hot water storage.

kbhale · 03-14-10, 12:43 AM

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

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.

kbhale · 03-22-10, 12:59 AM

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

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.

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.

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.

Daox · 03-22-10, 06:59 AM

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

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

bennelson · 03-22-10, 10:09 AM

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!

kbhale · 03-22-10, 10:58 AM

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

kbhale · 03-30-10, 01:36 AM

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.

bennelson · 03-30-10, 08:03 AM

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

Piwoslaw · 03-30-10, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kbhale

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.

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

kbhale · 04-22-10, 12:27 AM

Working on two more panels to put on the roof.

Ran low on flashing. Pricey stuff. I have some old gutter I might try to strip over the pipe. Won't be pretty but the sun don't care.

I Read somewhere, someone used thin roof tar to paint their solar panel. I would think tar would transfer heat fairly well. Be lot cheaper than flashing.

The one thing I dread is getting the panels on the roof to heavy in one piece. I'll need to build them, than disassemble and than put them back together on the roof.

Also been wondering if I should run separate water to each panel or run the water through one panel than the other one.

I plan to have four total panels on the roof. My nephew Says to put a solenoid valve on each with a bi metal thermostat. I have early morning shadow over part of the roof.

Xringer · 04-24-10, 12:34 AM

Normally, the water should pass through each panel. Even on low sun days,
the water picks up more heat with each panel.

At least that's the way my 3 panel system was set up.
I pumped the water up into the bottom of the #1 panel, and out the top of the #3 panel.

If a shadow is cast on one of your panels in the middle of the loop, that should not have
much effect on a well insulated collector. Just a little heat loss, until the sun comes around.

Due to the side angle of early morning sun, a South facing collector does not
pick up a large amount of energy early in the morning.

Long shadows early in the morning and late in the afternoon are factors
that you just have to put up with, in many installations.

I have tree blockage before 10:30 AM and after 5:30 PM
on my backyard tracking mount. But when it sees the sun,
I get really good energy!
http://ecorenovator.org/forum/projec...r-project.html

03-22-10, 10:09 AM	#4
bennelson Home-Wrecker Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: SE Wisconsin Posts: 546 Thanks: 3 Thanked 165 Times in 96 Posts	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! __________________ 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.

03-22-10, 10:58 AM	#5
kbhale Helper EcoRenovator Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Evansville IN Posts: 88 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	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 Last edited by kbhale; 03-22-10 at 01:17 PM..

03-30-10, 08:03 AM	#7
bennelson Home-Wrecker Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: SE Wisconsin Posts: 546 Thanks: 3 Thanked 165 Times in 96 Posts	What are you using for a circulating pump? What size/wattage, etc? __________________ 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.

04-22-10, 12:27 AM	#9
kbhale Helper EcoRenovator Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Evansville IN Posts: 88 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Working on two more panels to put on the roof. Ran low on flashing. Pricey stuff. I have some old gutter I might try to strip over the pipe. Won't be pretty but the sun don't care. I Read somewhere, someone used thin roof tar to paint their solar panel. I would think tar would transfer heat fairly well. Be lot cheaper than flashing. The one thing I dread is getting the panels on the roof to heavy in one piece. I'll need to build them, than disassemble and than put them back together on the roof. Also been wondering if I should run separate water to each panel or run the water through one panel than the other one. I plan to have four total panels on the roof. My nephew Says to put a solenoid valve on each with a bi metal thermostat. I have early morning shadow over part of the roof. Last edited by kbhale; 04-22-10 at 12:29 AM..

03-14-10, 12:43 AM	#1
kbhale Helper EcoRenovator Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Evansville IN Posts: 88 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	hot water storage. It would have been a lot easier to build the tank on a level area and away from the walls. 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.

03-22-10, 12:59 AM	#2
kbhale Helper EcoRenovator Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Evansville IN Posts: 88 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Not done much with the tank. Was going to plumb it but other things going on. 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. 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. 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.

03-22-10, 06:59 AM	#3
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	Interesting setup. I'm quite curious to see how it works out. I really love the huge tank. How many gallons will it hold? __________________ 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.

03-30-10, 01:36 AM	#6
kbhale Helper EcoRenovator Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Evansville IN Posts: 88 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	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.

04-24-10, 12:34 AM	#10
Xringer Lex Parsimoniae Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Woburn, MA Posts: 4,918 Thanks: 114 Thanked 250 Times in 230 Posts	Normally, the water should pass through each panel. Even on low sun days, the water picks up more heat with each panel. At least that's the way my 3 panel system was set up. I pumped the water up into the bottom of the #1 panel, and out the top of the #3 panel. If a shadow is cast on one of your panels in the middle of the loop, that should not have much effect on a well insulated collector. Just a little heat loss, until the sun comes around. Due to the side angle of early morning sun, a South facing collector does not pick up a large amount of energy early in the morning. Long shadows early in the morning and late in the afternoon are factors that you just have to put up with, in many installations. I have tree blockage before 10:30 AM and after 5:30 PM on my backyard tracking mount. But when it sees the sun, I get really good energy! http://ecorenovator.org/forum/projec...r-project.html