Solar collector with his own hands

Good owners of private domo in in Always on the lookout for opportunities to save on water heating and heating.This is especially significant becomes recently, when the prices of utility services have a strong tendency to increase in almost every quarter .To help nature itself comes with its inexhaustible source energy - solar radiation.Applying in practice the laws of physics, craftsmen are finding interesting ways of saving, developing and assembling solar collectors, which is under the power to do, perhaps, any homeowner yourself - is only put in a little effort and skill.

Solar collector with his own hands can be produced multiple ways and from different materials, sometimes even of those who simply "lying under your feet."Their constructed of plain old beer cans, plastic bottles, tubes or pipes using glass, polycarbonate panels, and other materials.

Some of the manufacturing methods of collectors will be discussed below, but first connection scheme worth exploring - they usually is about any common to solar water heating systems.

Wiring diagrams of the solar water collector

Efficient use of water from the heating system depends not only sunlight on , from which it is made manifold, but also how well it will be installed and connected .Options wiring diagrams - quite a lot, but do not seek out the most difficult, since it is possible to use the base that are accessible and understandable.

«Summer" version of hot water from the solar collector

This simple wiring diagram of the solar collector is applicable both to heat water for a summer shower, and home needs.If hot water nuzh on to the street in the summer construction, the tank her set also in the air.In the case where the hot water is diluted in the house, and the storage tank is installed in the same place.

collector This scheme usually provides a natural circulation of water, in which case the collector battery is set below 800 ÷ 1000 mm level capacity, which will be supplied hot water - it should provide the differencein the cold and the density of the heated liquid.To connect the collector to the tank using a pipe diameter of less than ¾ inch.To save water accumulating capacity hot, which it reaches by heating day sun, must be properly insulate the walls, for example, mineral wool 100 mm thick polyethylene (unless the roof is arranged above the tank).But it is better to provide cover for inpatient capacity, because if the insulation gets wet from the rain, it will significantly reduce its insulating properties.

natural circulation is not too good for use in a system with a solar collector as created weak inertia of water flow in the circuit.And if the battery and fuel tank are located far enough away from each other, the water, passing this way, will gradually cool down.Therefore , to increase efficiency, often set the circulation pump.This variation nt etc. igoden to warm water only in warm half of the year, and for the winter water from system have certainly drained, otherwise, freezing it easily Break t t Pipes.

«Winter» wiring diagram of the solar heating water

If you plan to use a solar collector round, then that in the intense cold in the pipes the water does not freeze in the circuit instead her filled with a special coolant - antifreeze, ie,antifreeze.The circuit takes a very different view of - mounted boiler of indirect heating.In this case, the heated antifreeze in the solar collector will be alternation s s meevik-boiler heat exchanger, warming the water located in the tank.

principle of indirect heating in this system necessarily integrated expansion tank and "security group» - automatic air vent , pressure gauge and pressure relief valve , designed for the proper pressure.the circulation pump is typically used for the coolant constant movement.

heating option from the solar collector

By using solar thermal energy for heating the house is also used boiler of indirect heating, connected to the collector, and also for additional heating of the coolant - boiler that runs on solid fuel or gas.In the autumn or spring days, when the sun is able to heat the heat transfer fluid to the desired temperature, boiler can be simply disabled.

If the winter in the region is very cold, you should not expect from a large reservoir of efficiency, since in this period of a little sunshine and very light is low to the horizon.Therefore, an additional coolant heating and hot water is a must.The only thing that will help the solar panel to save on fuel - e that the , that boiler will come not cold and several heated water and means to bring its to the desired temperature need lessburn gas or firewood.

need to know and what the larger area to make solar thermal collector, the more energy it will be able to absorb.Therefore, for such a system was able to generate enough heat to heat your home, the size of the collector area should be brought to 40 ÷ 45% of the total area of ​​the house.

Option hot water and heating from solar collector

To use solar panels for heating and hot water supply, it is necessary to combine in a system both of the previous version, and used to water the special boiler with additional capacity having a coil through which circulates heated heat transfer fluid of the solar battery.Due to the fact that the inner tank is much smaller than the main, water it is heated by the coil is much faster and gives warmth to the overall capacity .

In addition, the boiler must be connected heating an additional source - it can be gas or electric boiler or heat source on solid fuel.

temperature instability which creates solar battery, can contribute to coolant overheating or, on the contrary, it is too rapid cooling of the heating m water circuits.To avoid this, the entire system must be controlled by automation.The wiring is installed controller temperature, which can redirect or coolant flow, or turn on or off the circulation pumps, or perform other control operations.

In the above scheme, a temperature controller designated as a regulator.

So the connection diagrams (binding) in general terms, there is clarity.And now it makes sense to consider several options for self-production of solar collectors.

Solar hose or flexible pipe

Those who have a private house with a garden or cottage, of course know that the water remaining in temporary light highways after watering the beds, heated rapidly.This is a positive quality of the hose or flexible pipe and used craftsmen, creating one solar heat exchangers.It should be noted that this collector will cost much cheaper than store bought, but to the process of making passed successfully, you need to make some effort.

This reservoir may consist of one or more sections, which are stacked and fastened tightly rolled spiral "snail" hoses.

This design can be called as the most simple in design and installation.The main drawback it can be called that it almost can not be used without the use of forced circulation, since too long paths of pipes flow resistance exceeds the force of the pressure created by the difference in temperature.However, to solve the problem with the installation of the circulating pump - is a snap.And such system installed in a country house, will be a great help and will pay for itself quickly, including the costs (very minor) on the pump power.

used like collectors for heating of water in swimming pools.They are connected to the filtration system, which is equipped with a pump necessarily.Water circulates through the pipes collector has time to heat before entering the pool.

In some cases , creating the whole solar system, it is possible to do without the installation of the storage tank.It is possible when hot water is used only during the day and in small quantities.For example, in the circuit of 150 m pipe having an inner diameter of 16 mm, fits 30 liters of water.And if five or six of these "snails" of the pipes will be assembled into one battery, then a shower during the day can be taken several times each family member, and hot water still a lot left, and for household needs.

If someone still doubts about the effectiveness of the water heater, be sure to watch the video, which shows the test manifold of hoses:

Video: effectiveness of simple solar collector

Materials for

To make a solar water collector, you need to prepare some materials.Not at all it is possible that some of them are there in the shed or garage.

• rubber hose or flexible plastic pipe black color, having a diameter of 20 ÷ 25 mm - it is in fact the main element of the system in which heat transfer will occur when water circulation.Number hose will depend on the solar battery - it may be 100 and 1000 meters. Black hose color is preferable in that it is more than all the other colors, absorbs heat.

Immediately it should be noted that the metal pipes is not particularly suitable for the manufacture of the collector, even if they cover black paint.The fact that the plasticity of their in this case is insufficient - they wring at bends of small radius and thereby , even if not violated the integrity of the walls, decrease the intensity of the water flow.

hoses are sold in coils of 50, 100 or 200 meters.If you plan to make a large battery volume , the have to acquire several bays.In the event that in each section you plan to use , for example 50 or 100m hose, it is not worth buying an entire 200-meter bay is better to get ready to measure out the hose.This can save time during installation.

hose can be installed not only in a circular helix, but also oval, and a coil.

as a good alternative is to try and modern tube of cross-linked polyethylene PEX.They - a good plasticity, well, how to give them black color, if it is not for sale - not hard to come up with.

• If the slope of a roof, which will be installed collector battery cool, then spiral hose made of special boxes - of bars, plywood or sheet metal.This requires bars 40 × 40 or 40 × 50 mm plywood 6 mm thick metal sheet, or a 1,5 - 2 mm.

Billets future module is processed antiseptic (wood) or corrosion preventive compounds (metal).Then one duct going to one or more spirals.

way, as skirting duct, you can use the old window frames that are easy to install the bottom part.

• need to purchase pre-antiseptic for metal and wood processing, anti-corrosion and primer compositions.
• hoses (pipes) will experience a lot of stress and from coolant mass, and from changes in temperature and internal pressure.Therefore, they will try to disrupt the laying, warp, sag, so you need to provide a special attachment to support them in the original position.

This may be a metal strip, which is fixed between the pipes on the screws.

Another option - a free bundle of thick cord or plastic homutom- "tie" with the cross-piece or cross member.But lo still such bonding method is more suitable for plastic pipes, rather than a hose, as it could while expanding rubber sag on the cord.If selected for the reservoir reinforced rubber hose, then this method is well suited for fixing.

Yet another embodiment of fastening, suitable for plastic pipe or reinforced hose may become nails with wide hats.They can block or in the bottom of the box (in which case it must have a minimum thickness of 10 mm), or on the kind of the crosspiece, made of the bar.

• will be necessary to prepare and connecting elements for hose or pipe.Species similar fittings - quite a lot, but you need to choose those that are designed for the selected material for the manufacture of collector.

addition such connectors, threaded fittings required for the transition from a plastic or rubber tube on the total metal.Such a compound would be necessary if the collector is composed of several modules.

To know how much need of connecting elements, you need to draw a schematic diagram of a pre-created system and calculate their number on it.