Sungrabber (solar pool heating)
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drozwood90
Senior Member
I've always been tempted to put in a system like this for my hot water tank. Cheaper then a tankless...has a payback that makes sense (not 20+ years). BUT, I can't get anyone to really explain about Legionnaires' disease...
I mean, if the panel can't keep the water temperature warm enough, or cool enough, for sure you can fester something not so nice in the water.
Maybe I'm being paranoid...as we do USE the water...so it's not like it sits there for long periods of time...but what is a "long" time?
So, I guess it wouldn't SIT for more then a few days...has anyone seen anything that indicates if water were to sit at a "breading" temperature, how long the water would have to be "stagnent" to be considered at a bad temperature?
--Dan
I've seen numbers all over the map...but:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legionellosis
Under the "Controlling Legionella growth" header.
I currently have my hot water tank at 120F.
I mean, if the panel can't keep the water temperature warm enough, or cool enough, for sure you can fester something not so nice in the water.
Maybe I'm being paranoid...as we do USE the water...so it's not like it sits there for long periods of time...but what is a "long" time?
So, I guess it wouldn't SIT for more then a few days...has anyone seen anything that indicates if water were to sit at a "breading" temperature, how long the water would have to be "stagnent" to be considered at a bad temperature?
--Dan
I've seen numbers all over the map...but:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legionellosis
Under the "Controlling Legionella growth" header.
I currently have my hot water tank at 120F.
drozwood90
Senior Member
True, but the issue is more that the water in the solar heated tank is sitting at not necessarily a good temperature to prevent LD...
I mean, if it's a hazy day, there might not be enough sun to get the water temp. over 100deg...which is optimal "growing" temperature for LD.
I'm sure there's not that much to understanding it...people are using these things and I don't find on the internet / hear from news, etc. that anyone is getting sick from LD...maybe it's not that big of a deal with city treated water?
--Dan
pete_c
Guru
I had a similiar setup in FL. Used it for the pool and water heater. It worked well from about 1989-2002 or so. The original home was built in the 1950's but I am not sure when the water solar heater had been installed. I never had any problems with it though until the house was torn down. It was mounted on a flat roof. From what I remember there were no heat exchangers used that I could tell in the old system. It was city water that fed it but there was also an old well and pump there still connected but utilized for water outside only that I could tell. Did a tear down and built a new home in the spot - so kept the panels for a short time then gave them to the pool guy and put a gas heater in for the pool. The new home has a terracotta roof with a major pitch to it so it would have been difficult to mount.
Funny wrote a "white paper" of sorts based on the very old antiquated water systems in latin america water is pumped in a well at ground level (where it sits) and also pumped into a water tank on the roof where it sits and water in the pipes is all gravity feed. It was interesting little document.
Funny wrote a "white paper" of sorts based on the very old antiquated water systems in latin america water is pumped in a well at ground level (where it sits) and also pumped into a water tank on the roof where it sits and water in the pipes is all gravity feed. It was interesting little document.
