Hi vulcan20,

I am curious as what it is exactly you are intending to do.

I guess that you will monitor the temp in the collector, then as this
gets to a certain point you will turn on a pump to circulate the water
(or that coolant type stuff they use for heat exchange glycol) down to
a tank that it located below the collector say in the roof space, or
an outdoor gas heater tank perhaps as opposed to a tank mounted above
the collector that uses convection.

You dont want the water to run continous for two reasons:-

It will draw power continuously  and you see that it may cool down the
water if it is left to circulate thru the collector at night as it
would radiate.

If any of this is anywhere near the mark then perhaps a fan that is
powered from a small solar cell.  As the sun is shinning the water is
circulating.  The panel does not need to be too large as there will be
very little force required for circulation and you only want a trickle
anyway.

Hope this helps.

Regards Justin.

PS Is the vulcan20 related to the vulcan series of water heaters?


On 5/18/06, Jinx <joecolquitt@clear.net.nz> wrote:
> > If you must go high tech, consider a wireless link
>
> What I was just thinking. Some very inexpensive 433MHz modules
> around. You have power at the sensor end for a digitising PIC and
> transmitter
>
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