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What acreage of solar panels...
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mochyn



Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales
PostPosted: Fri Apr 04, 08 1:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

JB wrote:
Bear in mind that if you replace your washing machine many washing machines now only take a cold water supply so if you connect that to a solar heated water tank you might no longer have the option of a cool wash.


Thanks for that, JB: I'll have to find the instruction book thingy.

dougal



Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent
PostPosted: Fri Apr 04, 08 1:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I wouldn't be thinking only in terms of using solar heated water for the washing machine - though if that's what you want to do, and only want to get up to 40 degrees, then a pretty *tiny* system would do the job (at least for most of the summer).
You could fit a 'blender' (thermostatic) valve to limit the maximum water supply heat to, say 40C ...
CAT (nearby?) run courses & do leaflets on mini DIY solar water heating.

But, having *house* solar hot water (evacuated tube/big tank/etc) would let you shut down the Rayburn for most of the summer... *if* that were what you wanted...

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 43816
Location: yes
PostPosted: Fri Apr 04, 08 3:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

dougal wrote:
If you are having roof work done (or need to change your hot water tank) then installing solar *thermal* (ie water heating) can be done for even less extra cost than it would cost to do the job entirely on its own.

Navitron (last time I checked) would supply evacuated tube (ie good) solar collector, controller/pump/gubbins kit and a super-insulated replacement hot water tank for about £1000 total. Installation extra, and up to you.
This is pretty fuss free, and nowhere near as major an investment decision as solar ("PV") electricity.
It should also be possible to organise the bits quite quickly.

this stuff is good cos it saves buying energy to heat water and is fairly quick to repay outlay .

mochyn



Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales
PostPosted: Fri Apr 04, 08 3:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Nooooo! Don't shut my Rayburn down: no cooking! That's why solar HW seems a good plan for the washing m/c: it's the only thing that needs HW that isn't connected to the Rayburn.

Jb



Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 7761
Location: 91� N
PostPosted: Fri Apr 04, 08 3:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

mochyn wrote:
Nooooo! Don't shut my Rayburn down: no cooking! That's why solar HW seems a good plan for the washing m/c: it's the only thing that needs HW that isn't connected to the Rayburn.


If that's the only thing that needs it is it really worth installing solar heating or power just for that? If heating the water takes 1 KWh and your solar panel costs £1000 to install it's still going to have to take 10,000 laundry cycles before it pays for itself.

I've no idea if those numbers are right but I wouldn't install solar _just_ for the laundry.

mochyn



Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales
PostPosted: Fri Apr 04, 08 3:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I know what you mean, JB, but it really annoys me every time I use the washing m/c to think that the water's being heated by grid electricity.

chez



Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset
PostPosted: Fri Apr 04, 08 3:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Ours is a Navitron system, it's fab. The solid fuel stove and the central heating and the solar all put heat in to the water tank in separate coils.

I think HHW has a set-up for her cold-fill washing machine where the hot and cold water both run through a shower mixer valve - so if you need a cold wash you can turn it right down. I've got one that I intend to do the same with when we finally get around to deciding where our cold-fill washing machine will permanently go.

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 43816
Location: yes
PostPosted: Fri Apr 04, 08 5:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

you said what i meant ,thanks

if you live in a wet ,sloping place is a micro turbine or wheel possible for lectrickery ?

RichardW



Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales
PostPosted: Fri Apr 04, 08 6:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

JB wrote:
mochyn wrote:
Nooooo! Don't shut my Rayburn down: no cooking! That's why solar HW seems a good plan for the washing m/c: it's the only thing that needs HW that isn't connected to the Rayburn.


If that's the only thing that needs it is it really worth installing solar heating or power just for that? If heating the water takes 1 KWh and your solar panel costs £1000 to install it's still going to have to take 10,000 laundry cycles before it pays for itself.

I've no idea if those numbers are right but I wouldn't install solar _just_ for the laundry.


Not far out most a rated washers are about 1kwh per washing load (not boil washes obviously). But not all of that will be the hot water.

Justme

Brandon



Joined: 11 Apr 2006
Posts: 114
Location: mid wales
PostPosted: Thu Apr 10, 08 4:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Quote:
Nooooo! Don't shut my Rayburn down: no cooking!


If you are merely keeping your rayburn going throught he summer for cooking, then I would go for solar hot water, and shut the rayburn down, and use propane through the summer. What do you power the rayburn with? Wood or oil?

mochyn



Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales
PostPosted: Thu Apr 10, 08 4:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Brandon wrote:
Quote:
Nooooo! Don't shut my Rayburn down: no cooking!


If you are merely keeping your rayburn going throught he summer for cooking, then I would go for solar hot water, and shut the rayburn down, and use propane through the summer. What do you power the rayburn with? Wood or oil?


Anthracite. I certainly can't afford to convert it to propane: nor do I want to! I'm looking at changing over to all wood, though. I don't only cook for us: I bake for Country Markets too, so baking is often going on all day.

Brandon



Joined: 11 Apr 2006
Posts: 114
Location: mid wales
PostPosted: Fri Apr 11, 08 4:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I was not suggesting for a minute that you would convert the rayburn, but rather install a propane hob, but if you NEED the rayburn to bake daily, then there may not be much in it.

How far is the wash house from the house? an insulated main (hot) to the wash house wouldn't be too dear... cheaper than a solar install if the distance isn't massive.

mochyn



Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales
PostPosted: Fri Apr 11, 08 5:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Brandon wrote:
I was not suggesting for a minute that you would convert the rayburn, but rather install a propane hob, but if you NEED the rayburn to bake daily, then there may not be much in it.

How far is the wash house from the house? an insulated main (hot) to the wash house wouldn't be too dear... cheaper than a solar install if the distance isn't massive.


I don't suppose you do that sort of thing, do you? Insatllation etc. I mean. The problem is that the wash house is a lean to, on the right end of the house (that is the rayburn is the other side of the wall) but the wall is very thick, stone, and rather old. I've often wondered whether it would be possible to get the water from the rayburn to the washing m/c, but couldn't see how.

vegplot



Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 21301
Location: Bethesda, Gwynedd
PostPosted: Fri Apr 11, 08 5:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

mochyn wrote:
Brandon wrote:
I was not suggesting for a minute that you would convert the rayburn, but rather install a propane hob, but if you NEED the rayburn to bake daily, then there may not be much in it.

How far is the wash house from the house? an insulated main (hot) to the wash house wouldn't be too dear... cheaper than a solar install if the distance isn't massive.


I don't suppose you do that sort of thing, do you? Insatllation etc. I mean. The problem is that the wash house is a lean to, on the right end of the house (that is the rayburn is the other side of the wall) but the wall is very thick, stone, and rather old. I've often wondered whether it would be possible to get the water from the rayburn to the washing m/c, but couldn't see how.


I had this problem and got over it by tunnelling a small hole through the wall removing rocks. Actually it wasn't small hole by the time i'd finished but it was a lot cheaper than using a diamond drill

mochyn



Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales
PostPosted: Fri Apr 11, 08 5:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

vegplot wrote:
I had this problem and got over it by tunnelling a small hole through the wall removing rocks. Actually it wasn't small hole by the time i'd finished but it was a lot cheaper than using a diamond drill


That's my big worry: that the small hole will expand and bring the house down!

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