Category Archives: Solar Heating

Andy modified the plumbing to the drain back tanks so he can have the option of increasing the flow to the coils in the floor. In some circumstances that will be more effective. (The new pipes are highlighted.) And even … Continue reading →

Andy modified the plumbing to the drain back tanks so he can have the option of increasing the flow to the coils in the floor. In some circumstances that will be more effective. (The new pipes are highlighted.) And even … Continue reading →

Remember all those pipes in the attic to get the heated water down to the main floor? When the heated water goes through them, of course, they make excellent radiators. Since we don’t want to heat the attic, Andy is … Continue reading →

When the fellows were installing the solar panels last fall, they had to insert aluminum spacers between the bottom of the panels and the frames so Peter would have room to work on the plumbing. This past week Andy secured … Continue reading →

Yesterday Andy ran the cables from the thermometers in the solar panels down to the house so he can read the temperatures there. (The temperatures will tell him when the panels are warm enough to heat water.) All in all … Continue reading →

The heat exchangers worked just fine — Andy was able to heat the water in the reservoir from the solar panels. He has a lot more work to do to optimize the system, so he replaced the mess on the … Continue reading →

Peter declared the pipes free of leaks yesterday, so Andy started checking the system. He filled the water reservoir for the radiant heating panels and the two (west and east) drain back tanks with water. He filled the reservoir with … Continue reading →

There are two water systems for the solar heating system — the inside one that heats the floors and the outside one that gets the heat from the solar panels. They are thermally connected by heat exchangers inside the drain … Continue reading →

Peter has been working on the inside plumbing — he’s now finished the east half except for one connection that will be made after the leak checking. He hopes to finish the west side today or tomorrow. With any luck … Continue reading →

Yesterday Peter and Andy worked on connecting the hot water from the solar panels to inside the house. The plumbing on the east half of the panels now goes into the house. Finishing the insulation and testing for leaks still … Continue reading →