Why do you assume questions are antagonistic? Some people may genuinely want to know if a similar system would be worthwhile for them. Hence they ask someone who does have personal experience in the hope they have some actual data that can he assessed.
Some of the detail questions are relevant... like how big is your cylinder? What temperature is your ground water at the moment? etc. These things allow one to give a quantitative feel for the rate of capture from the solar system.
I noticed that Makro have started carrying the 10L versions now. Might have more of a fighting chance of them going the duration... in fact on second thoughts, no probably not ;-)
That was the sort of thing I had in mind, a few hundred meters or so of plastic pipe laid out in coils around the perimeter of the pool, then cover it with tarmac and use that as a collector...
I'll chance it ...
At the right price. ;-)
DG
What he didn't tell you was that it comes from Austria and is to be found in the motoring accessories section along with the ice scrapers.
Started at about £41 + VAT IIRC - usual Grants of St. James' style collection.
Quite competitive compared to half case prices, but obviously less easy to enjoy a variety... perhaps one ought to buy two or three at time so you can have a change now and then. ;-)
Many thanks for all the replies. Not exactly what I was hoping for but quite a lot to think about and probably after this discussion I'll drop the idea for now.. A persistent salesman has been trying to organise a survey visit of my property but I have held him off until the new year now and will probably find him far too expensive anyway. This house has limited space where the cylinder is on the ground floor and access through to the roof is far from easy.. What sits on the roof has also got to be wind and salt resistant as I am about 50 metres from the sea, A neighbour's west facing solar connector looks a wreck but it has been there for about 20 years, his east facing collector is not so bad. I wonder how efficient they are now and would ask except he died last summer leaving an elderly widow. Thanks anyway, for all the interest Michael
On Sun, 9 Dec 2007 09:48:09 +0000 someone who may be Kostas Kavoussanakis wrote this:-
That's good. If it were to be moved south it would not have the long summer days which are ideal for solar water heating.
Obviously this comes at a price in that the winter days are short, but that is still enough for a solar panel to provide some useful heat.
On Sun, 9 Dec 2007 12:02:01 -0000 someone who may be "Mary Fisher" wrote this:-
It often sounds like it.
On Sat, 8 Dec 2007 22:17:13 +0000 someone who may be Si wrote this:-
They should be fairly easy to work out. One might be reducing one's carbon footprint.
On Mon, 10 Dec 2007 07:38:56 -0000 someone who may be "Michael Shergold" wrote this:-
A good reason for using vacuum tubes. Salt doesn't affect the glass of the tube. As has been said, Navitron are the people to look at to DIY.
It might be, but that would be even more naive.
I wonder how many of the components are manufactured in China and how many more coal fired power stations they opened to do the manufacturing.
Not like it attacks steel or ali but I bet you'll still get a hefty build up of salt crystals but then you'll get that on any collector.
On Sun, 09 Dec 2007 01:13:36 +0000 someone who may be Derek Geldard wrote this:-
What does the external air temperature have to do with a properly designed solar heating system?
As it says at
Or, as it says at
"A: The pump runs only on solar energy in the form of electricity. It has no temperature sensor, only a high pressure bypass in case the panel or its pipes are frozen. In response to your question: First - best not to have the hot water system on all day since this is wasteful anyway and does not allow for optimum solar performance. Most boilers have separate timers for this, but not all. Ideally time the boiler to add heat to the domestic hot water after 4pm. Second, even in winter some hot water is made by Solartwin, not all by the boiler as you say. Third - the panel is well insulated and so will still raise the temperature of water going into it since it collects heat from the sun and not the air. Fourth - at 100% sun and a water input temperature of 50C and air temperature of freezing our mathematical model (based on extensive tests at Napier University) suggests that the water will still leave the panel at least 10C hotter than when it went in. Fifth - if they really want to put cold water in under these circumstances they can connect a second cylinder behind the first and draw water off it! This will also allow for more summer hot storage and is a neat solution for people with AGAs and Rayburns."
On Sun, 09 Dec 2007 22:57:02 +0000 someone who may be John Rumm wrote this:-
Some of the people concerned have given this impression many times in the past.
The answer to that question has not changed since the last time it was discussed. Although I'm not noted for spoon feeding I will make an exception for once.
There is a question of how one measures things. Some people will spend 10,000 pounds on a new kitchen, for which they will get a financial return of nothing, for various reasons which they think are important to them. Some people will install double glazing, knowing that it has a number of advantages but saving lots of money on heating bills is not one of these advantages.
In the case of solar water heating people install it for a variety of reasons they find acceptable, reducing carbon footprint being an example.
To generalise, in terms of just pound notes, at current fuel prices, a "professionally" installed system is unlikely to pay for itself over anything but the long term, possibly longer than it will last. At current fuel prices a DIY system, using new components, is likely to pay for itself over the medium term, say 10 years. As a result one should always do simple energy saving measures, like insulation, first and only progress to things like solar water heating after that.
On Mon, 10 Dec 2007 08:36:23 +0000 someone who may be Andy Hall wrote this:-
Excellent, more abuse. Do keep it up.
The Chinese seem to be becoming the yellow peril again, at least as far as some are concerned. All that shows is their lack of knowledge.
The majority of vacuum tubes are built in China for many reasons, one of which is that is where the vast majority are used.
On Mon, 10 Dec 2007 09:17:33 +0000 (GMT) someone who may be "Dave Liquorice" wrote this:-
One might do, but if the rain doesn't wash them off then all it takes is a bucket and brush. I don't notice houses by the sea with salt encrusted roofs, even if the roof has been there for centuries.
On Fri, 7 Dec 2007 14:07:26 -0000 someone who may be "Michael Shergold" wrote this:-
You don't say why. It would help if you did.
A solar panel generating hot water is well within the capabilities of many DIYers. It is mostly plumbing, with a little electrical work and generally some roof work. The latter is no problem if one is used to working at height and works methodically.
On Sun, 09 Dec 2007 13:24:28 +0000 (GMT) someone who may be "Dave Liquorice" wrote this:-
Right at the start of their price list are three kits
The only thing missing from these kits is pipework (10mm microbore is ideal) which depends on location, a few fittings for this pipe and a few bits of electrical equipment (possibly extra cable and an isolator). One may also need some more insulation for longer pipe runs.
On Sat, 8 Dec 2007 17:43:12 -0000 someone who may be "Donwill" wrote this:-
People have been pointed to
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