EcoRenovator - View Single Post - Solar water preheater project based on builditsolar $1000 system

strider3700 · 01-13-11, 06:01 PM

Yep and the answer was because the new code says double wall only. Basically the inspectors way of saying I'm not thinking about this.

I think I may have a solution that may be close in costs.
The old exchanger was 300' of 3/4" pex would be about $200

here's my new thought off the top of my head and 10 minutes of research

basically an approved double wall flat plate exchanger a second pump and some form of flow sensor telling me when to activate that pump (only when hotwater is demanded basically).

pumps are $65, ebay suggests a 40 plate exchanger is $120 but I need to do the math to see if it's large enough. flow sensors I've yet to research but I can't imagine they are too much. The bucket is a bucket and a leak detector should be cheap cheap available off the shelf anywhere.

This only works because I have an arduino for my temperature controller and a change like this is 1 extra relay and some code.

I need to do the math on the flat plate exchangers to figure out exactly how many sqft of surface area I need...

My wife's response was not fit for public ears and she said just do it.

01-13-11, 06:01 PM	#5
strider3700 Master EcoRenovator Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Vancouver Island BC Posts: 745 Thanks: 23 Thanked 37 Times in 30 Posts	Yep and the answer was because the new code says double wall only. Basically the inspectors way of saying I'm not thinking about this. I think I may have a solution that may be close in costs. The old exchanger was 300' of 3/4" pex would be about $200 here's my new thought off the top of my head and 10 minutes of research basically an approved double wall flat plate exchanger a second pump and some form of flow sensor telling me when to activate that pump (only when hotwater is demanded basically). pumps are $65, ebay suggests a 40 plate exchanger is $120 but I need to do the math to see if it's large enough. flow sensors I've yet to research but I can't imagine they are too much. The bucket is a bucket and a leak detector should be cheap cheap available off the shelf anywhere. This only works because I have an arduino for my temperature controller and a change like this is 1 extra relay and some code. I need to do the math on the flat plate exchangers to figure out exactly how many sqft of surface area I need... My wife's response was not fit for public ears and she said just do it. Last edited by strider3700; 01-13-11 at 06:04 PM..