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Solar melt down (12 Posts)
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Solar melt down
The Imcolok 3/4" wall neoprene insulation melted between the time we climbed down the roof after installing the 30 tubes to start up the pump module. (Less than 7 minutes) The collector was at 260 F. The system stabilized within 10 minutes at 115 at top of collector. The system can be seen in the Solar category.
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Hot, Hot HOT!!!
Melted my share of that stuff. Have since resorted to real rubber insulation (Donkey u know what). It gets a little crisp on the inside, but doesn't melt through like that other stuff does. Has to be protected from UV degradation (painted).
7 minutes eh...
ME
It's not so much a case of "You got what you paid for", as it is a matter of "You DIDN'T get what you DIDN'T pay for, and you're NOT going to get what you thought you were in the way of comfort". Borrowed from Heatboy.
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Propress
Hey Paul,
Are using the Propress fittings with the FKM seal?
Paul
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ProPress
The fittings are ProPress...nver had a problem with any leaks on glycol.based systems.
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Insulation
I had some 1" wall fiberglass at the shop with some Zeston cover. No worries for meltdown now.
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HT insulation
Imcolock and others also make hi-temp insulation. I special ordered
some for my solar piping 3 1/2 years later , still looks good.
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HT insulation
Imcolock and others also make hi-temp insulation. I special ordered
some for my solar piping 3 1/2 years later , still looks good.
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XHT
extreme high temperature insulation is now available from some brands
Armacell has a UT (ultra temperature) UT SolaFlex product out now. Not for the faint of pocketbox!
Fiberglass works, keep it dry.
hr
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Aeroflex
This stuff works great and is reasonably priced. I use the stuff with the lap seal, it is uv protected and good for 300 f continuous. once you stick the lap over the seam it never comes off!!
http://www.aeroflexusa.com/products/aerocel_epdm/
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EPDM rubber based insulation
is comfortable to about 150C @ 300F. Flat plate collectors stagnate above that, evac tube WAY above that.
Once the rubber turns crunchy the insulative value is about gone.
New solar insulation options include fleece, mineral wool, polyurethane,, polyolfins, silicone, and high tech aerospace products like Aerogel.
There are a bunch of low quality solar insulated tube sets on the market. They claim to be EPDM, but in fact are a very low EPDM %, blend. We have tested some solar products that harden and crumble at 200F! Still others that turn to goo at 250F.
A good solar insulation needs the temperature rating, and also has to be water tight when exposed to outdoor conditions.
hr
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Mineral Wool
What about mineral wool for insulation? It doesn't get ruined when wet, and is suitable for steam heating temperatures. Just curious. Thanks!
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sure, mineral wool works
it is used in a lot of flat plate collectors still. It needs to be dry, of course.
hr
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