Rob's Solar Hot Water Project With Space Heating and Cooling
Rob's system provides solar water heating and some solar space
heating. The system has a number of unique features, including the
first ever use of the hizer collector design for a drain back system, and a water to
air heat exchanger for space heating.
Rob did a very careful job of designing and building the system --
there are many well executed details to learn from in his system.
The pdf includes very detailed construction notes with 70 pictures.
There is also a very detailed cost accounting.
A follow-on phase of
the project will include well water based space cooling via the same
heat exchanger used for solar heating in the winter.
Thanks very much to Rob for taking the time to document this project
so carefully!
The system is the first application that I know of the hizer collector in a
drain back system. In a hizer collector, the finned "riser" tubes
that pick up the solar heat run horizontally instead of vertically. This
concept was invented by Alan Rushforth, who proposed it as a better way to
handle large collectors in which the long dimension is horizontal rather than
vertical. For wide collectors, the hizer results in fewer (but longer)
"risers", and in shorter supply and return manifolds with fewer
fittings. Alan feels (and I agree) that it will be easier with a hizer
collector to get an even flow distribution to all the risers, and that the
problems that sometimes occur with getting multiple parallel collectors to all
fill and flow properly will be avoided.
Collector frame and the hizer grid.
Collector support structure from treated lumber.
Dry fitting the vertical manifolds for the hizer collector.
Solar heat storage tank framework.
Folding the single piece liner to fit in the tank.
Using "J" hooks to control the plumbing slope.
Rob has taken the time to work out the details carefully for the whole job.
There is a lot to learn just by going through the project and looking at how he
handled all the details you have to deal with on building collectors, tanks, and
laying out the plumbing.
In a follow on phase planned for next summer, Rob plans to use the same
water to air heat exchanger that is used in the winter to transfer stored solar
heat to the furnace ducting, he plans to pump cold well water through the HX for
cooling.
'
Most amazing of all (at least to me) is that Rob managed
to keep a clean shop through the whole project!
Comments
If you have any questions, comments, suggestions ...
NOTE: I made a change to this page that lost
the live version of the earlier comments.
A static copy of the earlier comments is pasted in below.
Enter any new comments/answers in the comment box above.
Sorry about that -- Gary
Showing10comments
Brandon
New to this whole idea.. but I LOVE the site! Mentions above
that the system may be used for COOLING next summer. How does
this work?? Thanks!
sandy stewart
Nice system Rob. I like the clean look of the collectors, and
your 300 gal tank should provide capacity to help get you
through cloudy spells. My hizer collector drain back system is
also working well. see:http://www.builditsolarblog.co....
I know what you mean about the higher cost of materials in
Canada!
-Sandy in PEI
kmerrild
Rightclick on the link, and choose download as, remember where
you download it to, otherwise do a serch for the docoument name
"Rob's Solar Hot Water system V3.pdf"
Nicely work, I like
Ballankenora
Looks really good Rob. It looks like the Hizer design is gaining
traction.
GaryBIS
Hi Mary,
I just tried the pdf download on a couple of browsers and it
seems to be working OK. Maybe try it again and see what happens.
If you still have trouble with it, send me an email, and I'll
attach the pdf to the replay. gary AT BuildItSolar DOT com
If anyone else is having trouble downloading the pdf, please let
me know.
It should be 4.34 mb and 42 pages.
Gary
MaryS
Hi, looks like a great project. And Gary, your website is a
wonderful resource.
I wanted to look at the PDF, but every time I clicked on it it
appeared to 'download' and reach 'done', but no document showed
up. Coud very well be my computer, but thought I would ask just
in case. I'll try back later and see if I can get the doc.
Thanks!
Canivan
Looks very professional Bob. Getting the plumbing properly
sloped must have been difficult. I like those support hooks in
the basement.
Rob M
Thank's
The slope was actually easier than you might think
The slope in the panels was set before tying down the absorbers
I just figured out how much slow in inches from one side to the
other an drew a line on the bottom of the manifolds for the fall
For in the house I made sure the lines entering the house where
very near the top of the floor joists
Then on the run thru the house parallel to the floor joists I
just slowly dropped the lines to the bottom of the floor joists
as I crossed the basement
Then after changing the direction to the east across the joists
I just measured the distance of the hooks to the bottom of
joists and slowed made them hang lower
Rob M
Hi Rob,
One thing to keep an eye on is whether you get any sagging
between the J hooks -- I guess it would be easy to add a few
more if some sags show up.
Gary
Bert1706
I ended up with J hooks on each floor joist so the only sag is
between the joists
With 12" centres under the kitchen not much sag going on. (I
built the house with 12" centres glued and nailed under the
kitchen and under our bedroom as we had a waterbed at the time.
There is no bounce in those floors!)
Rob M
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