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More than a 'big leak on the roof' for me, Frank - A new $1200 collector would be needed to get up and running again!!

Thanks for the replies guys

Yes, 'failure' isn't an option, especially...

Lots of ideas

You don't need 'warm weather' to make hot water - You just need lots of sunshine. My system makes lots of really HOT water even on 40 degree days . . . . so long as the sun is...

I'd like some input from you guys who are familiar with drainback systems

Currently, I have an open loop system which I'm going to convert to a drainback system to make things 'automatic' so I...

I would use them for domestic hot water as well - That's going to be the biggest bang for your buck . . . . typically a quater to a third of all your home energy use

Buy a 10 gallon drainback...

Yes, I manuallly drain it whenever we have sub 30 degree temps forecasted for overnight . . . . 5 or 6 times last year - I close two ball valves in the basement at the water heaters (on the two...

I've had a 4 X 10 AET panel on my roof for about 4 years and I can also vouch for their quality and efficiency - VERY good product. I paid a little less than $1,000 for mine from a local dealer
...

That coupled with the amp hour draw of the pump to move 1,000 liters of water . . . . at which point the generator will run again and the battery can be recharged using AC power while the jet pump...

Sorry - Didn't know

Don

Exactly what kind of 'security' does your solar water heater provide for you?

Active or passive?

Don

I don't think PEX would work well either . . . . but whatever you used in a home made collector, I'd assume it would be painted black before you closed it up and that should take care of any UV...

I can see where that would be a problem for you living in 'South Maine' . . . . that's a lot like 'Northern Massachusetts' - What little sunshine you get is from a terrible angle, especially if...

You're going to be wasting a lot of water, both hot and cold by using a 50 foot long 3/4 inch hot water feed to your kitchen and laundry room. 50 feet of pipe holds a lot of cold water before any...

It sounds like your solar system is just a preheater for your two 50 gallon tanks - You're never actually going to shower using solar heated water . . . . you're just hoping your 50 gallon tanks...

I gave mine back long ago - Turns out they didn't teach me anything I really needed to know :D

Don

Yes, I noticed that you mistakenly said '1kw per 24 hours' instead of what your table shows . . . . roughly 1kw per hour for every hour of the day - or about 24 times your quote - The median is...

An air conditioned outhouse would use more than 1 kwh per day - That's only 30kwh per month and at ten or twelve cents each, your electric bill would be less than $4 per month . . . . why waste...

What I don't understand is . . . . how could a closed loop system prevent this from happening?

Your tank(s) could backflow just as easily as mine . . . . and since you're closed loop, the water in...

Not sure what this has to do with plumbing or water heating, but it's gotta be a hoax - One of his 'clients' says he loves to sit and watch his power meter turn backwards . . . . anything which can...

If you have a modern, high tech, very well insulated tank, then keeping water stored at 140 degrees continuously might only cost you a few bucks a month, over keeping it at the lowest temperature...

I hope replying to an old thread isn't considered a 'no-no' - The information may be helpful to others, even if the original poster isn't around to read it

Rust is bad but the fact that it's an...

Yeah, my system is over 3 years old now and I suspect it's about paid for itself already . . . . I got a whopping tax writeoff back when I installed it - I put in new high efficiency windows that...

No - My tank temperature will go as high as 150 degrees on a really good day . . . . but 125 to 135 is more typical

I have a single 4 by 10 AET panel feeding two Sears Best 55 gallon electric...

Another good reason we use it is because it's more efficient . . . . we get more hot water

So long as freezing isn't a problem (or can be dealt with) there's no real reason to use an indirect...

I'll bet you don't have a flowmeter in your system??

You're assuming you have 4.5 GPM flowing because your pump is rated for that but in actuality, you have almost no flow at all because if you...

My 4 by 10 foot AET collector panel specifies a flow rate of 1 to 1.5 GPM. I use a 2 GPM pump and a ball valve and adjust it to about 1 1/4 GPM

I'd suggest you go with a smaller pump and a ball...