Designing Solar Water Heater

search the forums, this was discussed last week. lots of good info to help you get started.

start simple go to swimming pool company webs site in the western states...gather your basics because the are an easy source. then go to public utilities out west like Nevada power they will have info.Calif. utilities will have alot of info.

good luck...move the water slow store the heat well, use it well and you will be ok.

if you live somewhere that is currently sunny go by some 3/4" black tubing and a $45 dollar back yard fountain pump (lowes or home depot) you will learn alot very fast with this set up and a digital thermometer $12 in any HVAC sale house.you will need some type of "tank" I suggest a free plastic barrel. let me know what you begining research turns up. FYI plant DNA starts to die @ 178* f +_. so kill some weeds with your HOT water.

miketheboilerguy@aol.com

There was some time ago a great web site called homepower, they posted great articles about solar water heaters, maybe you can find some of them on the web.

Try the CSIRO website.

Hello, there is a website where you can find a complete project of a low cost water heater system: http://www.sociedadedosol.org.br/en/presentation.htm

Hope this may help you.

Whatever you do (and there are a 1001 ways to collect the heat), make sure that you can "turn off the Sun's effect" in some way, either by turning the collector so that the Sun does not get to it, or by covering with a reflective material.

There is nothing worse when fault finding or just doing maintenance and having boiling water to work with!!!

Also, make sure that if your pump fails (or anything else!) that you are notified in some way, so that you can act to forestall any further problems....this usually means some remote indication that everything is OK.....

Build in redundancy if at all possible...

By the way, old radiators, with all the original paint removed first and then painted matt black, though nowhere as good as proper vacuum tubes, will do a fair job, you just need more of them!! Box them up with a glass front, insulate as best you can.

Do not forget the antifreeze for winter usage!!! and make sure that the cool water does not circulate in winter, cooling the hot water in the house!!! Easily forgotten.

Old washing machines have some good solenoid valves, or use the wax/electric valves for underfloor central heating, slow but good!!

Further, some method of protecting the system from long-term bacterial fouling may be needed. A dose of central heating protective treatment fluid ("Fernox"? - usual disclaimer) may prove useful.

I would use quality car Antifreeze, I use it in my heating system at home as its about a tenth of the price of the stuff for heating and seems to lubricate the pump well. The old boiler ran 15 years and the new boiler has already got 7 years with only a burner replacement, but the same pump.

One should remember that adding antifreeze CAN cause leaks as the mixture will travel thru smaller holes - if you have any!!

Try contacting the New Mexico Solar Energy Institute in Las Cruces, NM, (505)646-1846. Ask for their publication, "Solar Water Heating--A guide for New Mexico Homeowners" It has complete design info and solar calcs. The publication is also distributed by the New Mexico Energy R&D Institute of the U of New Mexico, address unknown.

This is the best web site I've ever found for DIY Solar - should give you lots of ideas:

http://www.builditsolar.com/

Also check out my site for how to calculate the economics, learn about the most common problems solar systems have (like overheating and freezing) and more -

http://www.theenergyguy.com/

(scroll down to the bottom of the main page to the "Solar Energy" section)

Email me if I can be of any further help. Best of luck!

Solar water heater basics And... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7r9V27coII

for simplicty and low cost with resonable results in most climates I would suggest an Integral Passive Solar hotwater heater.

Heres and link to start

http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/WaterHeating/ISPWH/ispwh.htm