I have installed about a dozen Laing D-5 pumps in the last year, and have had good luck with them. Our thermal supplier includes the Laing pumps in all of their kits now, and stopped selling the El Sids a couple years back, due to reliability issues. I too have seen many El Sids fail.
Nick Soleil Project Manager Advanced Alternative Energy Solutions, LLC PO Box 657 Petaluma, CA 94953 Cell: 707-321-2937 Office: 707-789-9537 Fax: 707-769-9037 ________________________________ From: Howie Michaelson <ho...@suncatchervt.com> To: RE-wrenches <re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> Sent: Mon, November 29, 2010 12:59:13 PM Subject: [RE-wrenches] Laing Solar Eco Pumps vs. El Sid Hi All, I'm looking for feedback on the Laing EcoCirc Pumps for use in closed glycol PV driven SHW loops as well as closed loop off-grid hydronic heating loops (24 vDC battery systems or 12 vDC stepped down). Probably the D5 is the pump I'd use, but I'm open to any and all feedback. In particular, I'm looking for comparisons to El Sids. The Laings appear to have a stronger pump curve than the El Sids. I've used El Sids a fair amount for these applications and have had less than stellar results, as the El Sids often seem to have very short life spans. Dan F at El Sid suggests that they blow up due to high voltages, although he claims the 24 volt battery based pumps are good to 31 vDC and I've had them break at much lower voltages. I've also run the B12 pumps on a converter from BZ Products which was voltage limited (to 15 volts) - supposedly a safe voltage for the 12 volt battery based El Sid pumps (although Dan inferred at one point that voltage limited converters can have a higher voltage spike at start-up. I haven't ordered any over the last couple of years so I don't know if anything has changed, as I got tired of replacing them. Anyone have experience with the Laings in these circumstances? Or any similar or perhaps hopefully experience with the El Sids? At $2-300 a pop for the El Sids, I'm feeling gun-shy about spec'ing them any more. Thanks, Howie -- Howie Michaelson NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer™ Sun Catcher, LLC Renewable Energy Systems Sales and Service VT Solar & Wind Incentive Program Partner http://www.SunCatcherVT.com (cell) 802-272-0004 (home) 802-439-6096 _______________________________________________ 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
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