Desigining & building a solar hot water panel rack - Page 10

Daox · 10-16-12, 11:23 PM

I started gluing the foam together tonight. We'll see how well that PL300 glue holds up tomorrow once it has cured.

Gluing the foam together was pretty simple. Just put the glue on with the caulk gun and line up the pieces.

Here is the first set done:

To make sure the pieces were smooshed together good, I laid some plywood boards I had on top of the foam and walked over it a few times.

Two down, eight to go.

ecomodded · 10-17-12, 12:04 AM

This is going to great seeing the system made, its almost like fist hand, especially being able to read the first hand accounts.
I'm learning !

bennelson · 10-19-12, 10:51 AM

I gotta come over sometime and help shoot a video!

Photos are great, but they don't always give the best sense of scale and motion.

This project is the most ambitious DIY home-scale solar hot water system that I personally know of. We should try to document the heck out of it, including video!

Daox · 10-19-12, 12:54 PM

Come over any time.

bennelson · 10-19-12, 01:36 PM

This project has jumped threads once or twice as it evolved.
It all sort of started when I discovered that a cousin of mine wanted to get rid of the old solar panels on his house, and offered them to me or anyone I knew who would make good use of them.

That meant a Tim & Ben road trip to go fetch some solar panels, and this all sort of went from there.

Here's that video for anyone who hasn't seen it.

Solar Panel Road Trip - YouTube

Daox · 10-19-12, 01:44 PM

Yeah, I have the project broken up into different threads for different parts of the project. I makes finding things much easier a few years down the road. Instead of one gigantic thread about getting solar panels, building a rack, building a tank, trenching, putting the panels up, plumbing everything, sizing the pump, etc. you can search for the thread about building a rack and what is involved.

Daox · 11-05-12, 01:55 PM

Quick little update. My wife finished digging the trench this weekend! The last little bit under the porch is done. All that is left to do is grade it all, then throw some rock down to provide drainage around the plumbing.

I've been slowly gluing more foam panels together to go in the trench. Still got about half of them to go.

I'll update with some pictures soon.

Daox · 11-06-12, 08:51 AM

Here is the trench as it is right now. The trouble light at the end can give you some idea of scale. She dug (with my instruction) too far to the right and ended up having to move the trench over about a foot! The pink you see is the hole in the wall for the pipes. It is currently stuffed with some fiberglass we pulled out of the office.

bennelson · 11-06-12, 08:56 AM

Wow that's a big trench. Guess under the porch, you had to make it big enough for yourselves.

That's almost more of a TUNNELING operation than anything.

Time to re-watch SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION and celebrate.

greif · 11-06-12, 05:51 PM

Well you have practice tunneling if you get sent up the creek

10-16-12, 11:23 PM	#91
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	I started gluing the foam together tonight. We'll see how well that PL300 glue holds up tomorrow once it has cured. Gluing the foam together was pretty simple. Just put the glue on with the caulk gun and line up the pieces. Here is the first set done: To make sure the pieces were smooshed together good, I laid some plywood boards I had on top of the foam and walked over it a few times. Two down, eight to go. Attached Thumbnails __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

10-19-12, 10:51 AM	#93
bennelson Home-Wrecker Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: SE Wisconsin Posts: 546 Thanks: 3 Thanked 165 Times in 96 Posts	I gotta come over sometime and help shoot a video! Photos are great, but they don't always give the best sense of scale and motion. This project is the most ambitious DIY home-scale solar hot water system that I personally know of. We should try to document the heck out of it, including video! __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

10-19-12, 12:54 PM	#94
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	Come over any time. __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

10-19-12, 01:44 PM	#96
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	Yeah, I have the project broken up into different threads for different parts of the project. I makes finding things much easier a few years down the road. Instead of one gigantic thread about getting solar panels, building a rack, building a tank, trenching, putting the panels up, plumbing everything, sizing the pump, etc. you can search for the thread about building a rack and what is involved. __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

11-05-12, 01:55 PM	#97
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	Quick little update. My wife finished digging the trench this weekend! The last little bit under the porch is done. All that is left to do is grade it all, then throw some rock down to provide drainage around the plumbing. I've been slowly gluing more foam panels together to go in the trench. Still got about half of them to go. I'll update with some pictures soon. __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

10-17-12, 12:04 AM	#92
ecomodded Supreme EcoRenovator Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Vancouver Island,Canada. Posts: 1,037 Thanks: 116 Thanked 100 Times in 87 Posts	This is going to great seeing the system made, its almost like fist hand, especially being able to read the first hand accounts. I'm learning !

11-06-12, 08:51 AM	#98
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	Here is the trench as it is right now. The trouble light at the end can give you some idea of scale. She dug (with my instruction) too far to the right and ended up having to move the trench over about a foot! The pink you see is the hole in the wall for the pipes. It is currently stuffed with some fiberglass we pulled out of the office. Attached Thumbnails __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

11-06-12, 08:56 AM	#99
bennelson Home-Wrecker Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: SE Wisconsin Posts: 546 Thanks: 3 Thanked 165 Times in 96 Posts	Wow that's a big trench. Guess under the porch, you had to make it big enough for yourselves. That's almost more of a TUNNELING operation than anything. Time to re-watch SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION and celebrate. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

11-06-12, 05:51 PM	#100
greif a van down by the river Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Kaukauna,WI Posts: 108 Thanks: 6 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	Well you have practice tunneling if you get sent up the creek __________________ Gary R “If you want total security, go to prison. There you're fed, clothed, given medical care and so on. The only thing lacking... is freedom. ” ― Dwight D. Eisenhower