solar hot water

[bridgesjon]

Anyone ever tried heating their hot water with solar panels? My back boiler on the stove has provided me with constant piping hot water all winter, but with summer coming, this is going to become rather unbearable! I know that solar panels that heat water are available for boats (from www.solarboat.co.uk), but has anyone heard how good they are?

 

Yours hopefully, Jon Bridges

[bottle]

Sorry never tried it.

 

I have a theory though:

 

" A solar panel is a radiator painted in matt black in side a glass fronted box."

 

A circulation pump would be needed.

 

There are better qualified people on this forum and i am sure they will amaze us with their knowledge.

[DHutch]

Ive never used one on a boat, but we spent a week in a cabin that had one, and even on a realivly dull day it got the water fairly warm, i could imagen it would be ideal for a liveaboard or somone who often spends time on the boat without running the engine.

- Also, theres no reason for needing a pump, assuming its set up properly it should work fine without.

 

 

Daniel

[bottle]

- Also, theres no reason for needing a pump, assuming its set up properly it should work fine without.

Daniel

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Daniel

 

explain !!!!!

[DHutch]

Heat rises.

 

- Works just like "gravity feed" radiators!

 

The warming water rises though the pannel, then falls though the hot water tank as it cools.

- Thats how the systems ive seen work.

 

 

 

Daniel

[bottle]

Yes but

 

A small pump (solar powered) would aid efficiency agreed?

[DHutch]

Yes but

A small pump (solar powered) would aid efficiency agreed?

 

Possably?

- I dont know really.

 

Also, the tank does have to be above the pannels, otherwise the heat would just run back into them

- Like if you put your calorifyer below the engine.

 

 

 

Dainel

[bottle]

<SNIP>

Also, the tank does have to be above the pannels, otherwise the heat would just run back into them<SNIP>

 

Dainel

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

How about house installations then?

[maffi mushkila]

Possably?

- I dont know really.

 

Also, the tank does have to be above the pannels, otherwise the heat would just run back into them

- Like if you put your calorifyer below the engine.

Dainel

 

Assuming that the most efficient position for the panels is on the roof (so they can get the sun all day) how do you get the hot water tank above the panel?

 

AIMSH?

[DHutch]

How about house installations then?

 

The ones ive seen have the tank just above the pannels.

[Amicus]

The heat exchanger has to be above the panel,

as in

http://www.crete-perfect-home.com/property...29_R0010105.htm

else the panel has to be pumped,

Even here the secondary has to be pumped.

The heat is up high and yous wants it down low, something has to be pumped.

If the panel is down low, lower than the storage tank, you can get away with gravity

Edited April 13, 2005 by Amicus

[Big COL]

Possably?

- I dont know really.

 

Also, the tank does have to be above the pannels, otherwise the heat would just run back into them

- Like if you put your calorifyer below the engine.

Dainel

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Hi Daniel

 

You can have the calorifier below the engine,as it's a pumped system using the engine's water pump.

[bottle]

<SNIP>Like if you put your calorifyer below the engine.

Dainel

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Thats just for convenience, to reduce air locks, and anyway thats normaly a pumped system.

 

It might not be on your boat though.

[DHutch]

Thats just for convenience, to reduce air locks, and anyway thats normaly a pumped system.

 

Yeah, it is normaly pumped, but i was talking about when you shut the engine off (stop the pump) - if the tank is below the system the heat doesnt say in the calorifier, unless you have some oneway values to stop it.

 

- And our calorifier is "steam powered" (ie, we blow steam in one end of the coil and watch it come out as water, or somtime steam if we leave it on too long!!)

 

 

 

Daniel

[Shippo]

Anyone ever tried heating their hot water with solar panels? My back boiler on the stove has provided me with constant piping hot water all winter, but with summer coming, this is going to become rather unbearable! I know that solar panels that heat water are available for boats (from www.solarboat.co.uk), but has anyone heard how good they are?

 

Yours hopefully, Jon Bridges

 

hi,

ive done it and it works well, probably a bit to well sometimes (on a good day past 60deg in the tank ouch, i have a 16 tube panel on my roof just the rite size, closed loop system with a 12v circulation pump, big learning curve installing it and getting it to run, and still having the odd teething problem and head scratching moments,

feel free to ask any questions,

[barge sara]

Anyone ever tried heating their hot water with solar panels? My back boiler on the stove has provided me with constant piping hot water all winter, but with summer coming, this is going to become rather unbearable! I know that solar panels that heat water are available for boats (from www.solarboat.co.uk), but has anyone heard how good they are?

 

We have an 'experimental' system consisting of a small central heating radiator painted matt black and laid nearly flat in an insulated box on the boat roof, the box having a double skin polycarbonate lid. Connected to one of the calorifier coils, circulation by a small 12v pump powered from a 10w solar panel - no battery so only circulates when the sun shines.

On a good sunny day it provides enough hot water for a couple of showers and some washing up. On cooler days it at least pre-warms the water before the immersion heater is used to bring it up to a usable temperature.

As a cheap and cheerful experiment I would rate it a success. Cost about £60 for pump, panel and polycarb sheet. The rest of the bits I had 'in stock.'

[BlueStringPudding]

We have an 'experimental' system consisting of a small central heating radiator painted matt black and laid nearly flat in an insulated box on the boat roof, the box having a double skin polycarbonate lid. Connected to one of the calorifier coils, circulation by a small 12v pump powered from a 10w solar panel - no battery so only circulates when the sun shines.

On a good sunny day it provides enough hot water for a couple of showers and some washing up. On cooler days it at least pre-warms the water before the immersion heater is used to bring it up to a usable temperature.

As a cheap and cheerful experiment I would rate it a success. Cost about £60 for pump, panel and polycarb sheet. The rest of the bits I had 'in stock.'

 

How clever! What's the function of the double-skinned polycarbonate roof? Does it let heat in but not out, for example?

[barge sara]

How clever! What's the function of the double-skinned polycarbonate roof? Does it let heat in but not out, for example?

 

Thats the idea - its the stuff they put on conservatory roofs.

[Pretty Funked Up]

I use the eber to heat the tank (no rads) off the power from the panels when the suns nice and strong.

kinda solar heated takes 2 5mins so not to much of a dent on the days charging

Edited June 17, 2010 by Pretty Funked Up

[Ernie]

We came across a boat with a large solar water heating panel on the roof last year.

 

Photo (not a very good one) at the bottom of this page: http://www.erniesplace.com/A2/Diaries/0909...l_Hempstead.php

 

The owner of the boat claimed that it worked very well.

[WotEver]

The owner of the boat claimed that it worked very well.

It would probably work better if it was matte black.

 

Tony

[Artimis]

Heat rises.

 

- Works just like "gravity feed" radiators!

 

The warming water rises though the pannel, then falls though the hot water tank as it cools.

- Thats how the systems ive seen work.

 

 

 

Daniel

 

 

Ah, good old myth is alive and well, but a little knowledge is a dangerous thing when playing with steam and boiling water.

 

If you want to know more about solar thermal, ask a qualified professional.

 

Having read the various stories about vandalism on canals, the only thing stopping me installing a system is the risk of damage.

[matty40s]

We came across a boat with a large solar water heating panel on the roof last year.

Photo (not a very good one) at the bottom of this page: http://www.erniesplace.com/A2/Diaries/0909...l_Hempstead.php

The owner of the boat claimed that it worked very well.

 

 

That 3rd "interesting boat" also now has a caravan, it's an old 8ft wide aluminium lifeboat with a new cabin on top - being used for a stained glass workshop now.

[Bobbybass]

I recently met a boater with a solar system that he had 'cobbled' together for about £25 !!

Its simple and so may get very hot...but it went like this :

 

He had bought some solar plastic water heater units from Halfords....about £6 I think he said..?..

They are basically a matt black heat resistant plastic water holder and come with a length of see through hose and a simple shower head with a push button on and off.

He had linked 3 of these together and just one output hose which he threaded through an open window. Over the top of the black bottles he had a small double glazed window he had found in a rubbish skip.

He claimed that in summer it gave him a very hot shower ( I can imagine with no cold feed !!) and loads of washing up water. I think he said he had to hand fill the black bottles but they held about 20 litres each and so lasted several days. I tried the hot water form the outlet...and it was very hot !!

Simple idea...but worked well for him....despite his lobster shade.

 

Bob

[RLWP]

Unbelieveable extravagance! A programme on telly showed you how to make a solar water heated by threading plastic lemonade bottles along a hosepipe. The mini-greenhouses warm the water in the hose.

 

Richard