I built a few of these and they work just fine. Because I am a little cheap so I look for ways of doing things that don't need much money . I started with some plastic CPVC pipe taking the tubes and cutting them into many vertical tubes connected top and bottom with other tubes painted them black but before assembly I took used clear water bottles small and put over the tubes. Here is a short video using the same idea. I took an old water tank and connected the bottom connection and the input water also the bottom of the plastic pipe. There was a connection in the middle of the tank which I put the out flow of the pipes [top] and the top connection of the tank was the out put [hot water]. My system puts out water at about 140 - 150 degrees free hot water.
This is very interesting. Where is your water supply coming from? Do you collect rainwater? I noticed there was a tank in the video outside of the building, is your setup out side as well? How do you get access to the water to your home?
I pump water up the hill to a tank and then use gravity as my water supply in the house my water heater is hooked into the system. The hot water system will self circulate so no extra pump is needed.
This is not a video I made it was to explain how it works. Mine is using smaller bottles but the principal is the same.
I understand the video is just an example, thanks Martin. How long did it take you to complete this installation? In comparison to the video, can you share what areas that you believe savings were created, specifically on hot water? You must be an engineer, are you? This is awesome! What else have you done?
The bottles were collected from the garbage around the local stores. The piping is cheap and two cans of spray paint. when I had all I needed it took me about half an hour to make it, installing it took another half hour. I have no idea as to the savings because we are on a flat rate for electricity. One of the advantages of living in the third world country they can't a ford meters for everyone. I am always playing around making many different things every thing from pulsed electromagnetic field generator,to repairing the children's toys. My biggest interest is in natural way of to regain health. I am not an engineer but more of a person who is driven by curiosity. I lived on a boat sailing the Caribbean for six years and anyone who lives on a boat I don't mean at a dock or marina knows you have to make do with limited resources. Like taking crazy glue or a cloth pin to close up a bad cut if you do not have any stitches.
Living in Thailand is great for me as the water is always warm enough to shower comfortably in. And the dishes get clean without having to scald your hands! In the more than seven years I have lived here I only have cold water two or three times a year. Now when I am in my home in the jungle, the water, believe it or not, really gets cold overnight and I can't clean up until the sun had been out for a few hours!
I wish I was able to do something like this to save on the heating bills. We have an all electric house which can be a little expensive at times. I would want some type of solar heating for the water or power to avoid total dependence on the power company during storms which will be here soon as spring is here so is the rain and storm season.