Comments for radiantenergy.org http://radiantenergy.org a light that never goes out Wed, 24 Aug 2011 19:49:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 Comment on Solar Hot Water by admin http://radiantenergy.org/2011/06/13/solar-hot-water/#comment-113 admin Wed, 24 Aug 2011 19:49:06 +0000 http://radiantenergy.org/?p=89#comment-113 Hi John, I added a couple more photos of the mounting, though I do have more photos as well as a number of sketches of plans for it somewhere. Been super busy. The comment page is part of "WordPress" which is the software I use to run the website. In general pretty good software, particularly for free. You can set up your own free blog on the wordpress.com website. Hi John, I added a couple more photos of the mounting, though I do have more photos as well as a number of sketches of plans for it somewhere. Been super busy.

The comment page is part of “WordPress” which is the software I use to run the website. In general pretty good software, particularly for free. You can set up your own free blog on the wordpress.com website.

]]> Comment on Solar Hot Water by admin http://radiantenergy.org/2011/06/13/solar-hot-water/#comment-112 admin Wed, 24 Aug 2011 19:43:39 +0000 http://radiantenergy.org/?p=89#comment-112 Heya, I actually took the glass off one panel to look at it, not sure if I have any photos around of that but I'll look. The cloudy seemed to be a bit just how the glass was, I can take a look at my mounted panels and see if I can tell anything but it seems like is just how they are. That said it wasn't very hard to take the glass off. I stripped the old caulking and put in a new bead of black silicon when I put it back together - that is probably the hardest part since the original bead was probably done with a machine and is very clean. My attempted wasn't quite so clean but seemed to work. I think if you do PEX to the collector you need to make sure it is totally blocked from UV or it deteriorates pretty fast (from what I remember reading) so you might want to search the web for PEX and UV and see what you would have to do. Also if you haven't worked with PEX before it can be a real hassle to go around tight corners since it is hard to bend. I've only used it for my tank heat exchanger with 1" PEX and it was challenge to bend for the inlet / outlet. Obviously that might not matter at all in your situation, just something to think about. Heya, I actually took the glass off one panel to look at it, not sure if I have any photos around of that but I’ll look. The cloudy seemed to be a bit just how the glass was, I can take a look at my mounted panels and see if I can tell anything but it seems like is just how they are. That said it wasn’t very hard to take the glass off. I stripped the old caulking and put in a new bead of black silicon when I put it back together – that is probably the hardest part since the original bead was probably done with a machine and is very clean. My attempted wasn’t quite so clean but seemed to work.

I think if you do PEX to the collector you need to make sure it is totally blocked from UV or it deteriorates pretty fast (from what I remember reading) so you might want to search the web for PEX and UV and see what you would have to do. Also if you haven’t worked with PEX before it can be a real hassle to go around tight corners since it is hard to bend. I’ve only used it for my tank heat exchanger with 1″ PEX and it was challenge to bend for the inlet / outlet. Obviously that might not matter at all in your situation, just something to think about.

]]> Comment on Solar Hot Water by Jeff Mucha http://radiantenergy.org/2011/06/13/solar-hot-water/#comment-106 Jeff Mucha Mon, 22 Aug 2011 04:41:10 +0000 http://radiantenergy.org/?p=89#comment-106 Hi, I just picked up some Colt C-141c panels on Craigslist too . Did you take them apart and clean them or anything? Mine look a little cloudy so I'm wondering if that is normal or if the sealant out-gassed and formed a film on the inner surface that I should try to clean off... I'm thinking of coming off my collectors with PEX once I go through the roof since it's rated at 200F. That pipe clamp connection between panels sounds like a great idea too. -Jeff Hi,

I just picked up some Colt C-141c panels on Craigslist too . Did you take them apart and clean them or anything? Mine look a little cloudy so I’m wondering if that is normal or if the sealant out-gassed and formed a film on the inner surface that I should try to clean off… I’m thinking of coming off my collectors with PEX once I go through the roof since it’s rated at 200F. That pipe clamp connection between panels sounds like a great idea too.

-Jeff

]]> Comment on Solar Hot Water by John Canivan http://radiantenergy.org/2011/06/13/solar-hot-water/#comment-97 John Canivan Fri, 12 Aug 2011 17:25:46 +0000 http://radiantenergy.org/?p=89#comment-97 Eric Good job on the construction of the parallel flow collector and on the mounting. It looks very professional. Would like to see more details on the method of mounting and the storage system. Love your comment page. How did my make it? John Eric
Good job on the construction of the parallel flow collector and on the mounting. It looks very professional. Would like to see more details on the method of mounting and the storage system. Love your comment page. How did my make it?

John

]]> Comment on Solar Hot Water by S W http://radiantenergy.org/2011/06/13/solar-hot-water/#comment-94 S W Sun, 07 Aug 2011 18:57:39 +0000 http://radiantenergy.org/?p=89#comment-94 Hi, Have you done any of the radiant infloor heating by solar yet? I am undertaking a huge project, and wanted some advice on your setup. Any pitfalls to watch out for, etc. I am planning to build a similar system with eight 4'x8' collectors w/PEX pipe to heat water during the day; optimized for winter solar radiation, pleaced on my roof. It will have four; very heavily insulated, 500 gallon holding tanks for water, in the basement. Each tank will have a 300' coil of 1" PEX for my heat exchanger, giving me the equvalent of a 40 gallon hot water tank. The heated water from the tanks will also directly feed to my radiant infloor heating lines. There will be two, hotwater on demand unit also plumbed in. One to heat the tanks on cloudy days, the other to heat the DHW if neccesary. Thanks for your input. Hi,

Have you done any of the radiant infloor heating by solar yet? I am undertaking a huge project, and wanted some advice on your setup. Any pitfalls to watch out for, etc.

I am planning to build a similar system with eight 4′x8′ collectors w/PEX pipe to heat water during the day; optimized for winter solar radiation, pleaced on my roof.
It will have four; very heavily insulated, 500 gallon holding tanks for water, in the basement. Each tank will have a 300′ coil of 1″ PEX for my heat exchanger, giving me the equvalent of a 40 gallon hot water tank. The heated water from the tanks will also directly feed to my radiant infloor heating lines. There will be two, hotwater on demand unit also plumbed in. One to heat the tanks on cloudy days, the other to heat the DHW if neccesary.

Thanks for your input.

]]>