Solar Water Heater build 1
NewJuraBuilding.info – First attempt at building a solar water heater out of 3 copper type M, 5′ in length with 3/4″ tee’s and 5″ fillers. This manifold is 8 sticks wideand fits in a wooden tray thats 4’x64″
25 Responses to Solar Water Heater build 1
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Someone else commented on the idea of snaking it back and forth rather than using the T connectors, I think he is right in his thinking. the one I refered to in my previous post, also snaked the pipe rather than creating a manifold. I also wondered about flexible copper, could that make it a little easier for you, less connectors?
rjkopp
February 24, 2012 at 4:33 pm
A few things. I saw one of these home made years ago when I lived in Virginia. They had two of these, I think about 3 ft square and it was 30 degrees out and it heated a 14X70 trailer extremely comfortably, plus created the hot water.
They put their copper tubes in trays made out of reflective rain gutter, painted the tubes black and then closed it over with a sealed tempered glass.
rjkopp
February 24, 2012 at 5:20 pm
@TheDigitalDrummer sounds like David the stoned builder….. 😉
TheDudeRulez09
February 24, 2012 at 5:59 pm
Sounds like Kermit the frog!!!
TheDigitalDrummer
February 24, 2012 at 6:00 pm
Excellent job……
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Rick007191
February 24, 2012 at 6:03 pm
@TheDudeRulez09
yes its completely sealed and goes into a tank for later use! I working on some new ideas on my home do cut my bill in half all water that goes into my hot water heater will be go through this but i will have to drain it in winter months.
TireHome
February 24, 2012 at 6:49 pm
Also if you were to enclose your unit in an air tight container with a glass front and put it under a vacuum you would have less heat loss.
dendog21
February 24, 2012 at 7:42 pm
Water will always take the path of least resistance. By having all those T connections, the water will flow the shortest distance from inlet to outlet. meaning quite a bit of water will just sit in the pipe. If you snaked the pipe back and forth you will get hotter water and probably faster
dendog21
February 24, 2012 at 8:35 pm
The only problem I can see with using copper, is that every crack head in a 20 mile radius will be trying to steal the copper for thier next fix..haha actually, I’m not joking they have torn apart homes that were almost completed for the wire and pipes..
pvampire
February 24, 2012 at 9:12 pm
@mccunecp I used to work in a factory that made radiators of all types and I warn you to please not use them new or used, they are ran through several chemical bonding processes that are toxic and will kill you! I agree though that using them as a heat transfer unit might work if they were sealed with something between the radiator and the water.
TheDudeRulez09
February 24, 2012 at 9:21 pm
@TheDudeRulez09 you could use a heat exchange if you want to heat drinking watter but if I was going to use radiors for drinking watter I get new ones that dont have you know antifrize and stuff used in them and I thing not sure but you can guy ones that are for drinking water but I like your build I have been thinking of building one my self for heat in my shed in the winter instead of using space heaters and use those only when needed….
mccunecp
February 24, 2012 at 9:31 pm
@mccunecp if you were not going to drink the water from the radiators then sure it would work, but you must remember, radiators have things in them that can kill you if you drink it, even if you think washing them out gets rid of the bad stuff you are wrong, it can still kill you.
TheDudeRulez09
February 24, 2012 at 9:46 pm
I have a question what if you got a few radiors like big ones with all the fins and paint them all a flat back and put glass over it and ise that has a watter heatter.
mccunecp
February 24, 2012 at 10:25 pm
good work.!
of course it would be better if you had welded, braised the joins instead of soldering them .
b262222
February 24, 2012 at 10:49 pm
Nice.
MrInventWorld
February 24, 2012 at 11:27 pm
@xtazy1337 nope!! they are figments of my imagination…….
TheDudeRulez09
February 25, 2012 at 12:20 am
@TheDudeRulez09 so they are real?
xtazy1337
February 25, 2012 at 1:04 am
@xtazy1337 it works by magic and elves!!!!
TheDudeRulez09
February 25, 2012 at 1:10 am
how does that work?
xtazy1337
February 25, 2012 at 1:58 am
@TireHome is yours inside a panel sealed? if so then this one wasnt!! this was just a manifold laying against a piece of corrugated metal, in the case it does 160 no problem, I have absolutely ZERO need for hotter.
TheDudeRulez09
February 25, 2012 at 2:51 am
Tomcatwilson was very right your design would work much better if you zig zaged it like I did I get 150 to 175 on my first test I will post mine soon. I made mine with a glass front like a solar oven the inside is a sliver reflector and my copper is painted flat black. Copper is the best heat conducter until we can get pipes made from diamond dust.
By water going a longer distance you will get hotter water and it will not cool down as fast! Your entire unit will be 75% more efficient even with
TireHome
February 25, 2012 at 3:07 am
@lynxx55 they dont get along very well…… :)
TheDudeRulez09
February 25, 2012 at 3:47 am
Why do you have your flow tubes so far apart?
lynxx55
February 25, 2012 at 4:46 am
@zeineguy be sure to psot video of your work!!
TheDudeRulez09
February 25, 2012 at 5:26 am
@zeineguy no I haven’t tried that, I am happy with the temperatures I am getting, I dont know of any human that can stand higher than 140 degrees on their skins so i think the design is good for now, unless you want to run a steam motor then of course its not hot enough but then you would want to use something like a parabolic solar collector or through collector.
TheDudeRulez09
February 25, 2012 at 6:25 am