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Hello, I've just joined. Fairly green in all senses of the word. Just out of curiosity, and meanness, I'd like to make a DIY solar hot water system that is open vented, and works very like an old fashioned back boiler in an open fire, i.e relying on thermo-syphoning. Difference being I would use the hot water tank (1) ,full of water and glycol, as a thermal store, with the panels (radiators) below the tank. This tank would be fed from an open vented fill and expansion tank. The water from the main (open) cold water tank to the showers would go through the coil of Tank 1 and , pre-warmed, into tank 2, which has an electric immersion heater. This tank also is open vented with a separate fill and expansion tank. Intending to use 22mm copper from radiator to tank 1, and from tank 1 to tank 2, and 28mm copper to vent both tanks over both fill and expansion tanks, which will be galvanised steel.
I realise this will not be very efficient, but I have a supply of old radiators and old tanks, it will cost very little, and I figure any solar heating of the water is better than nothing. Question is, will it be safe or not, and if not, is there anyway I can make it safe without a pump?
Thanks
I realise this will not be very efficient, but I have a supply of old radiators and old tanks, it will cost very little, and I figure any solar heating of the water is better than nothing. Question is, will it be safe or not, and if not, is there anyway I can make it safe without a pump?
Thanks
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