Black plastic coiled collector questions

[J.P.M.]

Commercial units? We do have 4 commercial collectors, similar to this. We also have an undetermined length of black pipe coiled and laying on the ground.

My desire is to make the black pipe we have coiled and laying on the dirt more efficient so we don't have to use our gas heater as much. This club is not a money making machine so money to buy more of the commercial collectors is tight. With some donated materials I can make the black pipe more efficient without spending much of anything.

At the risk of being non P.C, my guess is your ignorance of the solar heating process is causing and will continue to cause confusion and cost you money if you continue along this line.

Do as you see fit, but those coils pictured are probably very inefficient, ineffective and from the price I saw, a rip off. Avoiding solar all together is more cost effective than those contraptions.

Check out flat plate pool heating panels such as those from a co. called Fafco or others. Usually, to be effective, a solar pool heater needs to have an area something like 1/2 to 2/3 of the pool surface to be effective. Don't shoot me, I'm only the messenger with an opinion.

[Sunsneaker]

At the risk of being non P.C, my guess is your ignorance of the solar heating process is causing and will continue to cause confusion and cost you money if you continue along this line.

Do as you see fit, but those coils pictured are probably very inefficient, ineffective and from the price I saw, a rip off. Avoiding solar all together is more cost effective than those contraptions.

Check out flat plate pool heating panels such as those from a co. called Fafco or others. Usually, to be effective, a solar pool heater needs to have an area something like 1/2 to 2/3 of the pool surface to be effective. Don't shoot me, I'm only the messenger with an opinion.

I agree the commercial coils we have a as you said, one of the reasons I am recommending to the club we don't buy anymore and go with the less expensive option of making the black pipe we have more efficient.

Your use of the term ignorance is well placed in this case, I only know what I have read so far and the basic principal behind solar heating. I am going for something like http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_po...ter_diy_fp.htm but on a smaller scale for now, adding coils as we get the money to do so.

Edit: I do however want to compare the commercial units we have with the finished black pipe system to see how much they heat the water passing through.

[russ]

Those coils are a total ripoff - you need black plastic pipe

[J.P.M.]

I agree the commercial coils we have a as you said, one of the reasons I am recommending to the club we don't buy anymore and go with the less expensive option of making the black pipe we have more efficient.

Your use of the term ignorance is well placed in this case, I only know what I have read so far and the basic principal behind solar heating. I am going for something like http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_po...ter_diy_fp.htm but on a smaller scale for now, adding coils as we get the money to do so.

Edit: I do however want to compare the commercial units we have with the finished black pipe system to see how much they heat the water passing through.

I'd never suggest that the word ignorance has a necessarily pejorative context. I would suggest comparing commercial units one to another and forget, or disabuse yourself of the DIY hose business. That's B.S. for anything much more than small residential applications where cost effectiveness and safety are often on the back burner.

Before that, more suit yourself: invest 20 bucks on a book about solar energy that includes thermal applications. You will be in a much better position to see where I'm coming from.

[Sunsneaker]

Those coils are a total ripoff - you need black plastic pipe

Ya, they are undersized for a bucket of water! The only saving grace I see for them is the corregated pipe increasing surface area of transfer and the enclosed system.

[J.P.M.]

Ya, they are undersized for a bucket of water! The only saving grace I see for them is the corregated pipe increasing surface area of transfer and the enclosed system.

And a larger area for heat loss like a radiator. Don't waste your money.

[Sunsneaker]

And a larger area for heat loss like a radiator. Don't waste your money.

As stated before I am not recommending these to the club. Although I do need to ask why you would be opposed to corrugated pipe? With more surface area to transfer heat, while the coil temp is higher then the temp of the pool water you would have a positive effect on the amount of energy transferred. If set up properly to shut the pump or close a diverter valve when the coil is not heated by the sun there should be no/minimal heat loss from the pool because of the larger surface area.

It seems odd to me you would be opposed to corrugated pipe when in a previous post you stated a tight coil to create the most surface area possible is desired.

[russ]

you stated a tight coil to create the most surface area possible is desired.

Weaker as well - why use garbage when you can use something better?

[Sunsneaker]

Weaker as well - why use garbage when you can use something better?

Russ if corrugated plastic pipe wasn't weaker, is UV stable and is set up with the appropriate control system would it be useful?

[russ]

Russ if corrugated plastic pipe wasn't weaker, is UV stable and is set up with the appropriate control system would it be useful?

If frogs had wings they wouldn't skin their butts hopping.

[Sunsneaker]

If frogs had wings they wouldn't skin their butts hopping.

Thats funny, but this I believe meets all of my previously stated qualities? So would it increase the amount of heat transferred by increasing the surface area of the outside of the pipe without increasing the inner diameter? Everything I know about heat transfer, although not specifically for creating pool heaters, says that it would collect more heat from the sun and transfer that heat to the colder water inside the pipe. Would this not be so?

[russ]

Thats funny, but this I believe meets all of my previously stated qualities? So would it increase the amount of heat transferred by increasing the surface area of the outside of the pipe without increasing the inner diameter? Everything I know about heat transfer, although not specifically for creating pool heaters, says that it would collect more heat from the sun and transfer that heat to the colder water inside the pipe. Would this not be so?

Good stuff - no pressure rating - is a drain pipe most likely - zero pressure nominal

This is junk

[Sunsneaker]

Good stuff - no pressure rating - is a drain pipe most likely - zero pressure nominal

This is junk

Although this site does not list a pressure rating, other sites list the same product at w.p 125 PSI b.p 350 PSI.

Labeling something garbage when you don't have all of the information is a little closed minded.

P.S.

This product has a tighter minimum bend radius and higher working pressure then flexible PVC and flexible HDPE pipe; two pipes which I have seen recommended in other places.

[russ]

Although this site does not list a pressure rating, other sites list the same product at w.p 125 PSI b.p 350 PSI.

Labeling something garbage when you don't have all of the information is a little closed minded.

P.S.

This product has a tighter minimum bend radius and higher working pressure then flexible PVC and flexible HDPE pipe; two pipes which I have seen recommended in other places.

Ohn gee! Provide half assed information then whine when it isn't accepted.

Do as you want - just don'y cry when it goes wrong. Any flex pipe like that will have far more build up problems - really a bad idea. TrynIndego - this kind of stuff they love

[Sunsneaker]

Ohn gee! Provide half assed information then whine when it isn't accepted.

Do as you want - just don'y cry when it goes wrong. Any flex pipe like that will have far more build up problems - really a bad idea. TrynIndego - this kind of stuff they love

Not whining, just trying to have an intelligent discussion. Build up as in debris inside the pipe? The inside of the pipe is smooth like a regular flex pipe, just the outside that is corrugated. And who is this Indego you speak of?