Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
My brother-in-law and his wife are planning to retire and build a
custom home with as many energy-saving and eco-friendly features as
possible. Since they're likely to be stuck with HOA rules about
exterior appearance, solar panels on the roof are probably out, but
they were wondering about simply running water pipes through the roof
space.
Does this have possibilities?

If you listen to the caveats from others and use enough pipe, yes, it is
certainly possible. Cost effective is something else...

They'd need roughly 100' of 1/2" pipe to hold a gallon of water; however,
the pipe need not be in a straight run, it could be in a series of loops
like the cooling fins on a radiator.

It would be most effective if there were some sort of recirculating system
....a pump that activates when the resevoir temperature is "x" degrees below
ambient attic temperature.

Would it be worth it? Well, 2500 feet of refrigeration style 1/2" copper
tubing - enough for 25 gallons - would cost better than $6,000. If there
were a recirculating system they'd need a tank and pump but less tubing.
Would the cost to run the pump be less than the cost to just heat the water
in a tank? No idea but I kinda doubt it.


--

dadiOH
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