Pre installing solar heat piping while attic is being converted

AndyBoBandy

Hi folks,

(Apologies, this should be in Plumbing & Heating ,can a mod move it please?)

Down the line (1-2 years), I might install solar heating panels, for hot water,

As I'm just about to get my attic converted, would it be worth running the piping required now while the conversion is taking place? would it be much of a job to do? (I'm thinking easy enough as the attic will be fully opened up) and would it save much hassle down the line when installing solar roof panels?

How many pipes would be needed? 2? more? and would they both terminate at the same location in the roof?

Any help or advice is much appreciated.

Thanks

Ruu

Moved from After Hours.

AndyBoBandy

Andybobandy wrote: »

Apologies, this should be in Plumbing & Heating ,can a mod move it please

Ruu wrote: »

Moved from After Hours.

Many Thanks.

nmacc

Get a run of twin DN16 or similar (two flexible stainless steel insulated pipes) solar piping run from the attic to the hot press. Bring the pipe to the floor in the hot press and leave about 600 extra.

Run the piping neatly in the attic to the south side of the roof. Where you stop deopends on where the end of the panels will go, but of course you may not know where that is. I would run down to the end of the roof or the party wall and leave about a metre over. The pipes will be different lengths once the panels are fitted, but it's a bit early to be making that kind of decision.

Even if you get it wrong it's not the end of the world, as it's simple to extend the pipes. The important thing is to get the piping through the tricky part of the roof.

By the way, if you roof faces east-west, it's a bit more complicated as you might end up with one panel on each face. In that case you may need two pumps, or a double pump station. If so the pumps will need to go in the attic.

AndyBoBandy

Thanks for the reply nmacc,

Any idea what a plumber would charge to do this?

(I have an east/west roof, but my roof is hipped, and the hip faces south, so I'm guessing the south facing hip would be the ideal place for panels)

sky6

Solar is a must in any new build and a no brain er after the inn ital cost it's a win all the way. Other forms of heating are only going one way.
Just be careful and get a water test done before you purchase anything as this can decide the best type of tank to use.
The pipes are easy run through an attic any time but if you do install them now make sure to tape over the ends to keep creepy crawlers out of the pipes.
Get the Carpenter to provide a little more bracing in the area you're going to locate the panels.

South East is also ok if you are pushed for direction.

cerastes

wouldnt this also necessitate fitting the brackets that go under the tiles also? as you'd have to get access to the back of that to fit noggins? and fix them in place?

Might it be better to get someone or a company that does this, approach them (Im assuming you cant afford to get it done completely now), get them to size and fit the mounting frame too along with the piping, then blank off the piping.

I actually thought there was a type of valve that needed to be at high level too? (something that prevents flow reversing (nrv) or stops the whole thing transferring cold fluid through the sytem when the tank water is hotter than the heat the fluid in the system is transferring to the tank) but you'd need confirm this.

No point putting in the pipes if you still need to rip it open to fit something else, also the brackets are going to look kinda ugly without the purposeful tubes on it.

I think the best option would to have priorities solar heating over something else and do that now.

nmacc

It's perfectly fine to just fit the pipes now, there's nothing else that needs to be added at this stage. The company that installs the panels can fit any extra bracing required and there's no additional hardware needed that will wreck the decor at a later date.

However a hipped roof may be an issue; it depends on the area available for the panels. Don't forget that to meet the regs you'll need to allow 500 all round the panel(s).
You'll definitely need professional advice when it comes to sizing and location, but that won't stop you running in the piping now. I wouldn't dream of giving a price for something like sight unseen - sorry.

cerastes

nmacc wrote: »

It's perfectly fine to just fit the pipes now, there's nothing else that needs to be added at this stage. The company that installs the panels can fit any extra bracing required and there's no additional hardware needed that will wreck the decor at a later date.

What about noggins to secure the brackets that hold the frame the tubes are fitted to? or even securing these brackets? which seems to need to be completed from the inside, if its covered in a membrane, insulated and plastered, how is the OP going to be able to get someone to do that without undoing some of the existing work?

nmacc

The OP can't fit noggins at this stage without professional advice.

But you're right, if he's going to insulate, slab, etc, then now is the time to get in professional help & plan for the panels. In fact if the rafters will be slabbed, then he might almost be as well fitting the flashings and running the pipes out through the roof. Twill need more than tape on the ends though to seal them, the caps that come on the end of a new roll of pipe should do the job, if they're well taped on; probably Denso, just to be sure.

Either way, professional help definitely needed.

AndyBoBandy

Thanks for all the advice guys,

I'm thinking the best solution might be to bite the bullet and have the system installed now.