#8 -
Renewable Energy > Installers/Contractors > Re: Solar heat to boiler conversion.
I agree, I too have had to do numerous repairs on my deep well/pressure tank system and have found that you really can't have too many valves. Makes working on the system so much easier.
As for the circulating pump between the solar storage and the Amtrol. If the Amtrol tank sits on a shelf above the solar storage tank will I not need a circulating pump anyway? Don't think I want to drain the Amtrol, we live in the high desert of New Mexico and get a lot of year round sun. I am trying to avoid complex plumbing, but am willing to accept a certain amt. of complexity if it will increase efficiency and will help avoid routine tasks such as draining and chlorinating tanks, such as getting hot water to the faucets sooner.
At this point, I am not sure whether the Amtrol is plumbed as one of 5 separate zones, or whether it the priority diversion zone. Don't know if I worded that correctly. I will attempt to diagram my system and get back to you on this. If the Amtrol is plumbed as the priority zone, are there downsides to circulating the hot water from the solar storage thru the Amtrol and just letting the thermostat on the Amtrol be the controller for the boiler? Ideally, I would like the solar heated hot water to be primary, and the Amtrol/boiler system to be backup.
Another option, I thought of was getting rid of the Amtrol altogether and just plumbing the boiler into the solar storage tank. Do you know if the Heliodyne tank comes with a thermostatic controller similar to the one on the Amtrol, or if one can be purchased that will do the job?