The article will discuss how to make a large-sized solar collector from a plastic pipe. The disadvantage of this collector is that it does not have natural circulation of water, that is, it can only work with a circulation pump. However, this is not a problem if such a collector heats the water in the pool. It can simply be connected to a filtration system.
The advantage of such a collector is that it is glazed, so the water in it heats faster and to higher temperatures than in other analogues.
Materials and tools for manufacturing:
- plywood sheet (depending on the size of the collector);
- honeycomb or profiled polycarbonate (for glazing);
- board 100X20mm;
- foil polystyrene foam;
- slats;
- PEX pipe (two 100 m bays with a diameter of 3/4 ");
- black paint;
- minimal set of tools.
Collector manufacturing process:
Step one. Create a collector box
The box should be square in shape, for these purposes you need to take two sheets of moisture-proof plywood or OSB boards with a size of 2440x1220 mm. The thickness of the plywood must be at least 16 mm. If stiffeners are used, then thinner plywood can also be used. Now it only remains to cut out the base of the box that is necessary in size, here everything already depends on the type of glazing used.
To make the sides you will need a board 100 mm wide, and its thickness should be at least 20 mm. So that the wood does not rot, it must be treated with an aniseptic.
To insulate the box, foil polystyrene foam is installed at its bottom, the thickness of which is 20 mm.
At the corners of the box you need to nail the slats, they will hold the insulation, and will also be a form for pipes that will be laid in the box.
Step Two Absorber Installation
So that the collector can absorb solar heat, a PEX pipe is used, it is used in construction during the installation of a warm floor. In total, for the manufacture of the collector, you will need two bays 100 m long.
It is necessary to unwind the first bay and lay it in a spiral in the box. In order to remove the pipe, it will be necessary to remove a certain amount of insulation.
The second pipe is laid between the turns of the previous one, so they are parallel. When laying the pipe, you need to fix it with plastic clamps.
Now, on the side of the box, you need to arrange adapters, they are made of drive and steel plate. With the help of them it will be possible to conveniently connect and disconnect the collector. Pipes need to be connected to adapters.
On the other side, the pipes are connected using standard PEX pipe fittings. The important point here is the connection method. The thing is that the metal can heat up more strongly than plastic and will melt it; therefore, leakage in these places is possible. In this regard, the use of metal fixation devices is not recommended.
Step Three Spacer installation and glazing
So that the pipe is securely fixed and does not move with the weight of the water and heating, spacers must be installed in the box. They are installed in the center of the ring. In addition, these struts will serve as stiffeners for glazing.
For glazing, sheets of profiled polycrabonate are used, its size is 1.26x2.24 m. To increase the efficiency, the ends of the polycrabonate must be drowned out with a wooden plank or special foam inserts must be made.
Step Four Painting and installing the manifold
In order for the collector to actively heat up from sunlight, it must be painted with heat-resistant black paint.
In order to install the collector, you need to assemble the supports from the bars. The bars must be treated with an antiseptic so that they do not rot. The collector should be installed so that the sun's rays during the period of maximum solar activity fell on him at an angle of 90 degrees. How to position the collector depends on the particular region.
It is desirable that the support can change the angle of inclination of the collector. Thanks to this, it will be possible to adjust the collector to specific weather and geographical conditions. So, for example, in spring the sun is low over the horizon, and high in summer, so the angle needs to be changed depending on the time of year.
As for the storage tank, it must be installed either in the house or near the collector itself. It is important not to forget to insulate the tank, as otherwise the water will cool in the tank and the efficiency will be low.
That's all, the collector is ready. For its operation, a circulation pump will be needed, since the system does not provide for the process of natural water circulation. Or, such a collector can be connected to the pool filtration system and thus heat it. In principle, another collector can be built for such a collector so that it “pumps” water. That is, you can collect another collector with a natural circulation system and sequentially connect it to a large (main) one. Now the circulation pump will not be needed.