Solarwaterheater
New Member
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2021
- Messages
- 24
Hello to any one who reads this! Lol.
I built my first solar water heater!
It's 1/2" pex under a piece of Polyethylene terephthalate glycol, or PETG plastic.
Inside the pex I have RV fluid/antifreeze so it doesn't burst at night with freezing temps. I have an Aquastat attached to the pex loop so the pumps won't turn on till the loop temp reaches a user defined value. Currently i have it set to about 85 deg F. The RV fluid is pumped through the loop via a solar powered pump to a plate heat exchanger. On the other side of the plate heat exchanger is the domestic hot water. I have two water heaters connected in series and the first one is turned off. The water from the first (powered off) water heater is what is pumped through the plate heat exchanger. I was hoping to use this setup to heat or at least pre-heat the hot water. I suppose i have half of that goal accomplished because it will circulate and get the water temp in the first water heater up to about 87-90 degrees.
My question to all of you: if i build a second loop and connect it to the first would it get higher temps...
A) if connected in series with the first loop
B) if connected in parallel
Or
C) won't matter, thats the best temp I'm going to get?
Side note, cause i know someone might ask. The piping in the photo also goes to our geothermal hvac system. When it is running it heats the domestic hot water. I have check valves on each side so the geo won't pull water backwards through the plate exchanger and vice versa. Typically, right now in the winter, the geothermal heats the water at night and the solar loop heats it during the day because the geothermal doesn't need to run during the day.
I appreciate any feedback good or bad. And thanks for your help!
I built my first solar water heater!
It's 1/2" pex under a piece of Polyethylene terephthalate glycol, or PETG plastic.
Inside the pex I have RV fluid/antifreeze so it doesn't burst at night with freezing temps. I have an Aquastat attached to the pex loop so the pumps won't turn on till the loop temp reaches a user defined value. Currently i have it set to about 85 deg F. The RV fluid is pumped through the loop via a solar powered pump to a plate heat exchanger. On the other side of the plate heat exchanger is the domestic hot water. I have two water heaters connected in series and the first one is turned off. The water from the first (powered off) water heater is what is pumped through the plate heat exchanger. I was hoping to use this setup to heat or at least pre-heat the hot water. I suppose i have half of that goal accomplished because it will circulate and get the water temp in the first water heater up to about 87-90 degrees.
My question to all of you: if i build a second loop and connect it to the first would it get higher temps...
A) if connected in series with the first loop
B) if connected in parallel
Or
C) won't matter, thats the best temp I'm going to get?
Side note, cause i know someone might ask. The piping in the photo also goes to our geothermal hvac system. When it is running it heats the domestic hot water. I have check valves on each side so the geo won't pull water backwards through the plate exchanger and vice versa. Typically, right now in the winter, the geothermal heats the water at night and the solar loop heats it during the day because the geothermal doesn't need to run during the day.
I appreciate any feedback good or bad. And thanks for your help!
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