tinaco - solar heater

Rep Dom

Bronze
Dec 27, 2011
1,237
0
0
Hi, if set in a sunny situation, can a tinaco (small or medium size) can be used a solar water heater, as it's black...
:)
 

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
23,097
6,247
113
South Coast
We have a 550 gallon one on our roof. The water does warm up a bit, but the bigger the tinaco the less warmth. Feed is from the bottom where water is the coldest, at least in our house. When we had a smaller tinaco, the water was almost always warm. If not warm, bearable. With the bigger one, we added an on-demand propane hot water heater.
 

Don Pedro

Member
Apr 2, 2005
262
6
18
Hi Rep Dom. the main problem is not to warm the water.
The main problem is to keep hot/warm the water during the night.
 

les1

Member
Feb 1, 2007
310
15
18
Hi Rep Dom. the main problem is not to warm the water.
The main problem is to keep hot/warm the water during the night.

I have hot water for a brief period from the plastic pipe sitting on the roof before it gets to the shower. So why not make a long length of plastic pipe arranged in concentric squares - maybe inside a shallow black painted box.
 

donluis99

Bronze
Jul 12, 2004
721
16
0
This will definatly heat the water in the pipe, if you want to heat the whole tinaco, add a small pump to circulate through your collecter.

depends on the amount of hot water you want, if it is for a shower days end for one person, well just increase the diameter and length of the collector tubing, 1" tubing, each length of tube 19 ft. long holds about 3/4 gallon of water.

So figure out how much water you need and go from there.

The water coming out of your collector can reach 190 degree so be careful and best to used CPVC, cost more but better than having a PVC collecter come apart on the roof.

g'luck
 

Don Pedro

Member
Apr 2, 2005
262
6
18
Once again I insist the problem isnot to warm the water , it's to keep the hot water 24 hours.

a simple black tynaco will warm the water from noon to 3 pm some days bur never will give you warm water for a shower 24 hours.
First check how many gallons per days you need.
Second find an appropriate insulated tank.
Third think how warm the water.

Do not believe a black tynaco that may be hot sometime during a day would give you hot water.
Have also in mind the PVC pipe(between tank and shoer) will lost the "heat" very quickly.
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
a small tinaco will have warmish water in the afternoon/evening. but in the morning it will be cold as hell :) and that's the time when you need hot water the most, i think.
you could get a small water heater, we had one that could fit below the sink, 5 gallons. it would heat enough water for hot showers for two people. we turned it on for half an hour in the morning and half an hour in the evening.
hot water is not something i'd be stingy on. yeah, in the heat of the summer you may enjoy cold shower but in the winter it will be ball clenching siberian freeze :)
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
113
I investigated this idea -black tank- no go , Joe........ not sufficient heat absorption.

The on demands are cheap enough..... and I have a 5 gal heater a la dv8 to feed the kitchen needs.

The rooftop black hose loop works but you need a large diameter tube... almost drainage size to have enough H2O....
However, no midnight showers allowed.........
 

Rep Dom

Bronze
Dec 27, 2011
1,237
0
0
ok but its not a question of money... I just wish to use natural energy, such as solar, wind...
:)
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
i think it is all individual. yabadabadu will advocate for cold showers to keep the mind alert and the body tight but personally i feel tight and alerted just THINKING about cold showers :) but hell, many dominicans wash in cold water and they are fine.
i like my water hot so i am happy to pay for the water heater and power it uses. in time one learns to appreciate small luxuries here. :)

if it is not a question of money then get a solar water heater. but a word of warning: my mother in law has one and she still uses water heater because in the mornings water is not hot enough. we stayed in her house for few days when ours was being remodeled and for me the water was barely usable, even after all day of sun. warmish at best.
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
113
ok but its not a question of money... I just wish to use natural energy, such as solar, wind...
:)

If you want to heat by solar, you need to have an insulated storage tank to keep the water warm when there is no sun.

Many of us are solar here but still heat water by propane.....

I have no public power or water..... but do have propane water heaters