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  1. Alphacarina

    Solar Drainback Water Heating System

    More than a 'big leak on the roof' for me, Frank - A new $1200 collector would be needed to get up and running again!! Thanks for the replies guys Yes, 'failure' isn't an option, especially when you have a $1200 panel up on the roof which can easily freeze even in 34 or 35 degree temps...
  2. Alphacarina

    Solar water heating

    Lots of ideas You don't need 'warm weather' to make hot water - You just need lots of sunshine. My system makes lots of really HOT water even on 40 degree days . . . . so long as the sun is shining, and where I live, it usually is If the system components were all 'home made' it would...
  3. Alphacarina

    Solar Drainback Water Heating System

    I'd like some input from you guys who are familiar with drainback systems Currently, I have an open loop system which I'm going to convert to a drainback system to make things 'automatic' so I won't have to worry about draining my panel on cold nights. There are other benefits too, but freeze...
  4. Alphacarina

    (2) 4x12 Solar hot water panels...now what to do with them

    I would use them for domestic hot water as well - That's going to be the biggest bang for your buck . . . . typically a quater to a third of all your home energy use Buy a 10 gallon drainback tank and hook the panels to it and the tank to your existing water heater. Probably cost you...
  5. Alphacarina

    Different Solar Water Heater Options

    Yes, I manuallly drain it whenever we have sub 30 degree temps forecasted for overnight . . . . 5 or 6 times last year - I close two ball valves in the basement at the water heaters (on the two lines going up to the collector) and then open two valve and that drains both lines - There's an...
  6. Alphacarina

    Different Solar Water Heater Options

    I've had a 4 X 10 AET panel on my roof for about 4 years and I can also vouch for their quality and efficiency - VERY good product. I paid a little less than $1,000 for mine from a local dealer For tankage, I used two conventional Sears Best 55 gallon electric water heaters - 3 inches of...
  7. Alphacarina

    Water system for rural cottage

    That coupled with the amp hour draw of the pump to move 1,000 liters of water . . . . at which point the generator will run again and the battery can be recharged using AC power while the jet pump fills the reservoir again with water from the lake 'Bugs' could be addressed by adding a small...
  8. Alphacarina

    The Vigorous Solar Water Heater

    Exactly what kind of 'security' does your solar water heater provide for you? Active or passive? Don
  9. Alphacarina

    How to Construct a Solar Water Heater

    I don't think PEX would work well either . . . . but whatever you used in a home made collector, I'd assume it would be painted black before you closed it up and that should take care of any UV exposure I didn't use PEX anywhere in my system largely because I just didn't trust it with 212...
  10. Alphacarina

    How to Construct a Solar Water Heater

    I can see where that would be a problem for you living in 'South Maine' . . . . that's a lot like 'Northern Massachusetts' - What little sunshine you get is from a terrible angle, especially if it's not summertime Down here on the Gulf Coast we get more hot water than we know what to do...
  11. Alphacarina

    Plumbing Solar Storage Tank

    You're going to be wasting a lot of water, both hot and cold by using a 50 foot long 3/4 inch hot water feed to your kitchen and laundry room. 50 feet of pipe holds a lot of cold water before any hot water will get there . . . . and then when you're done, a lot of hot water will be sitting in...
  12. Alphacarina

    Plumbing Solar Storage Tank

    It sounds like your solar system is just a preheater for your two 50 gallon tanks - You're never actually going to shower using solar heated water . . . . you're just hoping your 50 gallon tanks will be heating up 75 degree water as opposed to 60 degree water they would normally be heating if...
  13. Alphacarina

    Solar & Wind Power Kits

    I gave mine back long ago - Turns out they didn't teach me anything I really needed to know :D Don
  14. Alphacarina

    Solar & Wind Power Kits

    Yes, I noticed that you mistakenly said '1kw per 24 hours' instead of what your table shows . . . . roughly 1kw per hour for every hour of the day - or about 24 times your quote - The median is 8,370 kwh per year, which divided by 365 is about 23 kwh per day . . . . or nearly 24 times the...
  15. Alphacarina

    Solar & Wind Power Kits

    An air conditioned outhouse would use more than 1 kwh per day - That's only 30kwh per month and at ten or twelve cents each, your electric bill would be less than $4 per month . . . . why waste $200 trying to lower that? I use about 125KWH per month and I'd bet that would be much closer to...
  16. Alphacarina

    Solar collector t&p valve excessive tripping

    What I don't understand is . . . . how could a closed loop system prevent this from happening? Your tank(s) could backflow just as easily as mine . . . . and since you're closed loop, the water in your tanks isn't as hot as mine. I'll bet virtually none of your neighbors have 140 degree...
  17. Alphacarina

    Solar & Wind Power Kits

    Not sure what this has to do with plumbing or water heating, but it's gotta be a hoax - One of his 'clients' says he loves to sit and watch his power meter turn backwards . . . . anything which can tie you to the grid and make that happen for $200 or less certainly is 'too good to be true' Don
  18. Alphacarina

    Solar collector t&p valve excessive tripping

    If you have a modern, high tech, very well insulated tank, then keeping water stored at 140 degrees continuously might only cost you a few bucks a month, over keeping it at the lowest temperature which will satisfy your needs . . . . typically 110 to 115 degrees - But if you don't have modern...
  19. Alphacarina

    Solar Tank

    I hope replying to an old thread isn't considered a 'no-no' - The information may be helpful to others, even if the original poster isn't around to read it Rust is bad but the fact that it's an uninsulated tank is even worse, IMO. Whatever you store your solar heated water in, you want to...
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