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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Allen & Ray,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Ray understands the necessity for
the smooth cut on the Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing
(CSST) as the critical element spot on. All the manufacturers I am
familiar with sell a special tubing cutter for this purpose. (The only thing
special about it is the non cutting rollers are formed to the same convolutions
as the CSST to make it harder (not impossible, but harder) to screw up the cut.
Initially I resisted buying the specialty tool but I wasted enough tube and time
with bad cuts that eventually I saw the light. A very sharp cutting wheel makes
the cut even easier. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>The non cutting profile roller wheels can be
ordered separately from some manufacturers if you want to have your copper
tube cutter to do double duty.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>As you already know, the armored cable is a spiral
conduit wrap, the CSST is not a spiral wrap.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Bill Loesch<BR>Solar 1 - Saint Louis
Solar<BR></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=ray@solarray.com href="mailto:ray@solarray.com">R Ray Walters</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=Allan@positiveenergysolar.com
href="mailto:Allan@positiveenergysolar.com">Allan@positiveenergysolar.com</A>
; <A title=re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org
href="mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">RE-wrenches</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, October 28, 2010 2:32
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [RE-wrenches] Need SDHW
Flexible Tubing recommendation</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>HI Allan;
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>I just recently used some flexible stainless steel line on an old
radiator/ boiler system here. It had special fittings, that I was a little
dubious of at first, but it all worked well, and was easy to install.</DIV>
<DIV>I believe it was the Easy flex product.</DIV>
<DIV>The only problem I encountered, was that it was a little hard to get a
clean cut on the SS flex line (sort of the same problem as cutting metal flex
conduit)</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Some things I had trouble with, when I did off grid, PV direct glycol
SDHW:</DIV>
<DIV>1) don't use the Ivan labs pumps, they're too low head to pump the glycol
when its cold in New Mexico. I had the misfortune of having to trade several
out one winter (why I don't do SDHW anymore)</DIV>
<DIV>2) put a ball valve between the air bleeder valve and the rest of the
system, so that it can be isolated once the air is out of the system after a
few days. I had those start leaking after a while, as the glycol causes them
to gum up over time, then it leaks enough Glycol out, to lose pressure
and crash the system.</DIV>
<DIV>3) Even the high temp foam insulation deteriorates from the high temps
near the collectors, I'm not sure what's available now, but get the highest
temp rating insulation you can find. (FIberglass?) Also, paint/ coat it, as
the UV radiation breaks down the insulation from the outside.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Sorry if I'm going on so, you probably had all this info already.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><BR>
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<DIV>R. Walters</DIV>
<DIV><A href="mailto:ray@solarray.com">ray@solarray.com</A></DIV>
<DIV>Solar Engineer</DIV>
<DIV><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV>
<DIV><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV><BR
class=Apple-interchange-newline></SPAN></DIV><BR>
<DIV>
<DIV>On Oct 28, 2010, at 10:21 AM, Allan Sindelar wrote:</DIV><BR
class=Apple-interchange-newline>
<BLOCKQUOTE type="cite">
<DIV text="#000000" bgcolor="#ffffff">Wrenches,<BR>I'm installing a
flat-plate SDHW system in my own off-grid home; a PV-direct closed-loop
glycol system feeding a storage tank with two internal heat exchangers. The
glycol lines only need to run a distance about 25' (each line), but they
need to take a circuitous route through roof and attic framing that doesn't
lend itself well to flexible copper tubing. I have heard very good general
recommendations about the insulated flexible corrugated solar thermal line
kits - expensive but worth it. One or two stainless or copper tubes with
insulation and sometimes a sensor line included, with fittings to adapt to
pipe thread or copper tubing.<BR><BR>At SPI there were a whole raft of
manufacturers showing product - I mostly just grabbed
literature:<BR>Easyflex<BR>Solar-Trac by
OmegaFlex<BR>Caleffi<BR>Aeroline<BR><BR>Who has used this product? Whose
product do you like? Needs to be well made and readily available to
ship.<BR><BR>Thanks for any advice; I need to get this ordered and in place
before the insulation is sprayed into the roof.<BR>Allan<BR>
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<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=il><B>Allan</B></SPAN><B> Sindelar</B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><BR><A href="mailto:Allan@positiveenergysolar.com"
target=_blank><SPAN
class=il>Allan</SPAN>@positiveenergysolar.com</A><BR>NABCEP Certified
Photovoltaic Installer<BR>EE98J Journeyman Electrician<BR><B>Positive
Energy, Inc.</B><BR>3201 Calle Marie<BR>Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507<BR><B>505
424-1112</B><BR><A href="http://www.positiveenergysolar.com/"
target=_blank>www.positiveenergysolar.com</A></SPAN></P></DIV></DIV></DIV>_______________________________________________<BR>List
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