solar water heater in attic or conditioned space? Charlotte, NC.

rollandelliott

I got a Velux solar water heating system off craigslist for $400. I think I spent $1200 for just the pump station on my last solar water system purchase.   Normally they are Thousands of dollars. It is a single tank system with a glycol tubing heat exchanger with electric back up heat and separate pump station and two water panels for the roof. 

Any pros/cons to installing the tank in the attic vs in conditioned space? I think if I put in attic then the cold line will get condensation on it a lot and eventually rust out, so better to keep in conditioned space with thick insulation blanket around it. 
link below details the over all system. It will also be easier to maintain yearly with a flushout. 

http://www.veluxsolutions.com/inet/literature.nsf/03c400218cd19ac6852569a400529475/4b7f7731619ad2998525789b0050460b/$FILE/X20219-0112_SWH_Brochure.pdf

anyone ever use a powered anode vs a regular aluminum anode. seems like the powered ones are better in the long run. 

Estragon

I wouldn't put a tank in the attic, as pretty much any tank eventually leaks.  In an attic, the resulting damage could be significant.  In a basement next to a floor drain on a concrete slab makes much more sense to me.

Roadrunner0

A low pressure drain back system with a heat transfer tank is the safest and easiest water heating system.. For $400 or so you can build one and have little worries as there is no high pressure or glycol/freezing to worry about.. 500 foot roll of 1/2 inch PEX red = $125.. Small boiler pump $100.. 50 foot coil of 1/2 inch copper pipe $100 and $75 for fittings , valves , a 55 gallon plastic barrel etc.. My attic gets to 100 deg. F most days when it is above 60 deg. and sunny.. This will preheat the well water that is 45 to 50 deg. to 80 deg.+ which should cut electric use of the hot water tank in half.. Running full tap pressure thru the 500 feet of PEX in the attic and having an expansion tank and check valve is even simpler but far more dangerous with leaks and freezing..

Marc Kurth

This is a thread from 2019, but since it is alive:

Based on my experience personally and professionally, I will not allow anything in my attic except for a very few feet of Romex wire. No, plumbing, no ducting, air handlers or tanks.

For piping, it's not a matter of "if" - it's "when" the leak will occur.

For ducts and air handlers, the heat gain/loss is horrific enough to destroy efficiency far beyond what most people assume.

Marc

Dave Angelini

And know where the thru hull valves are