Friday, April 26, 2013

Dave's £900 Homemade Solar Water Heating System


David lives at 52 degree North latitude in the UK -- a pretty tough location for solar water heating, but his homemade system works quite well.

This is a really nice build with lots of good ideas and details to learn from.


The system is loosely modeled after our $1K system, but has a number of noteworthy features:
  • Very nice workmanship and details.
  • Solar heat is stored in the existing house thermal storage tank (which is used for both space and domestic water heating).
  • An aesthetically pleasing collector and mounting arrangement.
  • A pumping station that is mounted in a weather protected box on the back of the collector.
  • A freeze protection system that takes into account his unique circumstances.
Dave is a professional plumber who now teaches plumbing, and this shows in the attention to detail in the design and the careful workmanship.

Thanks very much to David for sending this in!

The copper riser, aluminum fin collector under construction.

The pump was located at the collector in the box as there was no
space near the tank.

This is the existing thermal storage tank for the house that
is used for space and water heating and now stores solar heat as well.

Gary April 26, 2013

 
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