DIY Solar Water Heater! - Deluxe "Aluminum backed" COPPER COIL Solar Water Heater! 175F Full Instr.
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- Опубликовано: 27 авг 2017
- Deluxe DIY Solar Water Heater! Solar Thermal "Aluminum backed" COPPER COIL Water Heater! Easy DIY w/Full Instructions. Super Hot water, super fast. reached 125F in 5 minutes ...and near 175F after about 15. no soldering required! uses just one coil of 3/8" copper tubing (amazon $23) and push-to-fit connectors. only tools used were screwdriver, hammer, tin snips (or scissors), hack saw and a drill. great for use as a stand alone unit or can be hooked into home's plumbing as supplemental heating for water heater. notes: using the aluminum backing adds roughly 10F to the water (but is optional). system is relatively lightweight and is easy to move and store *and the design allows for multiple units to be easy connected together (if a larger system is desired). details: outer board 1/2" plywood 23.7" x 23.7" (sold that way - no cutting required). inner board 1/4" plywood 19 3/4" x 19 3/4". glass 20"x20" (or use Plexi-Glas).4 3/8" Square wooden dowels. 2x2 lumber 2 pieces cut to 20 1/4" and 2 pieces cut to 23 1/4". Hardware: Four (#10) 2 1/2" wood screws. Eight (#10) 1" wood screws. Fourteen 3/8" screws (to hold down the aluminum). 12 1.5" (#16) wire nails. heavy duty heat resistant zip ties (or use wire). 5 3/4" satin brass finish door pull (the handle).
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At the outlet temp. of 150, that's scalding hot! I like the way it is able to maintain that temp. even with the constant cold water coming in. I don't need inlet temp., I'm convinced enough it's a great system. Good job!!!
Now what you need to do is get an 80 gallon water heater to use as a storage tank and circulate the water from the collector through it with a low volume dc pump also powered by a small solar panel, that way the intensity of the sun regulates flow rate automatically. It also stops when the sun is down!
How have I never heard of this before!? Seems perfect for nomads!
Ok... I see you Mr. Harbor Freights drill.. 😎 My favorite place to shop. You have the best video I had seen that produces the most efficient way of a solar heater for a pool.
Nice to have the freedom to buy slave-made products, huh?
. Ok q
That was so simple but so amazing. Thank you for posting. The video was very helpful. I appreciate it.
Glad it was helpful!
Some improvement ideas I have is to add thermal paste where the pipe touches the metal sheeting to maximise the thermal transfer, double pane the glass, use the blackest black paint there is (black 2.0), and if using more than one, a servo switch & check valve and plumbing to run water in series or parellel depending on the sun.
Yea, FLAT black paint, totally flat as possible, no shine at all. Any shine will reflect the light(HEAT) away. Also on the glass panels, get non reflective glass, or i think they call it low reflective transparent panels.
Personally I would exit the pipe from the centre of the coil through the back of the baseboard, then add aluminum sheet to the top of the coil to sandwich the coil, effectively increasing surface area that touches the pipe.
I would use kingspan insulation board for the rear to retain heat.
Since I first watched a heater like this I’ve been so wanting one.
I’m going to add a quick connect hose connector.
..hopefully add thin foam under the aluminum for cold weather..also.
learned how to do this is 6th grade. came here and still got some great ideas for mine. Much respect for hand screwing all those screws too. 🖖.
hi there. if it's just a few i just use a regular screwdriver - no need for the power. also no power driver if they are the really small ones.
A thing of beauty! Thanks
Very nice. Going to be making something similar using 1/4" tube and R410A. It will be more like an air source heat pump with compressor etc.
I was planning to use 500 ft. irrigation tubing. I trust this will overcome the thru put of the newly heated water with new cool water coming in. Thereby giving me constant heated water exiting the heater....
Once that you are drawing the hot water out of the unit, is the water coming in from garden hose also heating up for use? In a timely manner?
Love your videos what the world REALLY NEEDS is a way to make hot water in a car ! Use the Inter combustion engine main byproduct to create something good that byproduct is HEAT !
Are you kidding? The interior can go over 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Stick a bag of water on the rear deck, and it will be plenty hot in an hour or two.
Thanks for sharing.!
1 thing I noticed that will shorten the life of this project, having dis-similar metals in contact with each other will cause a small die- electrical discharge, and the copper will eventually corrode wherever there is contact with the aluminum. Painting the aluminum 1st would solve this issue. Other than that good job and thanks for sharing.
Not true with copper and aluminium because they are both non-ferrous metals. If it was mounted on sheet metal then you would be correct and it would cause electrolysis but it would take years to create a leak and in this application who cares.
The copper won't corrode. Copper in contact with zinc or steel or aluminum will cause the other metal to corrode.
Yep, correct!!
i was about to comment how reflective copper is to infrared light and then i saw you blacked it. pretty ingenious to use black copper oxide to increase light absorption
Great video! What powers the water pressure? Would siphoning work or would the heat transfer to the water effect the siphon?
Awesome Video. A+
hi there and thanks
Good afternoon! I live in Brazil, I wonder if I install a 100 Liters reservoir I get the effect of thermosifao cold water leaving the reservatoria pass on the plate and return warm? Thankful.
for the wood, drill the outer hole the correct diameter. then drill with a smaller bit through that outer hole into the wood piece that you will join together with the screw. this allows the screw to pull the outer piece towards the smaller hole piece, creating a tighter fit.
Great video, I really like your design. I do have a suggestion though: what if you painted the coil on both sides, used stand-offs under the coil, and leave the aluminum foil shiny? That would create almost twice the heat to the coil. Just an idea. Enjoy your videos.
You are thinking of a parabolic type reflector., yes they work excellent. But this design the back plate absorbs the light, heats the shit out of it, then it conducts to the pipe, hence conducts to the water. So the connection needs to be tight against the back plate for good conduction of heat. That is why he used aluminum, a great conductor of temperature, else he could have just used tin, or even just blue board, or plywood.
what keeps the glass in place? best solar heating video of all the ones I've seen.
hi and thanks. i used silicone caulk to hold the glass in. 👍
Love it
is the copper u used is a soft type coil? same coil use s for refrigeration?
What if air temp is lower around 40, 50, 60? What will be water temp?
I wonder if you used a copper plate then you could solder the pipe to it. Would that transfer the heat better?
do you think the aluminum flashing on the back makes a difference?
When we were stationed in the Philippines we employed a similar system but with an array of hoses on the roof. It worked so well the water became too hot. We then decided to take it down and take cold showers. LOL
nice would this setup not be realy effecient to desalt sea water?
That's an interesting idea.
@@yohjokromwood2327 saltwater corrodes copper.
It would be very much appreciated if the hook ups could be more specific, as far as the warm water hook up is concerned - just with garden hose into the bathtub?😁
Just a fun question, can we connect this with a solar boiler tank ? Do you think it will be efficient? I have a 300L solar boiler tank but no collector and this looks like a fun project after uni exams
A couple small modifications to your design could give you a thermal electric charge as well, as a thermosyphon so no electric pump would be needed to circulate the water. :) Good stuff.
Could u explain.
@@nycupperes there are diodes that produce an electrical current when there is a temperature difference between the 2 sides. It's rather small typically (.1-.5amps) but would be enough power to run a small dc water pump enough to circulate water through.
@@jpageify could you leave a link to a page or video that shows how to install those? I sure would love to see something like that Shalom thank you
@@gentlelove www.amazon.com/dp/B07H8642YN/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_XDJ8FbQTTS4GY
That is amazing for a portable hot water heater. I'm an RV'er and like to boondock, or set up and camp with no water/sewer/electric hookups. How would you design an intake and a hot water catch tank that are portable? That would be priceless for me to use. Love your videos- I'm learning a lot from you.
Work with the principles of thermosiphon, once you understand that principle and how it works all sorts of designs are possible for an RV. Hot water rises, in the tubing or in the tank, it displaces cold water that sinks, in the tubing it is kind of force by the gradient into the tubing as hot water rises and pulls the cold water in, as it rises it enters the tank. You must understand how high the hot water will rise by doing some calculations and that will tell you how high you can place the tank without losing the thermosiphon effect. That effectis what circulates the water around.
Also, don't use any plastic parts in your system, use all lead-free fittings and tubing and a tank deemed for potable water.
how much coil would you need to get 1 to 3 gallons of water heated?
I think that this may heat the surface somewhat, but cold water sinks and the heated water would need to be circulated during this process.
Can I make this and hook it up to my pool pump that will put the hot water into my inground pool in Arizona to heat the water during spring & fall months when weather is still hot but water is cooler?
What's the thermal output you get from this?
I mean how many litres of water can you heat per day during summer if it's in the direct sun?
Would it be enough for two showers?
Excellent DUI...although lagging perpendicular into end grain makes a weak joint...Better to miter the corners ...good job . Thx
Not much load on the corners if it meets requirements it is a quality job.
You recommend a copper pot plex coil to heat a pool
does the water produced depend on the length of the tube or it produces continuos hot water?
Does it need a pump to force water through it? What speed does the water flow through? Also, could it generate hot water on a cold day (0 - 10 degrees Celcius) if the sun is shining?
thinkyou
The only improvement thoughts I have are to add a secondary box around the actual heating chamber and buy a vacuum pump to seal the area in between the outer box and inner box.
If the boxes were well sealed, this would reduce heat loss to near-zero and allow the water to get even hotter if 175 F is the current limit due to heat loss. Another solution would be to use insulation instead of a vacuum layer.
Thermal paste to maximize heat transfer would also be better.
all good ideas! 👈
Is there a recommendation for a water pump to use with this solar water heater using 3/8” OD copper pipe at 50’ length. A 1hp non variable speed pump burned up in like 10-15 minutes. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks
How long is the copper tubing? Would you recommend this to heat a small kid pool?
Have you tried this in a cold climate? I need something that size to heat water up to about 100 degrees for a camp shower. Outside temps are 30-40 degrees. I tried a similar setup using PEX tubing but could only get a 1-2 degree increase in water temp. I'm Using a 2 Gpm pump. I also switched the PEX out for a 20' copper coil but got the same results. no where near the 175 degrees seen in your video :( i can step up to a 50' copper coil, but I hate to make that kind of investment with no return. of course my out side temp was 40-50 and water starting temp was 60 degrees. I used an Ice chest to reduce losses but not efficient enough to us a solar heater. I have put the copper coil in a camp fire and can heat a 5 gallon bucket from 40 degrees to 100 in about 15-20 minutes. It's a good backup for when there's no sun shine but I'd much rather get the performance out of a solar setup like yours.
So how long does it keep ice cold water coming from city water in the middle of winter, ??? I need one for a property I have that dose not have hot water ??? Thanks BigAl California.
Hello........
how long is the copper tube?
Great for camping.🤓
A variation of this would be to hook the inlet to the cold water pipe of a shower and use the drain water to preheat it before it reaches the cold tap either that or the water heater inlet. To stop the box holding cold water from the last shower just add a trickle hole that would drain it. No reason it could not be built into a shower box floor ready for install.
I do not understand.
how long is the tubing?
Good video. Not sure why the aluminum. Aluminium transfers heat like crazy. If you are trying to keep the heat in stainless would be the way to go. Not sure it needs anything, insulation possibly. If you seal it up tight it will need vent holes or the expanded air will break the glass.
They work...but things to consider
How would you go about having it work in conjunction with your existing hot water heater? Would be awesome to have preheated water before the hot water tank has to kick on.
Greg Kohls Jr. I wonder if you feed a tank less and maybe flash heater with this solar unit it's temp sensor would adjust and only add energy as needed.
How long after sunset does the water stay warm?
In your experience, which will produce more hot (and hotter) water? 1/2 in. x 50 ft. Copper Coil vs 1/2" x 250' PEX Tubing. Placed inside the same sized solar box (all other thing being equal).
The 2 options are priced reasonably the same.
Thanks!
now that would be good to know
Imo and from my experience of living in a Florida sun all will work but copper will not deteriorate like the plastic and rubber.
At least show us the temperature of the cold water inlet… thats the most important for me... haha
+1😉👍
Agreed. Hot hose and hot coil could give those readings. But if left running for a couple of minutes, that temp would drop.
@@greyham123 yes. But the price is right and I’m assuming if you use a mixer for showers etc, you’ll extend the amount of water consumption. If it’s well water, 55 degrees.
I was going to suggest the aluminum and black paint on your last video. As a Canadian the flaw I see is that this is not drainable. The pipes will burst when it freezes. I guess it is small so I could just bring it inside... Then use my wood stove to heat water in winter
It’s small, just a quick blowout will prevent bursting. Plus the bendable copper is more forgiving.
I was thinking of hanging in a south-facing window. 🤔
Great video. I am researching a way to heat my pool because it is shaded and needs an extra 10 degrees added to it. The 175F is a great temp but my question is around flow rate. I know it is theory, but shouldn't you get a lower temp if you increase the flow rate. For example to heat a pool I would need more flow but get a lower temp? Do you know the flow rate in the video?
This is the same intent I have. Hoping to heat my pool without having to purchase and fuel a water heater. I would do this on a larger scale though to heat a pool
Copper+Clorine=copper chloride. Saltwater is also corrosive to copper. Check your chemicals before trying this. A pool is also a vast volume of water and this would probably not even raise pool temp by 1 degree in an entire day.
@@penguin12902 - Well silly, it sounds like one is not enough for your application. Make several and get them started and once primed they'll pull the pool water in cool and exit hot. After a week or so, I bet you'll find the difference in pool temp will surprise you.
@@penguin12902 I used to use a typical pool cover on my in ground pool Leave it on at night, and all day. Around 3pm, I'd turn my pool pump on for a half hour to circulate the stratified water and I could raise the temp about 2°F per day. I used to do this in March here in AZ so any friends/relatives coming for spring training could swim in 85° water instead of 70°. I'm sure the heat exchanger would do better. I would use the pool water which is warmer than the water coming out of the ground pipes and cycle it through the coils back into the pool.
How well does it work in winter time?
Lol wont work in the summer! Full sun! Maybe for a kiddie pool, I just put in a pool, cost almost 40k, a cheap pool! No way will this heat 3k gal let alone 20k. It's a great way for a quick warm shower if you're off grid, but it is not a pool heater!
Non insulated. Heat loss.
Nice setup. Saw quite a bit of youtube videos but really nothing definitive on what's best. Seems like the small copper tubing might be equivalent to the larger 400-500 irrigation plastic piping? Trying to balance cost vs output with regards to heat. Been told irrigation piping deteriorates quickly due to high heat so next best option would be copper/uv protected pex/stainless steel tubing etc.. You've done quite a bit of testing so in your opinion, what setup would be ideal for me? I have a 22k galloon tank so obviously I would need longer runs and more units but realistically it seems like the best I can hope to achieve is 10F more with good sun exposure at best. Any help would be much appreciated thx!
hi there and thanks! well, there's pluses and minuses to all of them. for longevity the copper is the way to go. for price the irrigation tubing is the way to go. (but that only lasts 3 to 5 years in my experience - versus probably 50+ years for the copper). the pex one i made is still going strong at 3+ years so that is a contender too. if you're just experimenting with it - i'd say go with the irrigation tubing first and if you like it you could always upgrade to a longer lasting tube later. if you don't like the performance or have any other issue then you'll have only spent a few dollars for the tubing. the other cool thing about the irrigation tubing is that i built a second 100 foot spiral one in only 45 minutes. the first one took a lot longer but once you get the hang of it it's super easy to make a unit. i can't tell you how much tubing you should use for 22k gallon tank though. you'll have to use your best judgement with that. *by the way - i'll be posting a video compilation of all of my solar water heaters in the near future.
Saweeet!
I wonder how a 50 ft copper coil at a 1/2inch would work with more flow? Anyone try something at a larger scale?
Cool, I mean HOT!
So, what is the original meaning of cool? :)
What’s the gpm flow rating?
exilent vids. Would sheet metal work the same ? Or wuld it reduce the thermal ? Also is this vershion beader than you'r last one ?
What kind of metals would you be interested in? Find them laying in the sun, note their condition (clean, dirty, corroded, painted...) and their temperature. Different metals act differently than others. Polished aluminum seems to be the best reflector since it absorbs the least heat. Gold might be better, but try keeping that around.
It’s not that hard to heat water but did it heat the pool on a 70 degree day?
How about using old aluminium cans flattened out?
Wouldmt be hard to run water through them? But you can make something that work, that would be pretty crafty, not to mention, cheap as hell. If you can make it work, please show us how, I'd be interested
As a backing... IMO nice idea!!!
Add an insulated holding tank for heated water.
No use heating 2 liters of water in the pipe.
Did the zip ties handle the heat over time? Wondering if metal clamps would be more durable for the long term..
hi there . the plastic zip ties are still hanging in their, but the metal or stainless steel ones do better in high heat). all i use now are the stainless steel ones. *on amazon for about 10 bucks.
I doubt those plastic zip-ties survived more than a year in the Sun. Some type of metal wire connector would be better. But looks like a good solid concept otherwise.
hi there. they're still holding strong, but you can always use stainless steel zip ties to be 100% sure. i bought some recently off of amazon. good up to 900F! and only cost 2 bucks more than the plastic ones (100 for about $10)
And you can also hang a heat gun up over top warming the pipe like a blow dryer type something that wont catch fire and whatever hole size and that water will be scolding ,andrew dice clay style OHHH!!! 😎
good,other way put glass up and down from chile
Did you have a problem with condensation? I built this. And I have moisture inside glass
hi there. i've not had that issue, at least so far. one fix might be to add a few small vent holes
What does more hot water on a standalone application ? parabolic or this setup ?
I would suspect the one with the most area exposed to direct sunlight would win. Trying to heat the interior is the mistake. Wasted heat. Redirect and focus the energy on the tubing.
Should have put insulation behind flashing
Paul Milne would the flashing reflected the heat to the pipe ?
In turn it would make the water become hot quicker.
With the coil getting as hot as it appears. What keeps the tack tie downs from melting at each contact point?
it would have to be a lot hotter to actually melt the zip ties. they easily handle the heat of this unit. i have started using stainless steel zip ties in some of my newer units. either kind works but the stainless steel ones will last 50 years or more. the plastic ones might dry out or get brittle after 10 -20 years in the sun.
@@desertsun02 Further, can this unit be use like the Progressiv Passive Solar Water Heater PT-40? It preheats potable water before it enters your hot water heater. My traditional home water heater is electric. I currently have the afore mentioned on my roof. However, it is now leaking. Had to shut it down. In the 20 plus years of its operation it kept my electric bill half of what it is now. Just wondering if this unit would fit the bill?
Can you use plexiglass instead? I'm thinking for clumsy people it might be a better option
hi. yes, you can 👍
cool this work with pool water?
im afraid to use copper :/
hi. don't be afraid to use copper. it's the best type of metal to use. it works great.
Would this work for swimming pool or would chemicals damage copper? Debating on doing a pvc breadbox or this.
You should not need chemicals only a solar powered pump or siphon bell. Shalom
Would you be so kind and make a version that is painted with the vantablack?
hi. i've looked into that but so far i can't find vanta for sale to private individuals. if you or (anyone reading this) sees a link for it, drop it in the comments area. if i can get it i'll use it.🙂 looks like a great product for solar
I've watched several videos of similar solar water heaters. My main question is: How long did those zip ties last in the intense heat? Less than one season, I'm thinking...
hi there. the plastic ones are holding up good so far, but i've recently started using stainless steel zip ties just to be sure
You could probably use electric cable Clips that might fit the pipe.
Only a thought
hey would this methode on bigger scale work fore desalting sea water ? maby working model on that would be realy cool if you can get the water and boiling temp and keep it there wil low inpute?
Copper plus salt equals problems.
@@MmeHyraelle thx
Nice - why not use something safer like Pexiglass instead of glass..Is glass always better?It just seems like it will be easy for someone to break it by accident around a pool when kids are having too much of a good time
In another comment he replied that plexiglass can be used.
Could you use one way glass to make the box hotter and not paint the copper or Aluminum?
Not painting would reflect a lot of the light and heat. Then the glass could warm up instead of the copper pipe.
aluminium curved concentrators, or just fill it 100% with pipe
Unless I missed it, how long is the copper tubing used? 25 feet, I am assuming here?
Cambodia Paul's Organic Farming
50 ft.
Not enough to heat a bathtub! These cant work! It would take all summer to heat a tiny pool
@@Coupe420 - Geez. You could make 2 or 3 of them if your pool is deep. Put them each on a separate piece of foam and float them in your pool. Begin the drawing of pool water through the siphoning principal into the copper pipe by suction until it is coming out the other end and back into the pool. Note: do this immediately upon placing in the pool and before the water is hot! Remember, this produces 150+ degrees. Place them in the pool on a Wednesday and by the weekend your three floating heaters will have mixed with your cold pool water warming it up FOR FREE and your pool will be nicely swimmable when the blended water hits about 85 degrees.
Report back if you do this. I'd love to see if it worked.
by painting the copper , does it reduce its ability to absorb heat? I thought bare copper conducts heat better.
How well has this been working for you. I was thinking about doing something like this except modify it so that I can remove the tubing from the frame and put it on a firepit for cloudy days. Would that work?
hi there. the unit is still working great. that is an interesting idea about the fire pit.
@@desertsun02 thanks for replying. One more question, if you don't mind. Do you know the flow rate of your pump? I have a pump to empty my pool, but I think the flow would be way too fast to heat up in this set up. Any info on the pump you use would be much appreciated. Thanks.
Hi, another question: I still can't get my solar water heater to work: driving me crazy. I am using 3/32 plate glass from Home Depot, but it appears that you are actually using much thicker glass. Is that so? Is the thicker the glass, the better? What about insulated double panned glass? Or glass from a car window?
hi there. if i remember, the glass i used is about 3/32 (possibly 1/8). i've never had any luck with using more than one sheet of glass. it always seems to reduce the temps. i'm not sure about glass from a car window (i've never used glass from a car).
I'm considering doing something similar for a solar water heater for an in ground pool. I might need a couple of these in line to make any significant increase in temperature. Do you have any suggestions? My pool is approximately 30,000 gallons.
Scott Williams hey Scott I was wondering have you made this for your pool yet? I'm considering doing the same thing for my in-ground 30,000 gallons as well. I'm just not sure what size copper line to buy
I bet if you have smaller copper lines (4 x 1/4th sized lines) but connect them side by side to a 1 inch pipe it would be better then having everything in 1 inch... ____|____|____|____|
Did you ever try this for your pool?
No, I never did but I always wondered if it would make a significant difference. This year seems to be a bit cooler and the pool is only at 73 degrees. I still have hopes in making this one day.
Scott Williams you would need dozens and dozens of these to increase the T of a volume of water like that. A solar blanket cover would be more efficient.
Did you try it painted vs not painted... I think you would be surprised. Why are emergency heat blankets like aluminium foil and not flat black?
So it reflects YOUR body heat back to you. He is trying to gather sunlight and transfer it to the water, not reflect it back.
how is the glass secured to the frame?
Braydon Dahlberg & desertsun02 That's what I was wondering. He has made two of these videos now, neither of which shows how he's securing the glass to the frame after paint..
Jason G Nails..
quick question - is the gland actually necessary or is it just to protect everything?
hi. the glass makes it work kind of like a solar oven, so the temps get really warm. these type of solar collectors will work pretty well work in the summertime without the glass but it's a lot better to use it.
@@desertsun02 ah ok I see. Makes sense. Thanks for the response
would you say this copper heater is a better pool heater than the Pex tubing one you made?
hi. i'm a big fan of both so you have to look at pluses and minuses. copper holds up practically forever but is more expensive. it's also harder to work with in some cases, say if you're trying to coil 1/2" copper for instance. that's harder than coiling pex. i've also got one made with black irrigation tubing. lots of people use that too but i've found it doesn't hold up long. 3 or 4 years
@@desertsun02 thanks. it just seems that copper may be a better transfer of solar heat to the water than pex, and a hotter flow
ok so im hearing all sorts of differing things here... i thought 3/8th tube would be too small and not let enough water pass through to actually heat a pool with any real efficiency? then i heard coils are a bad idea and that a header with straight tubes would work better and let you get a higher flow into the pool. then theres the whole Pump pressure thing... thats a whole other story!
Is it okay to do this if I use chlorine in my pool?? Ive heard chlorine and copper tubing isnt a good combo
Just test it drop a piece of copper pipe in a glass of pool water.
@@johnmalaihollo use couper/nickle tubing it isn't affected by clorine !
Help! Mine doesn't work! Based on suggestions below, I used copper plates rather than aluminum; put insulation behind the plates, used metal zip ties, and two panes of glass, and insulated the glass to wood gap. I am using a pond pump to pump water from a small pond to the heater, and then return--black tubing throughout. Due to trees, I can get only perhaps 90% sunlight for several hours. Yet it seems that the water hardly increases in temperature, if at all! I spent like $300 on this, thus pis--ng off my wife, and countless hours. Please tell me what I did wrong!
hi there. the issue might be that you used 2 panes of glass. sounds like a good idea but whenever i've used 2 or 3 panes of glass (in experiments) with solar box collectors - the 2 or 3 panes block a lot of the light from getting through and it gets nowhere near as hot. i'm not sure why an extra pane blocks so much light but it does.
Air temp= 90F, temo water in =??, water put = 150F, should I make some sort of equation to find out temp water in to know how efficient your heat exchanger is? 😂
Is 3/8” the ID or OD?
hi there. it's the ID 👍
I don’t know if this is relevant but the copper heating element in our previous gas pool heater became exposed internally and our pool discolored from the copper. It was a bitch to get out. We had to use chelating agents and it took awhile at a significant cost.
hi. these units won't get the water hot enough to discolor it. (it would have to be way over boiling temps for that to occur). the copper tubing i use in my solar water heaters ia the same copper that is used worldwide for hot water lines in houses and commercial buildings.
Thanks for the reply. Good to know. Question if you don’t mind: Do commercial solar pool panels, strung together, put out hotter water than this or do they put out hot water at a higher flow rate ? What’s the difference ?