Galvanised Iron pipe is used for inter-connection of solar water tank to manifold which is not advisable in current scenario when Composite pipes of various manufacturers are available. Customer or supplier of solar water heater can use KiTEC pipe which we have found reliable in quality for this type of inter-connections. Use of CPVC pipe has to be avoided in inter-connection of solar water tank to manifold fittings, instead KiTEC Composite pipe is recommended by us for inter-connection of solar manifold systems in India in these type of installations.
KiTEC Composite Pipes conform to IS : 15450-2004 “Standard Specification for Polyethylene/ Aluminium/ Polyethylene (PE-AL-PE) Composite Pressure Pipe.”
KiTEC Composite Pipes are having pressure rating of 13.8 Kg/Cm2 at 23oC. and 11.0 Kg/Cm2 at 60oC. KiTEC Composite piping system can safely be used for 6 Kg/Cm2pressure at 80oC working temperature. Short term excursions to 95oC. will not affect the overall performance. Design life span for KiTEC Composite Piping System is in excess of 50 years.
hence its more advisable to use composite pipes compared to Galvanised Iron pipe for solar water heater applications.
We have come to know from one more site of ETC solar water heater installation at Akshar Mandir, Gondal where temperature of hot water has reduced drastically due to scale formation inside the solar tubes. Hence operation of Removal of scale formation in solar tubes of manifold had been carried out at this site.
Solar glass tube dimension is OD: 47 mm, ID: 37 mm.
We had used KiTEC pipe for solar manifold inter-connections at Modi School, Ishwariya, near Rajkot nearly 6 years before and we had shifted this solar water heater system twice but not a single rupee expense was incurred for pipe connection of solar tank to manifold as the same KiTEC pipe was used for inter-connection of solar tank to manifold.
Some snaps of solar tube blockage due to scale formation in manifold.
KiTEC COMPOSITE PIPE used for solar water tank to manifold connections at one of sites at Hostel seen in below picture:
Greatest advantage of composite pipe is that no rust is formed inside this pipe compared to Galvanised Pipe. This also increases the efficiency of solar water heaters in long run as water circulation flow rate is not reduced due to absence of any clogging in composite pipe. Even if any area has excessive hard water, if there is any blockage in composite pipe it can be removed by dismantling the composite pipe from solar water heater and then cleaning the pipe, then doing re-fitting with the solar water heater.
Only difference will be there of one time additional investment to be done in composite pipe compared to galvanised pipes as it is bit costly. We can surely tell from our experience that in long run Composite pipe will be the winner.