Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryland
Another thing to think about with interconnects is that good solar hot water panels can reach 200-240 degrees and because of this I've seen radiator hose brake down really quickly, a system we worked on a few years ago needed a flex hose to allow for a small amount of movement we first we used a piece of PEX but that softened, swelled, burst and spewed $100's worth of coolant all over the place and we ended up buying high pressure hydraulic hose as it's not only designed for high pressure but heat as well.
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Good points about the thin galvanizing and the cost per square foot including insulation and cover, etc.
My radiator hoses in the car are exposed to 215+F temps often and seem to last quite awhile, under much greater pressure than a gravity system, but for the quantity we are using, I agree - some high temp hydraulic hoses are a good idea and won't add significantly to the cost.
Still really want to give it a try.... but I do suspect that the largest difference between steel and copper in terms of thermal conductivity will result after the inner walls become corroded faster than copper ones do.
Will have to present these pros and cons to the kids. Due to cost (and the adventure of just trying it!) I bet we will go with the galvanized pipe and see how it holds up.