Thermosiphon Solar Hot Water Heater DIY

[gtrboy1]

you dont need to heat hot water

[hogwildgardener]

How do you keep your pipes from freezing that run from the tank to the house? heat tape?

thanks! should one use pex pipe or copper for the outside plumbing?

[victim0001]

It's too bulky, nobody likes a huge tank next to their house.

[666Leosch]

@victim0001 That's how I understand it too

[czech27]

so, is the first system a closed loop type and the one on the house is open loop?

[VillageGoneGreen]

@leaualorin NO DON"T DO IT, Glycol wont corrode your pipes and it's designed to balance the temprearture from hot to cold

[roadlessgraveled]

You would typically put this system "in line" with your existing system, and you always have hot water. The solar heated water fills your existing water heater instead of cold water. If it is above the set-point of the conventional water heater, it won't add any heat...if it's below, it adds enough heat to raise it to the desired set-point.

[flamedrag18]

is the circulating tank insulated to keep the water hot all night or does it cool at night, making for cold night time showers, brrrrrrrrrr

[VillageGoneGreen]

@flamedrag18 Sure it is! around 3" thick

[flamedrag18]

@VillageGoneGreen but will it keep the water heated overnight and early morning?

[VillageGoneGreen]

@flamedrag18 YES, it's design that way.

[flamedrag18]

@VillageGoneGreen nice, thank you.

[davidshortt88]

@flamedrag18 It looks like a preheat-er if the water cools the primary water heater heats the water.

[electronicdawg]

Is it good to bath with antifreeze?

[VillageGoneGreen]

@electronicdawg What??? the glycol (antifreeze) does not touch the domestic water.

[flamedrag18]

@electronicdawg the water in the pipes never touch the water going to your home. it works like a radiator, the house water runs inside the barrel in a pipe network while the water surrounding it is separate. how it heats the water is by controlling the density, the cold denser water sinks to the bottom of the outside pipes while less dense hot water floats up into the heating barrel, the water in the pipes and barrel can contain antifreeze since it's only surrounding the home pipes, not joined.

[ntomata0002]

@electronicdawg It's awesome, you can then walk to the snow naked and do not feel cold at all...

[Johnyppe]

Thanks for the reply. Still, I would like to try such a heater. I will repeat my previous question - how significant are heat losses during the winter? Does the temperature of the glycol drop below zero degrees celsius? Thank you.

[Johnyppe]

Nice vid. Just a question - how cold are winters in your area? We always have winters with tempereatures sometimes below minus 25 degrees celsius. I was wondering if this system works even in such a winter.

And another question - how significant are heat losses during the winter? I mean isn't better to use it only during the spring, summer and autumn? Thank you.

[VillageGoneGreen]

@Johnyppe it should work, you just have to ad more glycol but in your area I would recomend a permanent system where the tank is indoors.

[numberourdays]

how do you keep this from freezing in winter?

[VillageGoneGreen]

@numberourdays

Insulating the pipes and glycol antifreeze.

[ThinkPureTruth]

You inspired me! I am in Florida. I did not hear you make mention of any cost. Is it possible to hook up a circulating pump to move the hot water through a series of radiators? We have winter here and the temp gets down in the teens. A few nights, though I had the thermostat set on 75, it was 56 in the morning. My 5 ton heat strip with heat pump could NOT keep up. This is a nice AC unit. Thanks for your help. Maybe we can sell the units down here too! I have a retail store.

[catatonicable]

Its a Heat exchanger then, I have one, works well, I use it to pre-feed my geyser, saves it keeps having to kick in.

[Thedopestgraffiti]

Ken from NY. I like this system... How long once you've collected the Hot water will it stay to Temp? And what is the flow rate?

Anyway it's nice to hear you ans see your son working with you. Tomorrow I build my first solar collector for a plumbing supply house in NJ.

Your system looks really clean. I wish you good luck in this venture.

[VillageGoneGreen]

Yes, this is Alex, who are you?

[superjezz]

@VillageGoneGreen He is your stalker..... MWAAAHAAAHAHAHAAA!!!!

[Thedopestgraffiti]

Its nice to see your son working with you..

[Thedopestgraffiti]

Is this alex the electrician