea is that the cold water feed would be diverted to the new tank then the take-off would be reconnected to the feed to the existing tank. My cold water tank is high up in the loft space so there is enough room to place the new tank directly below it. If my theory is correct then I will simply be passing pre-heated water into my existing cylinder and avoiding the need to disrupt any plumbing around the existing cylinder.
Rough layout of my plan - can anyone see any problems with it? I have only shown the tank layouts. Obviously the solar input would be via the coil in the new hot water cylinder in the loft - not shown that as it is a given based on the equipment available from the suggested supplier in previous posts.
I'm no expert, but that looks ok to me. If I'm understanding correctly, that is exactly what RigidRaider has got.... I think...?
Yes, that's exactly what I did! The disruption to the existing layout is very minimal. Be sure to support the weight of the new cylinder properly; you don't want it dropping in on you one night! Mine stands right above the existing cylinder so the weight is taken by the studwork of the airing cupboard.
And yes, it's difficult to visualise the layout of the pipework. Go carefully and set things up loose so that you can pull it apart if you suddenly think of a better way of doing it.
RWhites, I have sent you a PM.
And yes, it's difficult to visualise the layout of the pipework. Go carefully and set things up loose so that you can pull it apart if you suddenly think of a better way of doing it.
RWhites, I have sent you a PM.
Yes will have plenty of support as loft is boarded across reinforced joists in the area I will use and will add some more supporting timber directly under the cylinder.
I was amazed how simple this solution appeared and the availability/price of the kit to do it. Am in no doubt I will be up on the roof in the summer!
I was amazed how simple this solution appeared and the availability/price of the kit to do it. Am in no doubt I will be up on the roof in the summer!
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