Allen & Ray,
Ray understands the necessity for the smooth cut on the Corrugated Stainless
Steel Tubing (CSST) as the critical element spot on. All the manufacturers I am
familiar with sell a special tubing cutter for this purpose. (The only thing
special about it is the non cutting rollers are formed to the same convolutions
as the CSST to make it harder (not impossible, but harder) to screw up the cut.
Initially I resisted buying the specialty tool but I wasted enough tube and
time with bad cuts that eventually I saw the light. A very sharp cutting wheel
makes the cut even easier.
The non cutting profile roller wheels can be ordered separately from some
manufacturers if you want to have your copper tube cutter to do double duty.
As you already know, the armored cable is a spiral conduit wrap, the CSST is
not a spiral wrap.
Bill Loesch
Solar 1 - Saint Louis Solar
----- Original Message -----
From: R Ray Walters
To: al...@positiveenergysolar.com ; RE-wrenches
Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2010 2:32 PM
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Need SDHW Flexible Tubing recommendation
HI Allan;
I just recently used some flexible stainless steel line on an old radiator/
boiler system here. It had special fittings, that I was a little dubious of at
first, but it all worked well, and was easy to install.
I believe it was the Easy flex product.
The only problem I encountered, was that it was a little hard to get a clean
cut on the SS flex line (sort of the same problem as cutting metal flex conduit)
Some things I had trouble with, when I did off grid, PV direct glycol SDHW:
1) don't use the Ivan labs pumps, they're too low head to pump the glycol
when its cold in New Mexico. I had the misfortune of having to trade several
out one winter (why I don't do SDHW anymore)
2) put a ball valve between the air bleeder valve and the rest of the system,
so that it can be isolated once the air is out of the system after a few days.
I had those start leaking after a while, as the glycol causes them to gum up
over time, then it leaks enough Glycol out, to lose pressure and crash the
system.
3) Even the high temp foam insulation deteriorates from the high temps near
the collectors, I'm not sure what's available now, but get the highest temp
rating insulation you can find. (FIberglass?) Also, paint/ coat it, as the UV
radiation breaks down the insulation from the outside.
Sorry if I'm going on so, you probably had all this info already.
R. Walters
r...@solarray.com
Solar Engineer
On Oct 28, 2010, at 10:21 AM, Allan Sindelar wrote:
Wrenches,
I'm installing a flat-plate SDHW system in my own off-grid home; a
PV-direct closed-loop glycol system feeding a storage tank with two internal
heat exchangers. The glycol lines only need to run a distance about 25' (each
line), but they need to take a circuitous route through roof and attic framing
that doesn't lend itself well to flexible copper tubing. I have heard very good
general recommendations about the insulated flexible corrugated solar thermal
line kits - expensive but worth it. One or two stainless or copper tubes with
insulation and sometimes a sensor line included, with fittings to adapt to pipe
thread or copper tubing.
At SPI there were a whole raft of manufacturers showing product - I mostly
just grabbed literature:
Easyflex
Solar-Trac by OmegaFlex
Caleffi
Aeroline
Who has used this product? Whose product do you like? Needs to be well made
and readily available to ship.
Thanks for any advice; I need to get this ordered and in place before the
insulation is sprayed into the roof.
Allan
--
Allan Sindelar
al...@positiveenergysolar.com
NABCEP Certified Photovoltaic Installer
EE98J Journeyman Electrician
Positive Energy, Inc.
3201 Calle Marie
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507
505 424-1112
www.positiveenergysolar.com
_______________________________________________
List sponsored by Home Power magazine
List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org
Options & settings:
http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
List-Archive:
http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
List rules & etiquette:
www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm
Check out participant bios:
www.members.re-wrenches.org
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
_______________________________________________
List sponsored by Home Power magazine
List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org
Options & settings:
http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
List-Archive:
http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
List rules & etiquette:
www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm
Check out participant bios:
www.members.re-wrenches.org
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 10.0.1153 / Virus Database: 424/3224 - Release Date: 10/28/10
_______________________________________________
List sponsored by Home Power magazine
List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org
Options & settings:
http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
List rules & etiquette:
www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm
Check out participant bios:
www.members.re-wrenches.org
