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Green Building Bible, Fourth Edition
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Heating and cooling: alternative to expensive steel pipe for use in solar thermal

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    Hi,
    Just wondering whether any forum members had an opinion on using 'EPDM SAEJ20R3 Flexible Rubber Car Heater Radiator Coolant Hose ' on my solar thermal system? (see link below) It is a drainback system so operates at atmospheric pressure . This pipe has high operating temps(125degs) and is resistant to antifreeze. It is plyable and is only £50 or so for 40m!!

    I have come away 3m from the cylinder in copper I would imagine that I can adapt from copper to the epdm hose using good quiality jubilee clips or similar.

    There are fixings available for this stuff but simple to make using builderd band. I can insulate using a larger diameter standard insulation.

    What do you think??

    I have added a link to EPDM and silicone. The silicone radiator hose is £250 for 40 metres. Advantages?

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EPDM-SAEJ20R3-Flexible-Rubber-Car-Heater-Radiator-Coolant-Hose-Engine-Water-Pipe-/200982593122?pt=UK_Car_Parts_Vehicles_Automobila_ET&var=&hash=item2ecb7efe62

    or this

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Silicone-Heater-Radiator-Hose-Coolant-Car-Engine-Pipe-Silicon-Rubber-New-/290841193823?pt=UK_DIY_Materials_Plumbing_MJ&var=&hash=item43b77c6d5f
    • CommentAuthorEd Davies
    • CommentTimeMar 26th 2014 edited
     
    How about this silicone pipe sold specifically for solar-thermal applications?

    http://shop.solarproject.co.uk/12mm-silicon-hose-metre-sp207-p-12.html

    He even spells it correctly, though less often than not. It's what I have in mind for freeze-safety in the bits of my system which should but might not fully drain back.

    (Bookmarked your ebay links for bigger diameter silicone pipe, though. Thanks)
    • CommentAuthorDantenz
    • CommentTimeMar 28th 2014
     
    Would be OK to use, I know one solar panel manufacturer who supplies 2 x 1 metre lengths of this reinforced rubber pipe to get form the panels into the roof space.
    • CommentAuthordaserra
    • CommentTimeMar 28th 2014
     
    I fitted a Junkers rooftop solar thermal system that used that type piping.
  5.  
    Ive just bought 40m for about £50. I reckon that Im going to use it for more then just the solar. I am thinking about my tank overflow for a start.
    Just a thought why dont we use this sort of thing more widely?
    It seems a bit archaic to be using copper for everything. Its almost a precious metal these days. Pushfit pipe is not a lot better. Its more flexible than copper but still mostly rigid.
    • CommentAuthordaserra
    • CommentTimeApr 3rd 2014
     
    Rubber starts to break down after 10 years in my experience. Then you get bulging, disintegration, splits etc. I fit multi-layer pex on my plumbing jobs these days but at home I'd always prefer copper. It has algaecidal properties, it's low in the galvanic series so tends not to corrode, easy to bend, adapt solder or use compression fittings. I quite like threaded hard PVC with brass fittings for 1"+ but it's so time consuming. Normal pex breaks down in UV and has too much shape memory so I only use that on new builds.
    • CommentAuthorwookey
    • CommentTimeJan 2nd 2017
     
    I used a couple of bits of automotive hose to connect my pump to the copper piework (the pump has spigots design for such pipe. It's been fine since 2008. I did have to tighten up the jubilees after 7 years as it started dripping slowly. My system gets rather hot in the summer - 85-90C and the hose seems reasonably robust to this. The first component to fail was the cheap service values (seals stopped sealing), not the hose.

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