Caleffi Solar flex pipes

hot_rod

and you are right to bring it up.

I have started using scrap lengths of SolarFlex for the relief valve discharge lines, as you see on the Solar Pump Station relief to the right. I came up one flex adapter short to install one on the solar tank.

For some reason the T&P on that brand of tank sticks way out. I'll get a shorter nipple or different style of T&P and correct that also.

hr

michael_34

Caleffi Solar flex pipes

I am thinking of using the Caleffi Solar Flex (1") in place of 1" soft copper with a laing D5 solar pump. Has any folks out there used this product as of yet(hotrod?)? This is a one hundred foot run (yes one way), ground mount (2 heliodyne Gobi's). What is the differences that I should be aware between the solar flex and soft copper (friction loss,ect. or anything else), buried three feet under ground. Ok any info and input welcome.
Thanks,
Michael

hot_rod

Here is the pressure drop

chart for 1" SolarFlex and 3/4". If you are talking a 2GPM flow rate? 3/4" may be fine.

The 3/4 fits nicely inside a 4" PVC or ABS sleeve, by the way for additional in-ground protection.

200' of 3/4"" at a 2 gpm flow of 40% glycol at 100F would be be about 8 feet of head.

Yes the SolarFlex is a bit more restrictive than copper tube.

Here is my system with a 100 feet of 3/4 SolarFlex piped in. I had to throttle back the D-5 strong to get a 2 GPM flow. And that is with a fairly old, somewhat weak 20W PV panel driving it. I think Boaz prefers the 30W panel with the D-5 strong. Good idea, mine need some pretty direct sunlight to fire up. i need a bit more panel for this larger circ.

You may not need the D-5 strong? Here is the Laing curve link.

I hope to see the prototype PV differential control in the mail today, also.

Let me know if you need additional info. Caleffi has PV pump stations on the shelf now.



www.lainginc.com/pdf/LTI%20D5%20basic,%20vario%20and%20strong%20-%206pages.pdf

hr

michael_34

thanks

I can't get my caleffi sales rep even to return a phone call, let alone any other info. So thank you for the graphs.
Is it more efficient to use 1'' piping (for a Heliodyne collector) for that distance? would it not cut down on the fiction loss at 1"?
I am shooting for around 2 gpm, so I will re-think the D5 strong. That last system I design and Installed I used the D5 with a 40 watt panel. The only reason I did so is no one had 30 watt in stock with a Jbox on the back of the module. The system is kicking A#$! Incredible start up WoW!
So thank you for all your help. This forum has some incredible people with incredible knowledge, that all us novices should thank are lucky stars for (I am not A#$ kissing either!)!
Michael

Andrew Hagen_3

Units

I believe those head loss numbers are in psi/ft, not ft/ft?


Caleffi SolarFlex Product Data

Are the numbers on the Caleffi data sheet for 40% propylene glycol? It doesn't say anywhere that I can find, so I assumed it was for water.

hot_rod

A bit of cost difference

between the 3/4 and 1". I doubt you would make up the $$ difference with a smaller circ cost, by going with 1"

If you ever plan on adding additional panels to the array, sure, go with the larger flex.

Add the pressure drop through the HX and any fittings of valves and see where it falls on the various pump curves. Shoot for the middle third of the curve.

Andrew is correct about the charts in Idronics 3, being in psi, but the ones above are in feet of head. Follow the GPM flow up to the curve, and over to the left for pressure drop. Now that is per foot, so X the length of you intended run.

hr

michael_34

I was just looking at...

the spec sheet when you posted Andrew thanks.
These folks do want to expand down the line, so I guess 1'' is best then.
The economics for the 1'' soft copper and 1'' solar flex is about even not including labor for the soft copper.
Thanks for your help.
Michael

Andrew Hagen_2

Head Loss

I may be missing something, but if you look at 3/4" pipe in idronics compared to the chart you posted above at 4gpm, one says 0.14ft/ft and the other says 0.14psi/ft. I believe the charts above need to be multiplied by 2.31 to read in ft/ft. Did I miss something?

Andrew Hagen_2

Spreadsheet

I threw this together a while back to calculate head loss in solarflex. I can't guarantee its accuracy, but it should be as accurate as reading the chart in the literature. just type the flow rate and length in the blue fields and it will calculate the head loss in the red field.

hot_rod

Andrew

when I-3 was published Caleffi didn't offer 1/2 and 1". Now with additional sizes and a lot more fittings the charts have been improved.

The data starts out in cubic meters per hour and mbar/m, and all German verbiage..

In the course of converting that to gpm and feet of head the glycol at 40% was factored in, as shown in the graphs above.

If you need I could send you the current data for all 3 sizes. info sheets are being updated as we speak and it should be updated on the website soon also.

hr

Andrew Hagen_3

Info

Sounds like I am short on updated data. I'm just the kind of person who takes the data off those sheets, plots the data, curve-fits, and creates functions to calculate head loss quickly so I can pick the appropriate size at a glance. I would love to have the updated data, but it's not urgent if Caleffi is updating the website soon. Looks like Caleffi has some excellent stuff available. Thanks.

Vernon P. James_2

Relief valve

Hot Rod

Where did you get that see thru tail pipe on the relief valve? Amazing how we as contractors wouldn't think of doing stuff like that for our customers but when it is for ourselves how long it takes us to finish all of the tiny details of a job. Not criticizing just glad to know those of you who are nationally known are still human like the rest of us. ( it took me 7 months to get the condensate drain off my new mod-con piped into a nuetralizer and piped into the condensate pump instead of running thru sump pump hose!)

michael_34

Updated data sheets

Hey Hotrod,
If the data sheets are more updated than whats on there website please post 'em. Since I have not used this product before, the geek in me wants all the data that I can eat.
Thanks again,
Michael