For years we installed, "Double Whammy" bypass valves enabling folk to go
'solar only', 'solar preheat', or 'primary only', hoping folk would bypass and
turn off their primaries during the summer season. We did this ourselves for
years. However, going back on those 'DW' systems years later and asking the
owners if any of them ever, ever used them even after having paid for them...
and the answer was always, 'no'. Like Jeremy says, just turn off the primary
and the boiling hot water from the solar tank should keep the primary tank nice
and hot.
In the mean time we have moved to a 120 gallon Rheem single tank DB system with
a steca controller and a digital Intermatic timer that only turns the heater on
for an hour twice a day in the winter and is kept off all summer long.
Smiles,
Andrew Koyaanisqatsi
President
Solar Energy Solutions, Inc.
Since 1987,
Moving Portland and Beyond
to an Environmentally Sustainable Future.
503-238-4502
http://www.solarenergyoregon.com/
"Better one's House too little one day
than too big all the Year after."
________________________________
From: Kirk Herander <[email protected]>
To: RE-wrenches <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2013 3:19 PM
Subject: [RE-wrenches] SHW - parallel tanks
Hi,
Every summer I get a few calls from annoyed hot water customers who can’t stand
hearing their boiler fire merely to keep the indirect tank up to setpoint
temperature, when of course the solar preheat tank is at 160 degrees or better
at mid-day. So what’s the best way to transfer heat, in essence temporarily
putting the tanks in parallel, from the solar tank to indirect? I can think of
a few possibilities using a circulator and temperature controller, and a
additional connection between the tanks, such as the tank drains plumbed
together as a return line, but where is the best place to locate the circulator
in a standard preheat arrangement (i.e. hot output of solar preheat plumbed to
cold input of indirect tank)?
Kirk Herander
VT Solar, LLC
dba Vermont Solar Engineering
NABCEPTM Certified Inaugural Certificant
NYSERDA-eligible Installer
VT RE Incentive Program Partner
802.863.1202
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