^Those look like they will do the trick for Dr Andy.
Might be in a previous post but will the solar heater be used in the main house only?
Also, what will be used for hot water out? Copper pipe?
^Those look like they will do the trick for Dr Andy.
Might be in a previous post but will the solar heater be used in the main house only?
Also, what will be used for hot water out? Copper pipe?
Lovely pics, FF.
If you've got any close-up details of the pipework closer to the tank, I'd be most interested.
I'm currently thinking about the feasibility of manufacturing solar rigs in Laos, based on a new panel design concept. Those selling prices look to be fairly useful. These beasts are not cheap over here, that's for sure.
Only two pictures I took, full res give no added value for plumbing
Looked for pics on the net but seem to be none with detail.Originally Posted by watterinja
Google Image Result for http://www.egat.com/en/images/stories/pic_egat/enesol.jpg
^^ Ok, that's fine. Blew them up a little & it looks like the rear loop is a make-up line. I'll patch together with some other stuff I've got. Thanks...
^^ Thanks Norton. Seems like a few pics in the directory - I'll scout around, but they're probably only thumbnails.
yes, they look good
I was thinking of using plastic for the hot water pipes (HEP2O, not the blue stuff), but copper prices have dropped a lot recently
the problem with using copper is that the installers/plumbers want to charge by the metre installed! at B600 a metre for 1/2", that works out very expensive
in the UK they just solder the joints, here they seem to want to braze them, which is overkill. I think that as hot water systems are not common, and the installers are in the aircon industry usually, it has just got done that way.
I have reported your post
What if you purchased lengths of copper tube yourself & a pipe bender? Only have the joiners assist when you need final closure. Copper pipe is easy to bend (long radius bends) - get it while the price is still relatively low. You could even silver solder the joints yourself - it's really not that difficult.
Yes Watt, I have done a fair bit in the UK, not difficult
I had thought about it but feel there are more interesting things to spend my time on
actually, most of the time a pipe bender is not necessary anyway. So, I shall rush out and buy a flame gun, silver solder and flux
I shall have to make sure that the various outlets correspond to the positions they should be in, esp the shower etc
Good thinking. Nothing more irritating than scalding yourself when you turn up the cold water! Also, if you have wall mounted mixer faucets in the shower make sure the distance between hot and cold pipes is exact. A couple of mm will make it impossible to attach the faucet. You prolly know this stuff.Originally Posted by DrAndy
"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect,"
yes, I have done it wrongly before!
Here is the design i opted for here in thailand. I Wanted a high effiency collector that would produce as good as the commercial flat plate collectors, and be easy to put togeather and all parts aquired in Thailand.
And most important "cheap" and deliver out standing results.
The storage tank is aquired anywhere in thailand... You see these ice storgage bins everywhere in thailand.
The drain on the tanks is where you screw in a special valve that takes care of all hook ups needed.
What could be more simple and mine delivers about 25-35 US gallons of scalding water a day on a fair day. Meaning you get about 5-6 hours of sun on the plate a day.
I looked at the vacume tube and other collectors out there and think it is way over kill for Thailand. In the states they use vacume only in very cold climates or commercial projects.
This is a open system easily cleaned and serviced..
Also the plate was primed and high temp paint applied for years of services.
If anyone wants more info just shoot me a line.
Last edited by garyk; 03-02-2009 at 01:27 PM.
hi garyk
I love the esky (coolbox). Does it deform with the hot water in it?
Do you have hot water in the early morning? Is that a galvanised sheet of iron?
How much did it cost? Oh man I love it.
Cheers johpam
It doesn't warp, holds hot water all night. And is cheap. The one you see is one my neighbor had and is probibly 10-15 years old. They gave it to me. That is pretty cheap.
as in your other thread, the holding tank is no problem, the solar plate needs some information
It so turns out that this garyk was a pure charlatan. When pressed on 'his' idea, all he did was to go around in circles, never answering the questions. In pm's he seems to be a compulsive liar - unfortunately.
In the end, his claim was to just be 'having a bit of fun'. Doubt the original unit was ever his design to start with.
I have a 99฿ 60l gray bin from macro, for gravity fed irrigation. It's out in the sun all day and it's full very warm water by the afternoon. You don't need anything too suphistacted unless you are up on a mountain.
.
S Landreth - that link didn't work but this one should:
http://www.leonics.com
.
well, that works when it is warm and sunny, but useless when cloudy
Good solar panels can pick up warmth even when cloudy and cool
the recent three day cloudy spell in CM was a nice test for mine. Whilst the temperature of the water went down quite a lot, it was still nice and warm for a shower
when sunny, it is necessary to add lots of cold water as it is so bloody hot, but when cloudy, using the hot water straight was possible. Of course, there is an electrical back-up but that spoils the whole idea
Thanks for that update DrAndy I was wondering how well the solar water heaters would work with the cold and cloudy weather of late.
If you are serious about solar hot water, you will look at the following link:
Solahart : Solar hot water systems - beat rising energy costs
Solahart are good quality but very over-priced
they have a local agent come around with lots of nice brochures and price list
but cost nearly 40% more than other good panels
The pipe I think you're talking about is called PP-R, in this part of the world it's usually green. It's generally used instead of copper these days for hot water, but is also commonly used for presurised cold water lines as well.Originally Posted by Nawty
Never use the blue type PVC or that bendy red type pipe for hot water or presurised water lines, it will come back to haunt you. PP-R is fusion welded, so can handle pretty high pressures.
It's not that expensive either, here in Cambodia the 20mmx1.9mm pipe that can can handle 10 bar and is common in homes is only $0.46 per meter. The only problem is that you need to find someone who knows how to install it and has a welding machine, although it's not rocket science, you can probably buy the machine yourself for under $100.
I saw some of that green stuff in Homepro
they only had the fittings, not the pipe!
I just wanted to bump this thread to see if anyone could recommend solar hot water here in Chiang Mai?
I am building an extension on the back of my house. I had planned on just putting a 80l electric unit on the outside wall to supply 2 bathrooms. I want one with a thermostat so it can be adjusted according to the seasons and accessible but I may be swayed by a solar unit if it is worth the extra.
The thing is, is it worth it? a thermostatically controlled electric hot water unit is pretty cheap and sticking a solar unit way up on the roof is a bastard to access.
Fahn Cahn's
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