Solar Hot Water
Solar Hot Water
I will be moving to a location which is off grid. The location will be in Mondulkiri which is cooler and rainier than most of the rest of the country. I am considering installing a solar hot water system and was wondering if anyone has experience using one. I have previously used one and was not impressed but that might have been due to poor installation. My main concern is does it work well when it is overcast or raining and when the temperatures are low. Thanks.
Re: Solar Hot Water
The clue might be in the name "Solar", from the latin solaris, which means from the sun. It doesn't mean from overcast skies and low ambient temperatures.
But, all joking aside, and if you could live with a system that was at the mercy of the local weather conditions, and set up correctly for peak usage.. ie. morning and evening then it might work for you.
More information related to your previous experience with a solar water heating system might help isolate specific areas that you could improve in your future installation. The main one, as I have already mentioned above, is peak usage and ensuring supply meets demand. Therefor, storing the hot water created during the hours of sunlight, and keeping it hot during the night, or low usage hours seems critical to a decent installation.
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Re: Solar Hot Water
It will work except for the times when it won'tNanook wrote: ↑Sat Jul 22, 2023 7:29 am I will be moving to a location which is off grid. The location will be in Mondulkiri which is cooler and rainier than most of the rest of the country. I am considering installing a solar hot water system and was wondering if anyone has experience using one. I have previously used one and was not impressed but that might have been due to poor installation. My main concern is does it work well when it is overcast or raining and when the temperatures are low. Thanks.
Buy an electronic water heater as a backup
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Re: Solar Hot Water
Buy 50 m or more of black water pipe, connect it up and throw it on the ground or better still on the roof and you will be surprised at how much free hot water you get. Yes you will only get hot water during the day but its all about planning your activities when hot water is needed at the right time.
Re: Solar Hot Water
Heating water using the energy from sunlight is, at its core, a very simple process. However, over simplification of the actual installation is not going to achieve the desired results and will be a waste of time and money.Tootsfriend wrote: ↑Sat Jul 22, 2023 9:46 am Buy 50 m or more of black water pipe, connect it up and throw it on the ground or better still on the roof and you will be surprised at how much free hot water you get. Yes you will only get hot water during the day but its all about planning your activities when hot water is needed at the right time.
As I have mentioned previously, suitable storage of the hot water is a prime factor in a successful installation. This means an insulated tank and possibly the ability to run the contents through the heating array from this tank. This will increase the temp of the hot water and prolong the time that it remains useable as "hot" water. A mechanism that controls the repeated cycling of "hot" water through the heating array based on the temperature of the water in the storage tank would be desirable but it depends on your specifications. ie. how hot do you want your "hot water"?
Would you install a separate delivery method for your hot water? This way you could be more lenient with an upper temperature of the stored hot water as you could add colder water from your existing supply. There's additional costs involved and the pipework may be visible which may not be desirable. Though, it could always be boxed in to hide it of course.
Please note: My observations are without the benefit of google as they seem obvious and I may do some research (google) on the matter as it seems a cost effective way of producing water that is raised to a temp sufficient enough for a "hot" shower, washing dishes/clothes etc.
Re: Solar Hot Water
Buy an electronic water heater as a backup
That would do a lot of good being off grid.
That would do a lot of good being off grid.
Re: Solar Hot Water
My guess is you will only use it in December, January and maybe February, and early mornings only, the rest of the year a cool shower isn't a burden but a blessing, even in Mondulkiri.Nanook wrote: ↑Sat Jul 22, 2023 7:29 am I will be moving to a location which is off grid. The location will be in Mondulkiri which is cooler and rainier than most of the rest of the country. I am considering installing a solar hot water system and was wondering if anyone has experience using one. I have previously used one and was not impressed but that might have been due to poor installation. My main concern is does it work well when it is overcast or raining and when the temperatures are low. Thanks.
The black pipes on the roof seem a good idea, it will work, but only on sunny days. It involves the risk of Legionella bacteria building up in the water because it doesn't get warm enough to wipe them out, which can be very dangerous. The warm water in the pipes will make a perfect habitat for the buggers especially if the water is stagnant for a while. It's something to consider when using it. A water heater doesn't have that risk as long as it heats the water at a temperature over 60 degrees Celsius if I recall well.
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Re: Solar Hot Water
Speaking from experience, the water in black water pipes gets so bloody hot you cannot put your hand in it, and that is in NZ where temperature in summer occasionally get to 30 degrees. My brother had a 100 m of water pipe from a dam in the hills running to his house and he was always bitching about how he would have to turn on the tap for 10 minutes and waste water before he could get some cold water in summer time.. Even on cloudy days the water was warm enough to take a shower and the 20 m closest to the house was encased in insulation [ old polystyrene ] and buried underground which kept about 10 liters fairly hot until about 8 pm at night. As for bacteria in the water,, my brother used that water for the last 50 years and has just turned 90 years old two weeks ago .Kammekor wrote: ↑Sun Jul 23, 2023 7:42 amMy guess is you will only use it in December, January and maybe February, and early mornings only, the rest of the year a cool shower isn't a burden but a blessing, even in Mondulkiri.Nanook wrote: ↑Sat Jul 22, 2023 7:29 am I will be moving to a location which is off grid. The location will be in Mondulkiri which is cooler and rainier than most of the rest of the country. I am considering installing a solar hot water system and was wondering if anyone has experience using one. I have previously used one and was not impressed but that might have been due to poor installation. My main concern is does it work well when it is overcast or raining and when the temperatures are low. Thanks.
The black pipes on the roof seem a good idea, it will work, but only on sunny days. It involves the risk of Legionella bacteria building up in the water because it doesn't get warm enough to wipe them out, which can be very dangerous. The warm water in the pipes will make a perfect habitat for the buggers especially if the water is stagnant for a while. It's something to consider when using it. A water heater doesn't have that risk as long as it heats the water at a temperature over 60 degrees Celsius if I recall well.
Re: Solar Hot Water
If it gets hot enough then Legionella isn't an issue.Tootsfriend wrote: ↑Sun Jul 23, 2023 8:32 amSpeaking from experience, the water in black water pipes gets so bloody hot you cannot put your hand in it, and that is in NZ where temperature in summer occasionally get to 30 degrees. My brother had a 100 m of water pipe from a dam in the hills running to his house and he was always bitching about how he would have to turn on the tap for 10 minutes and waste water before he could get some cold water in summer time.. Even on cloudy days the water was warm enough to take a shower and the 20 m closest to the house was encased in insulation [ old polystyrene ] and buried underground which kept about 10 liters fairly hot until about 8 pm at night. As for bacteria in the water,, my brother used that water for the last 50 years and has just turned 90 years old two weeks ago .Kammekor wrote: ↑Sun Jul 23, 2023 7:42 amMy guess is you will only use it in December, January and maybe February, and early mornings only, the rest of the year a cool shower isn't a burden but a blessing, even in Mondulkiri.Nanook wrote: ↑Sat Jul 22, 2023 7:29 am I will be moving to a location which is off grid. The location will be in Mondulkiri which is cooler and rainier than most of the rest of the country. I am considering installing a solar hot water system and was wondering if anyone has experience using one. I have previously used one and was not impressed but that might have been due to poor installation. My main concern is does it work well when it is overcast or raining and when the temperatures are low. Thanks.
The black pipes on the roof seem a good idea, it will work, but only on sunny days. It involves the risk of Legionella bacteria building up in the water because it doesn't get warm enough to wipe them out, which can be very dangerous. The warm water in the pipes will make a perfect habitat for the buggers especially if the water is stagnant for a while. It's something to consider when using it. A water heater doesn't have that risk as long as it heats the water at a temperature over 60 degrees Celsius if I recall well.
I guess it depends on the diameter of the pipe and the amount of water inside. If you have a large surface with relatively little water inside you're OK I guess. Before installing I would do some math.
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Re: Solar Hot Water
In the 1970's on a isolated outback farm I had with no electricity I had a 2 meter length of steel pipe about 10 inches in diameter, set up over a brick fire base outside, The water flowed from a rooftop tank into a half inch copper pipe at the bottom, then spiral wounded inside the 10 inch pipe and exited at the top as a shower head. Sometimes the water got so hot you had to throw water onto the fire to slow the fire down. I often had a one hour hot shower that cost nothing. Long gone are the days of self sufficiency and ingenuity.
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