- Thread starter Onoff
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If the liquid flow in the panels becomes static for any reason (e,g, pump off because tank has reached max temp) then, if the pump comes back on during a period of bright sunshine, the initial flow of thermal fluid could be coming off the panels at well in excess of 130degC. I think I've measured something around 150degC on the incoming pipe from the solar thermal panel to the hot water tank. Even with the increase in boiling point caused by the 50% propylene glycol, coupled with the system pressure of nearly 3 Bar, the system can get very gurgly, when that happens.
Onoff
In the land of the unfinished project I am King!
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Ordered some 316L rods so I can cut and lower the brackets. Still not sure whether to do that or just locally "thicken" the tile battens by putting a packer under them.
Looking like 3D printed packers would actually work.
The printed packers are 8mm thick. That'll mean 8mm more meat left on the tile when I groove it to go over the bracket.
Looking like 3D printed packers would actually work.
The printed packers are 8mm thick. That'll mean 8mm more meat left on the tile when I groove it to go over the bracket.
Watching this with interest though as I had a coil fitted to my thermal store in the event I wanted solar thermal. I'd think a small panel would get me all the hot water I need in the summer for very little outlay. PV is a bigger project which will take more money. But I have space for lots of it and batteries.
Onoff
In the land of the unfinished project I am King!
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My aim is to eventually cover the garage roof with PV. Money is the main issue on that at the moment, then time.
Onoff
In the land of the unfinished project I am King!
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My first solar bracket fitted! Tile above notched etc:
Tile notched:
It all fits! Of course I then had to move it to the left as there was no way I could get the top one to line up as the joists run off to the tiles:
Getting the tile in at the top bracket and I broke the tile so I have to remove that and notch a new one .
Tile notched:
It all fits! Of course I then had to move it to the left as there was no way I could get the top one to line up as the joists run off to the tiles:
Getting the tile in at the top bracket and I broke the tile so I have to remove that and notch a new one .
Onoff
In the land of the unfinished project I am King!
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Getting there. The 3D printed 8mm packs raised the battens nicely. Found one dead rat mind!
Put my knee through the felt in one place so need to repair that. There's a few little holes in it here and there as well.
Unistrut is just hanging over the brackets at the mo. Got to cut and drill (maybe tap), the stainless brackets and bolt the unistrut to it at centres to match the panels:
Put my knee through the felt in one place so need to repair that. There's a few little holes in it here and there as well.
Unistrut is just hanging over the brackets at the mo. Got to cut and drill (maybe tap), the stainless brackets and bolt the unistrut to it at centres to match the panels:
Onoff
In the land of the unfinished project I am King!
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I'm a bit lost as to how I'm going to get the pipes through the roof. Random images off the web. These things seem more widely available in Europe.
Then there's this design off a Finnish site:
With whatever entry, I'm still not sure how you maintain the felt as the second line of defence where the pipe(s) come through.
My tiles are Marley Double Roman.
I could get creative and wet diamond drill a bfo hole in a tile. Then 3D print some sort of flashing to CT1 to the tile. Then use 110mm soil pipe fittings to effect the entry. Poor picture but something on these lines:
Then there's this design off a Finnish site:
With whatever entry, I'm still not sure how you maintain the felt as the second line of defence where the pipe(s) come through.
My tiles are Marley Double Roman.
I could get creative and wet diamond drill a bfo hole in a tile. Then 3D print some sort of flashing to CT1 to the tile. Then use 110mm soil pipe fittings to effect the entry. Poor picture but something on these lines:
Onoff
In the land of the unfinished project I am King!
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I'm trying not to get very depressed over this but I've just realised my array is off centre! 
I've so much going on at the mo at home/work, when I do something like this it's just like another nail in my coffin and I spiral into depression. I'll be back on the Black Dog thread shortly no doubt! Basically it doesn't take much to send me over the edge.
How on earth did I cock up like that? Maybe I got the centreline wrong at the start. It's going to bug me. I shall have to shift things to the right.
I've so much going on at the mo at home/work, when I do something like this it's just like another nail in my coffin and I spiral into depression. I'll be back on the Black Dog thread shortly no doubt! Basically it doesn't take much to send me over the edge.
How on earth did I cock up like that? Maybe I got the centreline wrong at the start. It's going to bug me. I shall have to shift things to the right.
Can you just slide the unistrut across and leave the brackets in place. Once the panels are on you won't see them. Quick fix if you can?
addjunkie
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Where it is on the roof is only an issue if you look at it. But regardless of the center, is it not placed for the simplest pipe runs?
As for punching through the tiles, for your pipework, you could consider routing them in below the lower edge of the roof through the eves. Having said that some of those roof fittings pictured look very similar to what we use for through roof boiler flues.
Or one fora soil pipe
As for punching through the tiles, for your pipework, you could consider routing them in below the lower edge of the roof through the eves. Having said that some of those roof fittings pictured look very similar to what we use for through roof boiler flues.
Or one fora soil pipe
Onoff
In the land of the unfinished project I am King!
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It'll really bug me, shouldn't take long to tweak
There is no tile valley on the centreline, just a tile ridge, it's a case of picking one of two valleys.
Closer view. Do I need 8 brackets, would I get away with 6? Maybe I go with 10?
The bracket spacing was 5/4/5 which was symmetrical. It's all thrown out now.
Some quick fix patches, modern, non breathable membrane stuck on with a horseshoe of CT1. Proper roofers look away now! A bit happier as it looks like rain here though not forecast until tomorrow.
A simple fix that might satisfy your OCD is to have the panels 'offset' and use the space at the end for your roof penetration so it will look neat and save you having the connections too close to the corner of the roof thereby making for easier connection on the inside.
This is a good idea.
Make sure any pipe insulation used on the flow from the panel is of the high temperature variety. The polypropylene stuff from the builders merchants, will just melt and drip off the pipes the first time the pump starts up after a period of the heat transfer fluid being static on a sunny day. The high temperature stuff does shrink a bit in use, so be generous with the cuts. Also, use metal pipe clips, not plastic.
