I HAVE 3 4x8 FLAT PLATE COLLECTORS (HOME MADE BUT NICE) USED TO PRE HEAT DOMESTIC WATER. THEY ARE ANTI- FREEZED AND I USE A REPAIRED 39 GAL INDIRECT TANK FOR STORAGE. IT WORKS OK - I GUESS. MY ECONOBURN AND STORAGE ARE NEW SINCE MARCH. I HAVE BEEN READING HERE AND A LOT OF YOU GUYS SEEM TO BE USING YOUR HEAT STORAGE WITH SOLAR. DO I WANT TO CHANGE ? IT SEEMS LIKE BTUS ARE BTUS. I PLAN ON BURNING THRU THE SUMMER AS REQUIRED.
USE OF STORAGE ?
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RobC
Minister of Fire
The idea is to have an extra hot water coil inside your propane tank pressure storage or have an extra copper coil in your unpressurized tank and the solar water dumps heat that way. If you have pressurized storage you get a coil similar to the ones that go in the top of an oil boiler that give you tank-less hot water. ( striking out trying to find one to show you.... boiler parts supply ) you can get the coil and the mounting plate and have it welded into the tank. While your at it get 2 and mount 2nd up high and run your DHW through that.
You need to be realistic on how much heat you can generate. You might never notice your 3 panels exchanging in 1000G. One of the wood solar guys might help more, but that's the general idea.
You need to be realistic on how much heat you can generate. You might never notice your 3 panels exchanging in 1000G. One of the wood solar guys might help more, but that's the general idea.
ROBC THANKS FOR YOUR IDEA. I HADN"T THOUGHT OF THAT. YOU ARE CORRECT. I HAVE DONE MY MATH. THE PANELS WOULD ONLY RAISE STORAGE TANK TEMP ABOUT 2 - 3 DEGREES. ( ON A GOOD DAY ) ANYWAY YOUR APPROACH WILL NOT BE PRACTICAL AT THIS TIME. GUESS I WILL CONTINUE AS IS. IT WAS A VERY NICE WEEK-END HERE --- HOPE YOU HAT THE SAME.
RobC
Minister of Fire
This is what I was referring to. You need to get the appropriate flange, weld to tank, insert coil......
http://www.boilersupplies.com/tankheaters/burnham.html
Rob
http://www.boilersupplies.com/tankheaters/burnham.html
Rob
tom in maine
Minister of Fire
Your current solar tank is woefully undersized. Hopefully, you are not overheating and lifting the pressure relief on the solar loop. ( I am assuming that this is not a drainback system.)
You can tie into your wood storage. The small temp increase on a daily basis from a solar system should match up pretty good with your usage.
You will be pulling down the tank about that same amount from drawing DHW off the tank.
The limiting factor is how well the tank is insulated and the performance of the heat exchanger.
Backup for cloudy weather is an occasional wood firing.
1000 gallons at 120F water will give you a lot of DHW, again IF the DHW hx is designed properly and the standby loss on the tank is low.
If your tank is unpressurized, you can run the solar system as a drainback--circulating tank water right to the collectors and back again.
If it is a pressure tank, you will need to add a hx, either plate or coil to tie in the solar loop.
You can tie into your wood storage. The small temp increase on a daily basis from a solar system should match up pretty good with your usage.
You will be pulling down the tank about that same amount from drawing DHW off the tank.
The limiting factor is how well the tank is insulated and the performance of the heat exchanger.
Backup for cloudy weather is an occasional wood firing.
1000 gallons at 120F water will give you a lot of DHW, again IF the DHW hx is designed properly and the standby loss on the tank is low.
If your tank is unpressurized, you can run the solar system as a drainback--circulating tank water right to the collectors and back again.
If it is a pressure tank, you will need to add a hx, either plate or coil to tie in the solar loop.
You need at least 119 gallons of storage for that 96 square feet of collector. You could cover a couple collectors in the hot sunny months if you have over-heating issues. If the system is over-heating every sunny day you will destroy the glycol and eventually the piping components.
Ideally you would heat the 39 gallon, then via a 3 way zone valve send heat to the boiler storage. It could be considered a heat dump or a supplement to the heating loads in heating season. A flat plate heat exchanger is another option to put energy into a pressurized or un-pressurized tank.
hr
Ideally you would heat the 39 gallon, then via a 3 way zone valve send heat to the boiler storage. It could be considered a heat dump or a supplement to the heating loads in heating season. A flat plate heat exchanger is another option to put energy into a pressurized or un-pressurized tank.
hr
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