DIY "PEX COIL" Solar Water Heater! - High temps! - No crimping! - Sunsafe! - PEX Made Easy!

DIY Solar Thermal PEX COIL Water Heater! PEX Solar Water Heater! Easy DIY! No Soldering, Clamps, Crimp Rings, Glues, Unions, or that expensive crimping tool! in my design it's just 2 push-to-fit "shark-bite" connectors! (located outside of collector) and because it's all one piece of tube, the unit has no potential internal leak points. PEX is sturdy, tough and rigid. water temp rating range... 33F to 185F-200F (93°C) water! ...and if temps hit or fall below 32F (0°C) it's freeze damage resistant! it'll freeze but doesn't break. the connectors are made to last at least 25 years and pipe is rated 50+ years! note that PEX, if left "uncoated" can be damaged by the UV rays of the sun *but painting and/or primer coating it blocks all of those (making it sun-safe) and a great choice for DIY solar applications! a very detailed list of the parts i used is shown near the end of the video (last 40 seconds or so) if you like the video, please rate. sub and share!
*couple of notes: a PEX COIL water heater looks similar to a coiled black poly (or irrigation pipe) one, but PEX is much stronger and more durable. PEX tubing will last at least 10 times as long and handles higher temps. plus the cost difference is only minimal. 100' of poly pipe $10.00. 100' of PEX $28.00
lastly, with research, you'll notice that 'all' non-metal pipe manufacturers will say that they recommend metal pipe over non-metal for solar units but, in my opinion, that's just because they want to cover themselves - say for example if it was used in a large "highly insulated" commercial installation (with mirrors, metal backing, reflectors etc.). in a build like that the collector might reach over the 200F pipe rating (to 220F or something) and could the shorten the pipes lifespan to 30 years instead of 50. but for any moderately sized DIY application it should work great (even my copper pipe solar water heaters top out at 175F in the hot summer (110F - 43.33C) sun. really it's second only to copper for toughness, strength, durability etc. and by using sharkbite connectors it makes it super easy to make

[@timross3841]

There's another video out there - Wilderness camp/research center up north by a lake, they build a giant compost pile the first week of the season, and bury 150 feet of garden hose in it. They use it to make a hot shower from the cold lake water. Within the first week, the water is too hot to use by itself - it is scalding at 160 degrees or so. By the end of the summer, the water is still warm. So many ways to get things done in life...

[@ukrocketstoves]

Jean Pain style. I did that as an experiment. Had hot water for seven of us from January to September.

[@sugetoosty1685]

Brilliant!

[@demitaylor6266]

What would you do during jan-apr with tllight snow hard freeze of TN mtns? I'm hoping for anything else but electrical or fire based guys please HELP

[@nate5520]

Happen to have a link to that video?

[@timross3841]

@@nate5520 Sorry couldn't find just what I was thinking of, but there are various videos if you search compost and hot shower. The main thing is to run 100 feet or so a tube/hose through the pile, and build the pile as big as possible. When it first heats up, the water will be scalding hot.

[@Zerpersande]

I taught a few lessons on solar energy in a basic Physical Science class back in the late 70s. I student worked with his father to build something very similar to this. He had electrically operated valves and temperature sensor. When the water reached a certain (HOT) temperature the valves would open and the water line would force the hot water out. When the cold water reached the temp sensor the valves would close and it would start to heat the water again.

[@thomasm0481]

I was thinking of doing something similar except to preheat the water going to the water heater. Would it be advisable to place this inline before the water hearer and use the radiant heat of the attic to preheat the water going into the water heater? Have it set up to run during spring, summer and fall and bypass during winter to avoid freezing issues.

[@BobSmith-vj5kz]

@@thomasm0481 your attic should still be warmer than most places of your house in winter--and that would certainly still be a better place for the pipes than under the house. ...but you're going to want to make CERTAIN that you never spring a leak up there.

[@jd70HJ19]

Are you " in genius "? Seriously it is a great Ingenious design worthy of high praise . Nicely done, and cost effectively too.

[@kirkjohnson9353]

Should paint the pex pipe portions that extend just out of the box too to give them UV protection equal to inside the box and bag some extra rays too. Great build- very nicely done. I love it.

[@daviddavid9837]

I made one of those in 1983 with a coil of garden hose on a piece of corrugated roofing painted black. It was a simple ecology conservation project at summer camp to see if we could inexpensively harness the power of the sun. Surprisingly, it worked!

[@jimato01]

Really I hadn't considered that option. I'll try it w my 100' of garden hose that I have no use for. Thanks

[@user-xu5lv7jo4e]

@@jimato01 если не трудно, подскажите, является ли используемая в нагревателе труба устойчивой к ультрафиолетовому излучению? Насколько я понял, это труба из сшитого полиэтилена, которую используют в системах напольного подогрева при строительстве. Насколько хватит ресурса трубы?

[@codetech5598]

​@@user-xu5lv7jo4eIt is not UV resistant by itself so that is why he painted it.

[@rwatson2609]

I've always liked this super simple free energy method. I like your dowel method for holding all the PEX flat.

[@harleyme3163]

mm... me too, but its not free.. the sun's doing all the work.... I know free to us... but most people dont understand why there is no such thing as free energy.. the 2 laws say that.. you cant create energy and you cant destroy it... means you can only concert it from one thing to another.. aint free to the sun.. its burning of massive amount of hydrogen.. lol

[@rwatson2609]

@@harleyme3163 Lol, i wasn't talking about perpetual-motion concepts here just sunlight that I did not have to pay for but thanks for the input.

[@KarlsLabReport]

Yes, this is a slick variant of a long standing design. I like it!

[@conservativemike3768]

I built one of these 3 decades ago for my hot tub and it operated with a small fish tank pump. Worked great.

[@hafunland894]

Desert Sun 2 is an American genius! His videos are short and to the point. His practicality is immense! Thanks!!!!

[@nickvh548]

SO GOOD! The eye hook and dowling is brilliant and your detailed video/explanation makes it easy to reproduce. Thanks a ton.

[@desertsun02]

You're very welcome!

[@duesouth180]

Very well done on alot of levels. A beautiful design. I am gonna make one myself. Thanks for posting

[@outbackeddie]

Me too. I gotta quit watching these videos. But I can't help myself.

[@wxfield]

100% guaranteed confirmed bachelor if you're actually building this in your living room with nobody screaming at you. Congrats!

[@vermonty8813]

I build all sorts of shit in my living room and have a 75' x 175' yard. I still get yelled at and I live alone! My realtor tells people I'm an artist.

[@mannycaballero4370]

A real man makes the rules a home

[@jtooley6554]

Haha so true

[@mrthoule]

And barefoot!

[@outbackeddie]

Not necessarily. My wife gave up on me long ago. She knows when I need to make a mess - it's gonna happen with her support or without it.

[@willm5814]

Nice job!! Thank you - have a 20 year old copper based system - - its breaking down - from not draining it properly before winter 😉 - going to ditch all the copper and use your approach - I’m fired up!

[@pamelajackson6937]

Great project!!! Of course I liked your last one also. This one has more quick clean touches. This is excellent for RVers. I am going to use it to save on energy. Thank you again, love your creative ideas for renewable energy.🌍👍🏽👍👍🏾

[@Travelingman724]

Great design! A few years ago, I saw something similar used for heating with larger black pvc pipe and computer fans to move air thru them.

[@peterrabinowitz1723]

I love how you show the “after” before showing the build. Most videos show the build first and I’m never sure what I’m looking at. Excellent technique!

[@desertsun02]

hi and thank you for the feedback. i figure people want to see what i actually did (and that i actually finished the project). i often see videos where people start building something but then they never finish the build. their video just ends with no finished project.

[@vickikay54]

This by far the best video I've sent for this build. I also see you are wearing the same brand of safety boots that I generally wear!!!

[@goatmilksoapnewzealand]

Year, I hear it's called desert wear. It's popular in Australia too!

[@00gyb00gy]

2:25 lololol

[@TheAudioDabbler]

cool design. I am thinking about building a couple of these to heat my swimming pool during the fall and spring.

[@winterwoodcottage3425]

No pencils were harmed during the making of this video. Good Job !

[@kenbellchambers4577]

The solar hot water heater started out in the USA in California with a coil of high temp. poly pipe on the roof. It continues to morph into new and interesting designs. Yours is lovely and compact. Thanks for sharing.

[@jerryyager2601]

Load of crap. People worldwide have been using solar heated bladders for centuries. Invented in Cali... go smoke some more ganga.

[@theobserver9131]

I used to use several hundred feet of black garden hose stretched out casually on the grass in the sun to fill up my swimming pool. Works really well!

[@axeman6560]

Wow that's brilliant and works so well. You don't need water hotter than that system, I like the simplicity. Thanks for sharing.

[@philiptorrence6804]

I'm wondering if plexiglass would be suitable?

[@HesintheTaNaK]

There are so many naysayers! This is way cool! And with your ingenuity you’ll be able to do a lot with this. When I can find the time I think I will Make one myself. Thanks for sharing!

[@johnnydoe66]

A friend of mine built basically a similar setup, but on a larger scale. He used 1.5" PVC tubing suspended on T-posts in a coil shape like what a spring looks like. He had two sections of sheetmetal that were 3 x 5 ft on the bottom and one side forming an L. He had ball valves and y fittings and painted everything black. He had it plumbed in line after the filter for his swimming pool to heat his pool. It would literally raise his pool water temp by almost 15° in 30 minutes.

[@ximono]

Do we know the same guy?

[@NikosKakouros]

That sounds great; I’m thinking of in line application using pool pump and guessing the current video setup would cause too much flow resistance. Any links to your friend’s setup or further info on build?

[@gnarfish5555]

I love it!! Thank you so much for sharing!!

[@kitsurubami]

Your videos are the best! Thank you for all your contributions to the community!

[@desertsun02]

hi and you're welcome! 🙂

[@doctoreden]

The genius of simple builds. Great Job.

[@g8trsaur]

Your builds get better and better, awesome work! :D!

[@denniswcarey]

I must say this is impressive. Couple of improvements on materials though. Buy the PEX in "Black" and then replace the glass with "Cell Cast Acrylic". The cell cast blocks 95% of the UV rays and is much more durable and you can cut it yourself. Google my suggestions and you will see I speak the truth. All the credit of this project goes to you my friend!

[@randybobandy9828]

How much is a 4ftx4ft sheet of cell cast acrylic? Can you buy it at the hardware store?

[@donproctor3445]

I assume the blockage of UV rays doesn't restrict heating?

[@nexusly6720]

Long-term it's gonna eat all those connection

[@nexusly6720]

I wouldn't allow a 10 year seal on these

[@larrycurrier290]

The only way you'll get that up to 135° is to let it soak in the Sun. After the standing water from the tubing is depleted the temperature will drop drastically. Made something very similar years ago, but I used to holding tank. But the cold water thermosiphon through the coil to the top of the tank for storage and then fed my tankless coil on my oil boiler. On a continuous run in the Sun you would be pressed to gain more than 10 degrees from start to finish.

[@planeteuropa]

A perfect - to the point - DIY video production. Thanks.

[@duffykohler5827]

Hear, hear!!! Bully! 10 out of 10.

[@tohobit]

Nice idea. Pex and Sharkbites are so easy to work with. ... That leaky faucet though!! LOL! Need to add a .10 cent washer to the project budget.

[@tedfritsch3340]

Thanks so much, you just solved my heating issue for the outdoor Hot tub.

[@thedavesofourlives1]

this is sarcasm I hope.

[@tedfritsch3340]

@@thedavesofourlives1 Not at all, it works like a champ.

[@mayormc]

Nice. The simple ideas are often the best and most elusive. Love it.

[@johnshilling2221]

True! Rube Goldberg has destroyed too many minds! All of the Oooo's and Aaah's don't make up for the ridiculous amount of time spent on ridiculously, overly complicated, simple tasks! I much prefer someone looking at something I've built and said "That's simple! I could do that!"... rather than having a thousand people saying, "OMG! That's genius! How did you ever do that?"

[@danielpoulin5259]

This is the prettiest one I’ve seen so far. Great job!

[@bobsmoot2392]

Great work! Put before the hot water tank would be perfect. Tank heater would come on much less (save $$$) + hot water supply would be consistent. Great idea!

[@dave-yj9mc]

Thats what I was thinking. Maybe Use some big 2" galvinized with a 1/2" out. The metal might add some heat retention to heat the incoming cold water? Might save a couple hundred a year..

[@TinySanctuary]

LOVE your dowel idea !!! that's awesome !!!

[@Khamomil]

It's a smart design and has aesthetic value, unlike many off-grid contraptions.

[@charleswallin9174]

Great designs and builds. Thank you for sharing.

[@SimplyOffGrid]

This is great - thanks for sharing.

[@PedrazaC]

This was the best video explanation I have seen and have looked at many, thank you!

[@wobbywilliams]

Thanks for sharing. You've got me thinking about an application for my boat. The only thing is the weather here in the English Lake District with the temperature ranging from 2-18 deg C and a lot of cloud due to the mountains. I would also have to have an insulated hot water tank for evening use. I would probably want to drain the pipes when I'm not on the boat just in case it leaks. Even if it produced warm water, that would be better than what I have at the moment. Cheers

[@mikeybobw6581]

I actually made one change. I used spray beeline on of my frame to help weather proof it. Everything else is the same! Awesome!

[@speedi2you]

Great build!! Love the no shoes look!! Keep up the great ideas!

[@chimpchowder5774]

Hey that's a great idea using PEX that was the best design I have seen yet! Clean and neat looking too! This is going g to be my next build too! Also when I travel into remote regions of the world where they lack and need that extra winter heat, this looks like an easy doable project. Thanks for sharing I will pass it on too.

[@jimships]

Placing a heat absorbing hi mass substance (even mortor or concrete) behind the pex in tray will help thermal storage and recovery of the unit.

[@DormantIdeasNIQ]

me TOO! lol

[@richardhietbrink4353]

Wow you’re a genius!!!!!! And you’re video was quite informative and explained in easy terminology that can be easily understood by all with very little effort. Thank you for taking the time to download this amazing video. Once again you’re a genius 🙏 Rich H. From Las Vegas, NV

[@markc6207]

I did a heater very similar. It was 4x8 in size. Ran off of a 1/3 hp submersible sump pump. Heated a pool 35 foot above ground brought all that water up bu 5degrees. Worked great. I also covered mine with plexiglass to give it a greenhouse effect.

[@chrissimmon3148]

I followed your method today to build one only did a 4x4 and 300 feet of pex. Need to paint and all still but it seemed to go together well. Thanks for the video.... hope it works

[@BigOHavingFun]

Hey u am thinking of doing one. I would love to see your video on it.

[@donnamalinski5780]

Have watched several videos on this subject and so far yours is the best. Going to do it your way. Thanks for sharing.

[@desertsun02]

sounds great! -i still have this unit and it's still going strong

[@bryanhauschild4376]

Like the wood dowel idea

[@pinarellolimoncello]

Love American ingenuity, those shark bite plumbing parts look brilliant. Good project, and upload, well done.

[@GetMeThere1]

Awesome idea! Thanks for sharing this. It also gives me an idea: I once built a large aquarium (for frog breeding) out of plywood. You heavily "paint" the inside of the plywood box with epoxy. I had it for years (indoors), and it remained water tight the entire time. If you did something like that here, you could put a simple valve in the side, and evacuate the space with a vacuum pump, which would, I think, greatly increase the efficiency. Thanks again for giving a great example as it is, and for providing food for thought for changes. I want to make one of these for a four season, cold winter, greenhouse (with water barrel heatsinks).

[@dirtisbetterthandiamonds]

Your builds are so clean! I'm doing this one!

[@geoffreyg.n4503]

How did it go?

[@madmike8325]

Brilliant idea for camping/survival situations

[@donhardy9248]

I really like the notion of using freeze-resistant pex over copper tubing (for non-potable bathing water). But copper has a huge advantage: it can be soldered into a horizontal ladder for the angled plate collector whereas pex is most easily coiled. And the problem with a coiled layout is vapor lock. Gases readily fall from suspension as water heats, which create bubbles that rise to the top of the coil loops and stop the thermosiphon flow. Unless you're actively pushing pressurized water through the pipes ... no bueno.

[@VividDroid]

copper comes in a coil

[@VividDroid]

most of the time.

[@VividDroid]

best thing to do is to make a heat exchanger.

[@chompers11]

Super interesting thanks

[@xMrBlack]

​@@VividDroid I've never seen 1/4"-1/2" in a coil. Basically only propane lines. Besides, you can put 90° sharkbite fittings on pex, no soldering required.

[@charlespratt8663]

Very interesting build. I tried to make a passive batch water heater our of a water heater tank painted flat black. Given the free cost it worked out well for the weekend cabin.

[@rickcampbell4315]

Did that one back in the 70s good job

[@Turkeydinner]

Nice shoes. Lol. Love your design.

[@agnesnutter747]

I wanted to say thanks for the video as it inspired me to make my own using the wood scraps I had left over from other projects. My one hang up was getting a piece of glass/plexiglass cheap. I found my answer at Goodwill - I bought a larger framed artwork and used the frame and the plexiglass for the lid of my box made to fit the 42.5" x 36" frame. It fit about 150' of 5/8" tubing . The water to the pool is 96 degrees.

[@desertsun02]

that's great! - i often tell people to build the collector 'around' the piece of glass they can get. it's great you were able to use leftover wood scraps.

[@savannahsmiles1797]

habitat for humanity is also a good source for windows, or even craigslist

[@jcwoods2311]

Awesome simple design. Did something similar long ago using copper, yours is much much easier. Might consider insulating the outside of the back board and sides & adding another layer or 2 of PEX. Double or triple your capacity without much more effort. Great job, thanks for making this video

[@hyperwebbing]

If you wanted to in that Center space you could take something that is circular especially if it's made out of aluminum or stainless or basically any metal but plastic would work too and put that in the very center and take one section take put a break in it but your connections and install that tank if you will inline to give you more capacity cuz I think two gallons is way too small especially for the size of that box and everything else how much work goes into it you can even reduce some of the pics link this inside the box to install an even larger tank that would be flat but Square circular that would fit within that sitter space of the loops that you removed

[@64jkacir]

One of the nicest builds I've seen! Great job!!

[@desertsun02]

Thank you!

[@interstellarconveyance4865]

Thank you S0 much!! We are always looking for life-hacks! Dude you rock!

[@AdamIverson]

I love the idea of solar water heater! With the use of tank booster mixing valve to not make it too hot and increase usable capacity, I think this could work. Is there any danger of overpressure when sitting in the hot sun when water is not actively running and therefore, do I need a pressure relief valve? I'm thinking about putting this behind my electric tankless water heater so that it doesn't have to work as hard during a sunny day and save on utility bills.

[@BackyardBeeKeepingNuevo]

The company I work for makes solar panels for water heating. I recommend using “solar glass” which is a low iron tempered glass for use in solar panels. You will get more heat gain by using this type of glass. Overall you have a very nice build and are off to a good start. If you want to avoid overheating in summer and freezing in winter you can build this with a “drain back” system.

[@desertsun02]

Thanks for sharing the tips!

[@ShannonSmith4u2]

Wow, super nice, simple, effective, well done!! I hate using Phillips head screws, usually Torx.

[@NoMoreBLUEISIS]

Lol Philips are becoming like flatheads after using torx

[@dingodazz3724]

@@NoMoreBLUEISIS Haha, yes. Phillips screws were actually originally designed to "cam-out", back in the day this was to stop over-tightening of the screws when driven in with a drill or machine (didn't have impact drivers or clutch drill / drivers back then). Once electric / battery tools had clutches of sorts they went to "Pozi-Drive" screws - which are the same as Phillips but have a smaller star in between the main drive star and require a bit that matches (although a Phillips bit will fit in a Pozzi screw, but not the other way around. They did work well at the time - but now square, hex and especially Torx are much better.

[@Eddie-wn8tu]

Freaking brilliant. Thanks for posting!

[@johnshilling2221]

Yeah, I suspect he's one of those guys in the " ! BRILLIANT ! " beer commercials.....

[@MegaCabCummins6]

We built one like that for our swimming pool back in the early 80's, it worked so well it melted the thermometer inside lol... But even in the winter the pool could be kept at 72+ degrees, very efficient. As far as I know that system is still in use.

[@paulchapman603]

Where did you run that system? What kind of winter are we talking about?

[@MegaCabCummins6]

@@paulchapman603 north west Washington, at that time we used to get quite a bit of snow and our lakes would freeze enough to drive on. That was before Mt St Helens blew, now we don't get such weather. We also had a retractable thermal blanket for the pool, it wasn't just an open pool.

[@horatioaquaponics7818]

Have you never gotten sunburn in the Rockies?@@paulchapman603

[@sachcow]

@@MegaCabCummins6 Hello from Issaquah

[@sharinmoore5691]

Hello from Enumclaw

[@karenlawson4888]

Great idea! Thanks for inspiration!

[@technodrone313]

My brother in law built one for a pool heater last year. seems to have worked.

[@Coltrabagar]

Simple. Effective. Elegant. Cost-effective. Excelent.

[@bunberrier]

Brilliant approach to laying out the pipe in a concentric array with those dowels. A bit tedious but having the dowels hold it in place as you place each loop is a great way to save your sanity. I guess if the Pex is covered in paint the UV wont be too bad on it. I wouldn't trust it to last long unpainted though if anyone is thinking of skipping a step.

[@markw3598]

Did you watch the video, moron? He painted it!

[@toomanyhobbies2011]

All you need do is cover the PEX coils with glass or clear plastic.

[@bunberrier]

@@toomanyhobbies2011 Glass doesnt block UV. Poly carbonate does.

[@ShawnD1027]

Very neat! If you add some EPS, XPS, or polyiso behind the tubing, you'd undoubtedly recover even more heat.

[@wetrock2766]

In my northern climate I have been using the same system in the summer, to raise the temperature of my above ground swimming pool by a few degrees. A 50 foot coil of 1" Corlon wound on a 4x8 sheet of Plywood, painted black with a stapled on sheet of transparent vinyl as a cover. Water is fed by a tap on my water filter pump. When the sun is out I simply shut the valve to the system. The thing sits at the back of my yard and I sunk the pipes 2" under the grass, it gets some more heat from there too and I can mow the lawn no problem. Good from the middle of June till nearly the end of August in my neck of the woods (Vermont). This gives me an appreciable amount of free heat for my pool.

[@nylonlines]

Loved this simple, economical project. Somewhere in the video or list at the end I missed what the approximate length of PEX used. Look forward to more ideas.

[@n8cranson]

This is sweet!! Nice job!! Wish I had seen this a year ago. This will work great for my hillbilly hot tub. Thanks for sharing!

[@claytonholton2749]

That was the best video on how to build a solar heater! Great job!

[@Savage_Dragon]

I live in the middle of the Mojave desert out in the dirt. Thank you!!

[@Rick-the-Swift]

Hi Angelis. Have you considered insulating it at nights when it gets cold? Perhaps you could have a solar blanket next to it which gathers heat during the day, and protects the solar heater through the night. Just drape it over in the evenings and remove it in the mornings. just a thought :)

[@catherinemarsh5453]

Can you make a video of how to attach it to the hot water tank so that we can mix it with the cold water tap? Not only is this a great idea but you do a clean and efficient construction. Makes learning so much easier.

[@TexasHoosier3118]

Just disconnect the pipe that feeds your water heater and run a pipe up to your roof, tie it in, and another pipe to bring the water down to then tie into your water heater. I made one with a bypass and drain downs for the winter. Be sure to use an expansion tank ! I did not penetrate the roof but came out the side just under the eaves

[@capeprojectmanagementinc.5977]

You are going to want to install a Thermostatic Mixing Valve after the water tank to prevent scalding. It mixes cold water into the hot water to your desired temp amzn.to/3wHjZYu

[@hyperwebbing]

When you say mix it or add it in line to your cold water tap are you speaking about the line that would come to your fixtures for cold water cuz if so then don't connect it to that if you're talking about the line that feeds in the tap water into the hot water heater that comes out hot then that would be okay but you always want to have the cold water at a much lower temperature than the temp of the hot so you have some way to balance

[@michaelmcinroy2900]

I just completed this project today. FYI I used 100 ft of 1/2 inch plex. It's not as hot as the 300 ft 1/4 inch coiled on a cross solar heater i made but the flow rate is way faster and I also didn't use plexi-glass (way too expensive right now due to Covid). I'm gonna rework the other one in the same style and link all 4 together. 12ft Pool/Hot tub coming up!!

[@christophmeirich5928]

Well done!!!! Thx for sharing!!!!!👍👍👍👍👍

[@stephensclavos4485]

U remind me of a school science project many years ago when at 14 built a solar furnace ( with help of an uncle and a diligent mother ! ) it used a fresnel lens, it would melt lead ! Got second place though lol !

[@woodser1765]

I met a guy 10years ago in Canada that made one of these but with copper pipe. Great idea for mobile hot water.

[@doughesson]

I just figured how I'm heating water for the boat I'm planning.

[@JackRipper8881]

@@doughesson Yeah, buy a kettle. This contraption will do nothing but give you about a gallon, if that, of hot water. Once the water is replaced in the coil with cold it will need to sit and heat up before more hot water can be extracted.

[@jerrybobteasdale]

For a broader application, don't think of it as just supplying heated, potable water. Close the system and circulate water that has antifreeze in it. Use that heated solution to warm large heat sinks such as concrete slabs or block walls to store that daytime heat. The heat sinks heat rooms throughout the night. You can also direct forced air over the heat sinks or though heated radiators to heat rooms in a more controllable manner.

[@johncampbell335]

Yes. Radiant floor heating for an RV is what I'm thinking.

Water tanks are better sinks for the heat carried by the antifreeze. Water has the best heat capacity. I plan to store 200-500l of warm water for underfloor heating the home and bathing and general warm water usage like dish washing and laundry. Big insulated drums with two or three exchane coils per drum. It's a bit more complicated, it implies a few pumps and a few antifreeze circuits, sensors and failsafe measures but it is doable diy stile.

[@erichawkins3915]

No need to use Glycol, so outdated, and this is Pex, not copper pipe, so even if water did freeze if left open vented, does not split the tube

[@jerrybobteasdale]

@@erichawkins3915 Pex may be able to handle freeze/thaw. Typically, some of the fittings, valves, sensors, pumps, etc, will not be freeze-proof. I'm not aware of a more practical antifreeze than glycol.

@@erichawkins3915 it will fail after a few freezes. PE is plastic, not very elastic. It will expand more snd more with every freeze until it gives.

[@Matt-dh6yo]

Best i've seen, just a heads up to anyone, solar panels have spacing for maximum surface area and coverage from moving light source. Space between hose coils would help that.

[@marka9519]

Awesome. Simplicity at it's finest.

[@desertsun02]

Thank you!

[@edmorris5007]

What a fantastic Solar Project! Thank you for sharing this... 140 degrees is the same as a regular household Water Heater...perfect. This is such a better idea, than using a plastic barrel, painted black... Lighter, portable, and more efficient!

[@Barthoization]

Good job ! Now make it a closed circuit and heat up a big boiler. Don't forget a pressure relief valve

[@erichawkins3915]

No need to close loop it, thats as outdated as are unvented pressure cylinders, use a Thermal Store, which can provide heating as well as potable hot water.

[@fredvanleeuwen9996]

Three years ago i mare two of these to help warm my aquaponics system. It certainly did help increasing water temperature. Yet I would not build it like this again. The friction I. The length of pipe is too much. I had time positioned aimed at the angle recommended for solar panels. This meant that warmer water had to be pushed down through the pipe for every wind in the coil. Better is to make water inlet at the bottom and outlet at the higher end in a series of thinner pipes teeing off from larger diameter supply and outlet pipes.

[@merc21782]

@@fredvanleeuwen9996 Like this? www.builditsolar.com/Projects/WaterHeating/ThermosyphonDIY/Thermo14.jpg

[@thedudefromU]

Is this 100' of pipe?

[@jamesshaw3850]

Nice. Thank you for posting your video. From buffalo NY

[@DaxxTerryGreen]

Well done friend.

[@paladin0654]

Great video. When I wanted to shower, in Vietnam, I filled a plastic 5 gallon water can and set it about a foot from our 3KW generator. About 45 minutes later, it was the perfect temp to pour into the Australian shower bag....5 gallons is enough, if you shut it off after your get wet.

[@Codeaholic1]

Nicely done. I think the overall lifetime of this system would be limited by the life of the wooden enclosure not the pex or shark bite fittings. Here in Houston I doubt it would last longer than a single season. You might be able to improve it by using reflective metal like flashing for the inside back of the box and suspend the tubing a small amount above the back wall. That way the entire surface area of the tubing is used to capture energy.

[@jeramychunn9108]

With the wood being primed & assuming it's not treated wood, it would definitely last atleast a few years before it starts to deteriorate. The primer alone adds a significant amount of protection from the elements.

[@james6401]

@@jeramychunn9108 I was thinking the treated stuff would last longer? Isn't it meant for outdoor conditions. I'm in Ireland so water getting into the box would be a factor. I'm sure priming it first as you say would stretch the life of it. We use black hyrdodare piping here for potable water - 3/4 inch or bigger. It's also meant for outdoors and comes in a 25m roll, it might be ideal for this. Not sure about the amount of heat transfer that would happen but it's worth a shot

[@wd8640]

Pex will fail before the wood

[@fluffyhamster550]

@@wd8640 Why?

[@middlesbrough123]

Not sure what the constant heat on timber would do to it . Kingspan between pipe and timber would help

[@meradu2]

Nice work 👍

[@Combatcanes]

Nicely done!

[@anotherdaytoshine]

Some of the best ideas are simple and brilliant, and in this case, even cheap to build! Bravo! Yeah, protect those tootsies though. Probably harder to work from a wheelchair...

[@jamesjordan8399]

I noticed that too . protect your toes.

[@sandybeebe9149]

Nice job! Very efficient for washing dishes or a load of laundry ..even a bath in a 10 gallon cattle trough ..Thanks for sharing !

[@markw3598]

Seriously, you must have the smallest cattle in the world!!

[@MyTube4Utoo]

Nice, thanks for the video.

[@rego1739]

Wicked Cool! Thanks for sharing your knowledge

[@moulder45]

The pretty chrome trim on the shark bite valves are also a removal tool for taking off the valve if need be. Just turn it around and slide up against plastic protruding from valve and press in. Should then slide off of the tubing.

[@methods-SE]

The black paint protects the sensitive PEX from UV (which would quickly degrade it). Pretty Smart dude... Best DIY jobbie I have seen. Anybody could build that. Light Weight Low Cost Simple DIY

[@desertsun02]

hi and thank you! 🙂👍

[@RB-be4yf]

Would be nice to see all the temperatures and flow rate to see how constant the temperature would be. What was the inlet temp of the water? What was the outside temperature? Great design for sure.

[@deanm6686]

I want to use that idea for my driveway in the winter melt snow no snow blower hell yeah Love the idea

[@flip66five]

Theres a vid on yt about a guy that put something similar in his driveway... It was not impressive... I believe green bay packers have a heated field... Dunno how well it works but ive read its only good in a narrow range of temps/snow volumes.. ??

[@Joseph-eh4rs]

Wow, have to try this to heat the pool this spring.

[@leethefixitman7530]

Your right about painting it. It will last if you keep those UV rays off the pipe. PEX is sunlight resistant for about 30 days will break down fast in direct light. You might want to paint or cover those ends where your valve is and the connection side too or your solar heater pipe WILL break there. Good project, thanx for the idea.

[@leethefixitman7530]

It can last, hot and cold doesnt effect it. The pipe is freeze/thaw stable its the UV from the sun. Take that pipe you have now thats been outside, if its been subject to direct sunlight, bend or flex it back and forth you will see perfect broken circles in the pipe. Keep UV off and it will almost last forever...

[@JohnnyMotel99]

Lee the Fixit Man would be great if some manufacturer came out with a black pipe. Then no need to paint.

[@loginregional]

@@JohnnyMotel99 Wouldn't work unless the pipe was treated for UV absorption. You will have a trade-off for cost.

[@Sirder]

Why not use drip irrigation tubing?