Solar Thermal From Scrap...AGAIN!

[Onoff]

The pump, expansion vessel and control gear I bought on Gumtree is sat up in Willowbrae still awaiting collection. Was supposed to be by a Scots mate who lives down here. He's decided now though that fuel is too expensive to drive up now so he'll be coaching it.

 

However, the kind chap holding it for me up there is now packaging it all up for a courier.

 

I do though now have a wasps nest to get rid of right where I need to access to do the panels! 

[SteamyTea]

1 hour ago, Onoff said:

do though now have a wasps nest to get rid of right where I need to access to do the panels

Right where you will be fitting the panels, in January.

You can encapsulate expanding foam over it.

Or get a 'jamboy'.

https://youtu.be/2KekuGUh6_c

 

[Onoff]

First bits of my solar thermal kit:

 

 

 

 

[Ferdinand]

Just now, Onoff said:

First bits of my solar thermal kit:

 

 

 

 

 

Why is this not made from Guinness cans?

[Pocster]

23 minutes ago, Onoff said:

First bits of my solar thermal kit:

 

 

 

 

Wtf is it ?

Will it generate ufh for the bathroom , that’s all that matters …. ?

[Onoff]

3 minutes ago, pocster said:

Wtf is it ?

 

I genuinely have no idea.

[Onoff]

11 hours ago, Onoff said:

 

I genuinely have no idea.

 

...continuing on from the above comment...

 

I've an old hot water cylinder here. Acquired when someone upgraded to a combi, it seemed rude not to. Looks in good nick. 1" green insulation.

 

It measures 1000mm overall height and is nom 450mm diameter. I make this circa 165L. 

 

Is this any use in my cobbled together solar thermal system, 3 panels and the above pump gear?

 

I may have asked this before...it was so long ago...

[SteamyTea]

3 minutes ago, Onoff said:

Is this any use in my cobbled together solar thermal system,

Plumb it in, could be useful as a water pre-heater.

[Marvin]

12 hours ago, Onoff said:

 

I genuinely have no idea.

https://www.resol.de › 48005...PDF
DeltaSol® BS Plus - Resol

[SteamyTea]

Been wondering how that is pronounced.

[Onoff]

1 hour ago, SteamyTea said:

Been wondering how that is pronounced.

 

Like that cream you use; R-Sreeleef"

[Onoff]

1 hour ago, Marvin said:

https://www.resol.de › 48005...PDF
DeltaSol® BS Plus - Resol

 

Hoping I might get the original manuals in the next shipment of parts. 

[Onoff]

2 hours ago, SteamyTea said:

Plumb it in, could be useful as a water pre-heater.

 

That was the plan but guessing there'll be times I'll have a huge excess of hot water so thinking a storage tank too.

[Marvin]

37 minutes ago, Onoff said:

 

That was the plan but guessing there'll be times I'll have a huge excess of hot water so thinking a storage tank too.

Lots of different choices... 

IMHO I would install the option to divert all the heat into one tank when in winter and there is less solar energy, otherwise you end up with lots and lots of lukewarm water. (trust me I know)^😧

Again, I would first work out how much hot water is going to be used a day. No point spending loads of money insulating tanks and in the summer the tanks leak warmth which is not welcome in the building. (or perhaps it is, if the tank is in your bathroom!??)

 

 

[Onoff]

19 minutes ago, Marvin said:

No point spending loads of money insulating tanks and in the summer the tanks leak warmth which is not welcome in the building. (or perhaps it is, if the tank is in your bathroom!??)

 

 

 

At the moment the HWC sits in the eaves just below that tiled cheek of the dormer.

 

 

Ostensibly the eaves are uninsulated and outside the scant thermal envelope of the dormer. 

[Marvin]

6 minutes ago, Onoff said:

 

At the moment the HWC sits in the eaves just below that tiled cheek of the dormer.

 

 

Ostensibly the eaves are uninsulated and outside the scant thermal envelope of the dormer. 

Hmm... the less you heat, then, the more money you save. My tank has 200mm of Supersoft and a box around it.

 

(Carrying out alterations at the moment....)

 

[Onoff]

7 minutes ago, Marvin said:

Hmm... the less you heat, then, the more money you save.

 

When you came down you went through the "stairs" room to get into the new downstairs bathroom (and kindly commented I think that it was like going into a different house 😂).

 

The floor of the stairs room has to come up, be insulated underneath  etc.

 

I have wondered at the merits of digging down and excavating a say 1500mm cube of dirt. (It's only digging). Then lining with pir and dropping an IBC tank in as a hot water storage tank.

[Marvin]

5 minutes ago, Onoff said:

I have wondered at the merits of digging down and excavating a say 1500mm cube of dirt. (It's only digging). Then lining with pir and dropping an IBC tank in as a hot water storage tank.

Hmm.. all sort of issues to overcome. Obiviously possible, but undermining foundations giving rise to heave would be my first concern, then drainage, then....

[Marvin]

8 minutes ago, Onoff said:

I have wondered at the merits of digging down and excavating a say 1500mm cube of dirt. (It's only digging). Then lining with pir and dropping an IBC tank in as a hot water storage tank.

Concrete base and circular chamber big enough for accessing tank, access through floor to be able to remove tank when required, automatic sump pump incase of flooding, tanking to walls...

 

Yes it can be done, just like your spectacular gates, but it might take a while with a hole open that SHMBO might object to/fall down.

 

[Pocster]

1 hour ago, Marvin said:

Yes it can be done, just like your spectacular gates

And the rest ……

[Onoff]

A good start. Found the manual online for the RESOL Deltasol BS/3 controller.

 

Skimming it at the moment but interesting that it can seemingly be set to divert excess to the CH. Exactly what I was envisioning.

 

48005410_DeltaSol_BS3.monus.pdf

[Onoff]

I need to cut and shut these stainless brackets. They'll be welded together.

 

 

The tile battens aren't that tall so I'll lose 10mm of the L bracket to bring it level with the tile:

 

 

 

I'll then shorten this leg, or maybe the other one with the longer slot as there'll be a bit more meat on it:

 

 

Is 5mm clearance enough, from the underside of the bracket to face of tile below, as shown by the packer:

 

 

Cheers.

Edited September 6, 2022 by Onoff

[Dillsue]

Renusol spec 5 mm minimum from top of tile to underside of bracket. If your brackets are the same ebay ones Ive tried, and they look the same, they flex more than the renusol ones so 5 mm is an absolute minimum.

 

Its a tough call on how much clearance to have as the brackets push up the tile that sits on them so you have a big gap under the tile or have a big slot to cut in the tile so it sits back in place and doesn't lift the tiles around it

[Pocster]

@Onoff you’ve been busy again 

[Onoff]

1 hour ago, pocster said:

@Onoff you’ve been busy again 

 

S'alright, they're stuck in with solvent weld, it'll come apart easily...and leak. 

 

Proper job here: