Solar thermal for hot tub

[Moxi]

But as the other have said the new wood store roof could just as easily be made of PV panels and give you more options - water heating in summer and in winter some extra electrons.

Granted it will be more than fifty quid but that's the consideration isn't it.

Moxi

[spread-tee]

I think the unanimous opinion is that PV and a diverter beats ST these days. There are also some intrinsic problems with ST. Eg: if the water boils it can be dramatic, all liquids leak eventually, all moving parts (pumps) fail.

However if you really want to mess around with ST I don't imagine it'd be too difficult to hook some tubes to the existing circulation pump just for the shits and giggles.

I'm not sure about that, our solar thermal wakes up a starts harvesting long before the PV, and stays up much later too. Today for example it has heated our 216L hwcyl to 67 degrees top to bottom, that is from 60 tubes covering the same area-ish as 3 of our 400W Canadian solar PV panels.

I guess per unit area, thermal is great, but for adaptability PV is as good as it gets.

But I would say that, I'm a plumber

Desp

[Moxi]

What would the hot water out put be from the panels compared with the electrical power output from the same area of PV ?

I know how you feel and I myself agree that there's still a place for solar Thermal which these days seems to be the poor relation - curiously the solar thermal suffers from over efficiency in summer where PV is under efficient in winter so maybe thats the answer?

Get the thermal panels and install them as part of a wood shed roof, route pipework around the wood shed to provide drying heat before going to the hot tub, when positioning the panels incorporate additional brackets or rails and then in the near future buy PV panels that can slide onto the rails above the thermal panels that way in winter you can place the PV panels on the patio in a Nowtie type configuration and let the thermal panels do their thing and in summer when the thermal is getting too efficient slot in the PV above it, the thermal will still perform at a reduced rate and you will get extra electrons. Its an idea ?

Moxi

[Mr Gus]

ahem, greenhouse water pumped heating option?

[Stinsy]

Let's be clear: the rule of thumb is you get 2x the heat output from the same area of evacuated tubes compared with PV. However the PV is much cheaper, easier to install, less failure prone, and can do more than just heat water.

But I don't think Joe is trying to be sensible here. I get the feeling the man wants a project and I can fully understand that.

How about making your own ST array from scratch @Joeboy?

[ALAN/ALAN D]

Its Bin / Glass collection day tomorrow.
Was going to smash all the glass tubes to fill box up for morning collection.

On Hold for Now.

[Bugtownboy]

Joe, coming late to this and perhaps ( ) with no prior experience, I’d say seize the moment - what’s to lose with enjoying the game of making it work.

For goodness sake, it’s a few beers to potentially enjoy a summer of free hot tub fun ( ) under the stars with Mrs JB.

Enjoy the fun and go for it - I know you’ve already bought them anyway

[nowty]

An ex work work colleague of mine invented this and I remember him getting the first prototype back from China about 13 years ago.

[Mr Gus]

I'd like to know how the egg / tea combo tasted due to the egg, it didn't crack & release eggy floaters, ..that time!

#teapurist

[Bugtownboy]

Nowty, I know it works, but some things are just wrong.