from an Irish builder. He's talking about the glass-covered collectors, not like John's bread box ones. And it's a free report from Walnut Books. Not sure how long this link will last.
http://www.walnutbooks.com/product_info.php/products_id/594?osCsid=f9d069da00aa1eff2663e6dacbc657cc
And solar hot water really on the cheap from Australia. Includes instructions on repairing a poly jug. More usable than black garden hose on the built-up roof, though.
But clipping pex pipe down on a black sheet of something isn't a bad idea to remember for other projects.
http://www.ata.org.au/articles/63shw.htm
Take a look at this:
http://cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/purchase/products-found.jhtml?_requestid=79239
I fixed the link...sorry :)
We have this propane shower, the PEP shower enclosure, shower grate, and Port Potti...all the comforts of home
We're headed to area 51 over the long holiday...
BTW: We have 2 adults and 2 Golden Reteivers + lots of confort items in our 89 Westfalia Pop Top Camper (aka Westy)
The Wirsbo clear Aquapex will not hold up in UV. It must be completely covered with heavy tape or within walls etc. I took their warning lightly at first figuring that like PVC it would still take quite a bit before getting damage. Not so - I used it on my hot tub heater and left it exposed. In about six months it became brittle with cracks that easily break upon bending. Quite a change from the new stuff that is properly kept from UV.
I have recently seen colored plastic water lines in large apartment complexes. They seem to be a pex type. Don't know if they will take UV but they are approved for hot water.
Maybe someone else knows more ???
"One limitation cited by PEX manufacturers concerns exposure to sunlight. The properties of PEX can degrade through UV exposure, and the material is therefore not recommended for aboveground, outdoor applications. (No problem below-ground outdoors, however.)"
from here:
http://www.supplyht.com/CDA/ArticleInformation/features/BNP__Features__Item/0,5333,79645,00.html
So, winding copper around in that super-cheap solar water heater would be longer lasting. might take a long time for it to be cheaper, though.
Could you put it between two layers of, say, black aluminum roofing?
Oh, yes, Pex is cross-linked polyethylene.