DIY Solar Hot Water Heat Exchanger

DoctorDoctor · 09-18-11, 06:28 PM

I can't believe that one can do better than this heat exchanger here:

$1000 solar water heating system -- storage tank

Like others, I would be concerned about cross contamination of anti-freeze with the drinking water at the solder points whereas, if one uses intact coil of pex tubing, it has plenty(!) of surface area for heat transfer, it holds a good bit of water in the tubing as a reserve, and I wouldn't have reservations about its integrity of the tubing and cross contamination (although they don't use anti-freeze, the water in the storage tank is not exactly potable having sat in the tank for a year or more).

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09-18-11, 06:28 PM	#18
DoctorDoctor Lurking Renovator Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Colorado Posts: 13 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	I can't believe that one can do better than this heat exchanger here: $1000 solar water heating system -- storage tank Like others, I would be concerned about cross contamination of anti-freeze with the drinking water at the solder points whereas, if one uses intact coil of pex tubing, it has plenty(!) of surface area for heat transfer, it holds a good bit of water in the tubing as a reserve, and I wouldn't have reservations about its integrity of the tubing and cross contamination (although they don't use anti-freeze, the water in the storage tank is not exactly potable having sat in the tank for a year or more).