hot water storage.
 

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It would have been a lot easier to build the tank on a level area and away from the walls.

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Going to start doing some of the plumbing in the morning. I wish, I would have made it shorter and wider. To tall for a workable counter top. Might put my battery bank across the front of it for a platform.
Picked up 6 sticks of 10 foot Copper tubing and a roll of Aluminum flashing. Hope to build a proper solar collector over the next couple weeks.

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Not done much with the tank. Was going to plumb it but other things going on.

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Been using a sump pump to circulate water through this cobbled panel to warm the water in the tank a little. It works but not well. So I gutted it out for a rebuild.

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I have limited space and wanted both hot air and water. So I'm trying to make a hybrid panel. I'm placing the Copper tubing between the cans to give it fin like effect. I know it won't be as good as form fitting fins. Do plan to use Copper wire to pull the tubing tight against the cans. Drill a hole under a tube through the plywood backing. Take a loop of Copper wire over the tubing and through the hole and a washer and use a screw driver or something to twist it tight.

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With the tubing setting low in the groves getting a good air seal on the cans is going to be problem. Glad I did a pressure test. Had a couple leaks.

Interesting setup. I'm quite curious to see how it works out.

I really love the huge tank. How many gallons will it hold?

I don't think I have seen ANY panels before designed for both air AND water.

I would imagine that if you set it up so that you can close off the air vents for summer, it would greatly improve the efficiency of summer water heating, and that in the winter when you use the air heating, the water heating won't work as well.

Kudos for material re-use as well!

I have been looking at home-made hot water storage tanks a lot lately, and yours looks pretty nice!

11' 6" long (350.52 cm) 30" wide (76.2 cm) 34" deep (86.36 cm). 81.458 cubic feet. Could hold 609.308 gallon (2306.48 liter) and weigh 5074 pounds, 2.5 ton (2301.89 Kilo). Could weigh about as much as a dump truck.

Probably keep about 450 - 500 gallon in it. Used EPDM rubber to line it.

15' wide Firestone PondGard 45 mil EPDM Pond Liners

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It raised 412 gallon of water 2 degrees F. From 64.8F to 66.7F, today. Outside temp in the fifties. The highest panel temp before I went to work 115F. Sun angle change, sun does not shine on the panel till about 10.30 Central. I've not made vent holes for the air yet. Have some remodel to do inside be fore i open it.

What are you using for a circulating pump? What size/wattage, etc?

Is the final height of the collector? I looks like it's not going to get much sun during the summer months.

Could always stick a big mirror under it!

Currently I’m using a fountain pump, about 300 GPH for this panel. I plan to stay at or under 130F - 54.4C so it should be OK for now.

I don’t known what pumps or controls to use yet.

Plan to build three more panels of some style to place on the roof.

I like the mirror idea.