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Heating and cooling: Connecting PEX (or Pex-Al-Pex) to aluminium

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  1.  
    • CommentAuthorgyrogear
    • CommentTimeMay 30th 2016 edited
     
    I want to make a solar absorber comprising a series of aluminium channels, and have got the picture that brass unions are out...

    I want to use screw connections into the aluminium wall (1mm thick), but am having a time tracking something down. I thought that nylon might be OK.

    Collector will be outside :shamed: and in potentially saline atmosphere...

    All help much appreciated.

    gg
    • CommentAuthorEd Davies
    • CommentTimeMay 30th 2016
     
    Don't know if you've already looked at Build It Solar, e.g, http://www.builditsolar.com/Experimental/PEXCollector/PEXCollector.htm

    Bit confused by “channels” and “unions”. Do you mean the thermal connection from aluminium absorber plates to the the PEX or from the PEX to a manifold or something?
    • CommentAuthorgyrogear
    • CommentTimeMay 30th 2016 edited
     
    Ed, thanks for the link, I had actually already seen it !
    Nothing like that, though !

    "From PEX to manifold" = +1

    The PEX tubes will be interconnecting a series of aluminum sections, like a normal radiator; elements are ten cm wide by 1 cm thick and about 180 cm long. There is an inner longitudinal web down the full length of the section. All Al walls are 1mm.

    The unions needs to be screwed into the wide side, at lower corners.
    So I really need a "threaded male elbow with spigot" I guess...

    The idea is for the water to be pumped in at lower right, flow up the "leg", over the top of the "weir", down the other side, and out.

    It is almost a "dynamic batch collector"... (just another of my strange ideas...)

    gg
    • CommentAuthorEd Davies
    • CommentTimeMay 30th 2016
     
    I'm imagining something but it might be completely different from what you're imagining. Maybe a drawing would help.

    These aluminium sections, are they re-purposed something elses?
    • CommentAuthorgyrogear
    • CommentTimeMay 30th 2016 edited
     
    Hi again, Ed ,

    yes, in my thinking they are aluminium mason's rules...

    Here is a drawing, sorry I am not much of an artist !

    cheers,

    gg
  6.  
    I really don't think that alloy straight edges are going to be appropriate for this application. Far better just looping the pex in a loop and adding alloy heat collectors such UFH spreader plates. No joints to worry about then either. Enclose in a suitable case and you're sorted.
    • CommentAuthorgyrogear
    • CommentTimeMay 31st 2016 edited
     
    Posted By: willie.macleodFar better just looping the pex in a loop and adding alloy heat collectors such UFH spreader plates


    Thanks for the input, Willie !
    Must admit, makes my life a lot simpler !
    I had thought of a "straight" serpentine, but just for testing purposes; I assumed that a serpentine would create a lot of friction ?

    I have already jammed "galvanized steel radiators" inside each facade bay, consisting of shelves, assembled back to back, edges banged down, to make rectangular ducts. They are one foot wide, 3 cms deep and 6 foot long.
    If I used fat PEX, and "hoped" it would contact the steel (whch I painted black, inside and out...), would this do, in place of "spreader plates".

    I guess the PEX need painting black, also...
    (In fact, I think I'd use Pex-Al-Pex, as it is deemed to bend better...).

    Guess I could just try it, instead of nagging everybody :smile:

    Thanks again,

    gg
  8.  
    Radiators have been used as old school collectors before! Faster response with the spreader plates though. You can't get too sharp a bend on pex (or pex-al-pex) or it will kink, so I wouldn't worry too much about the friction, as a fully pumped setup I can't see a huge problem.
    • CommentAuthorgyrogear
    • CommentTimeJun 1st 2016
     
    Thanks again, Willie !

    I did the numbers, the Multilayer needs to be fat anyhow (25 mm) so it is looking feasibule... However, will first run a test with "sloppy" 16mm PEX, as already available; if the PEX works, then I'd imagine the ML will also, so watch this space !

    gg

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