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home page » passive solar products chapter » heat storage tube detail page ... you are here
Every passive solar storage tube comes complete with a friction fit cap that adds a little over an inch to the final height of the heat storage tube.
You can trim the height, if necessary, with a pair of tinsnips.
Full heat storage tubes are heavy enough that gravity keeps them from being 'tipsy', but you are highly encouraged to box them in or strap around the top to prevent an unfortunate accident.
These fiberglass solar storage tubes are specially constructed of 23 percent glass reinforcement by weight with no use of fillers or resin extenders.
Solar transmission is an average of 85%, with a wall thichness of .040 inches (18 inch diameter tubes are .060 inch).
Tube stock shall meet U.S. Commercial Standard P.S. 53-72.
To eliminate unwanted algae growth in solar storage tube water, we suggest adding copper sulfate at the rate recommended by manufacturer (about 1 gram per 250 gallons).
Avoid using bleach (chlorine or otherwise) as it will dissolve any dyes you have in the water.
Please note that copper sulfate is corrosive to metal and hazardous to humans and toxic to fish in concentrated form (wear eye protection).
One application is sunroom cooling - water tubes are low tech thermal mass machines with no moving parts.
For daytime solarium cooling, water storage tubes prevent wide temperature swings by absorbing and diffusing the sometimes overwhelming solar energy.
Then at night, the tubes release stored energy to help keep the attached greenhouse or solarium deck from getting "cold as a well digger's bucket".
As space, budget and design allows, the more tubes the better, when temperature swings vacillate widely.
Additional thermal mass moderates the indoor environment, helping avoid annoying daily temperature spikes and dips.
Some people refer to it as "sunroom radiant cooling" during the day and "sunroom radiant heating" at night.
As a general rule of thumb, subtle, low temperature radiant heat/cooling thermal masses have a noticeable effective range of about ten feet.
This makes it a very gentle form of heating and cooling - and certainly silent - which is best for plants and people alike.
The radiant energy of tubes will naturally aid the rest of your house, but as a rule, don't factor them too heavily into adjoining room heating/cooling needs.
Black, brown, and blue color chemical based organic dyes are available to increase solar gain.
A single 2 ounce concentrated bottle of liquid dye ($5 each - free shipping with tube order) is enough to color the 12 inch diameter by 4 foot tall tube to a medium dark consistency (2 bottles for larger tubes and 3 for the 18 inch by 10 foot tall).
That level of color density will allow some light transmission through, which is the most common installation choice.
Add up to another bottle for almost solid dark.
Clients desiring the most solar absorption invariably go with the black, but the blue and brown make for nice alternatives should aesthetics be more of a focus than function.
The installation technique recommended is to add liquid dye evenly to surface of tube after it is entirely full (always wear eye protection).
Set friction fit cap in place and dye will completely disperse in about a half hour.
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As the sketch at right outlines, a solarium with plenty of overhead glass and direct sunlight might see a "wall" of tubes across the middle. Central placement for solarium cooling spreads the radiant energy evenly. Tubes are placed closer to the windows inside a home (room with ceiling) and/or behind vertical glass. With an unbroken line of tubes, you can create a very effective water filled Trombe wall. The analogy of a 'battery' automatically charging, decharging and recharging on free solar energy day after day best illustrates heat storage tubes: low tech Trombe wall energy battery. Being in direct sunlight is always best, but solar storage tubes perform a subtle sunroom cooling in the shade, too. |
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12 inch diameter tubes are: 11-3/4", 12-1/8", 12-1/2" and 12-7/8" forming each nesting set of four
4' tall (23.5 gallons) $139 per tube 8' tall (47 gallons) $219 per tube
- per tube pricing includes the friction fit cap -
18 inch diameter tubes are: 17-1/4", 17-5/8", 18" and 18-3/8" forming each nesting set of four
5' tall (66 gallons) $209 per tube 10' tall (132 gallons) $259 per tube
For delivered price quote, e-mail natural@colorado.net with size and quantity
city, state and zip code along with whether it is a business or residenial address drop
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Up to four tubes (one nesting set) can ship in each crate (reinforced cardboard tube) so always order in sets of four for best economy. One tube in a crate will about cost the same handling, packaging, and freight as four tubes. Only the four foot tall by twelve inch diameter tubes ship via package service (Fed-Ex or UPS Ground) with all other tubes shipping via motor freight carrier (on a pallet). We do not accept credit card payment for third party blind drops where the shipping address does not match MC/VISA billing address. Email natural@colorado.net with quantity and size along with city, state and zip code (business or residence?) for a final delivered price quote. Production is generally about one week to make your tubes - few are kept in stock. |
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