Bending Copper pipes for solar water heater

RiderOnTheStorm

i want to create a solar water heater, where i have black painted copper pipe S'd inside a shallow box with glass top. Greenhouse effect should heat water inside and pipes bring in cooler water and bring away warm water.....

...anyway, my question: How do I bend a single length of copper pipe (9ft?) into 5 or 6 consecituve S's? (without kinking or cracking it?)

I was thinking of using the thing that looks like a spring that goes inside the pipe, but I would have to pull it along after every bend and guage when it was at the next bend (use string with measurements?)
....or make a template on a board with a raised circle of wood and bend pipe around it? will this kink much?
....or cut pipe and use 90 degree joints? could this trap air in pipes when in uses? ie no pump, only thermodynamics in action, and may not be strong enough to shift a few bubbles.

your ideas / experience required!

Vegeta

would you be opposed to using joints, I mean bend sections of the pipe and use connectors to join them up.

Also is copper the most suitable metal, it does indeed heat up quickly but it also cools down quickly. Could you investigae using a material that holds heat longer

Reyman

Not so easy to bend a copper pipe so often in 9'. I presume you want a 90 degree turn each time to keep the heater to a confined space?
Why not use an old radiator with insulation on the lower surface and paint it black?

tred

RiderOnTheStorm wrote:

i want to create a solar water heater, where i have black painted copper pipe S'd inside a shallow box with glass top. Greenhouse effect should heat water inside and pipes bring in cooler water and bring away warm water.....

...anyway, my question: How do I bend a single length of copper pipe (9ft?) into 5 or 6 consecituve S's? (without kinking or cracking it?)

I was thinking of using the thing that looks like a spring that goes inside the pipe, but I would have to pull it along after every bend and guage when it was at the next bend (use string with measurements?)
....or make a template on a board with a raised circle of wood and bend pipe around it? will this kink much?
....or cut pipe and use 90 degree joints? could this trap air in pipes when in uses? ie no pump, only thermodynamics in action, and may not be strong enough to shift a few bubbles.

your ideas / experience required!

]

You use a special bending vice. Not sure how much they are but u might be able to rent one from sam hire or the likes...
http://www.diydata.com/techniques/plumbing/bending.htm

CJhaughey

Forget bending the pipe in 180º bends every 6" or so better use 90º elbows and you will be able to fit more pipe in a given area.

flocker

Pipe bending tools

You will get smoother bends using tube bender and former as above.
Hilmor, Draper, Record to name a few makes. Mostly for ½" & ¾" copper pipe but you can get small bender for 6, 8 and 10mm pipe.

colm_mcm

less chance of leaks and far cheaper using bends rather than elbows

RiderOnTheStorm

thanks guys. I am looking at pipe benders on ebay at the mo, and they look like they will do just the trick! I will let y'all know how I get on....