The collector loop plumbing consists of a few feet of pipe and a circulation pump - that’s all. Because it uses plain water and the system is vented to the atmosphere, there is no need for expansion tanks, pressure relief valves, vacuum breakers, antifreeze or heat exchangers. It uses a design in which water drains back from the collectors into the storage tank for freeze protection. Our system is designed to be as simple as possible. This radiant floor can make use of water as cool as 85 degrees to heat the floors. We added a radiant floor heating system to distribute the solar heat throughout our home. Lower temperature water for heating will allow the solar collectors to operate more efficiently and collect more heat. The system that distributes the heat within the house should be able to use water that is as low in temperature as possible. This requires careful insulation and careful sealing of the tank lid. The thermal storage water tank must be well insulated.The pipes should be well insulated and the trench should be deep enough that the pipes are below the frost line for your area. To minimize heat loss from the pipes that carry water to the house, the collectors should be as close to the house as possible. ![]() Be sure to check carefully for any obstructions that would shade the collectors (see “Solar Site Survey” in “Resources,” below).
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |