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No: Just like other forms of solar heaters, the results will depend upon weather conditions.
But, unlike solar panels, orientation to the sun is not a critical factor and the roof itself presents a
more "massive collector".
This is a real concern and represents the number one sales objection that people may have.
Many water products are installed in attics and on roofs around the world. There is nothing that
unusual about the concept. These products operate at 60 psi or even greater pressures. Is there a
100% guarantee that no leak is possible? The answer is NO. For the same reason you can't
guarantee that your kitchen sink won't leak! To properly answer this valid question requires
knowledge about the operating environment of the PCS1.
The PCS1 coil is tested under water at 350 PSI and operates under no significant amount of
pressure because the swimming pool is an "open container". In operating tests, the PCS1 was
shown to only add 4-6 PSI to the existing system's pressure. This typically means that the total
system pressure the PCS1 is exposed to is 20 PSI or less. It is therefore, highly unlikely, that any
leaks could occur in the PCS1 as a result of pressure. Again the PCS1 is factory tested at 350 PSI
under water and typically operates at 20 PSI or less.
A second issue is the plumbing to and from the PCS1. Here again are the dynamics of the
pool. PVC pipe is rated at 120 PSI and again the system only operates at a fraction of this. It is
important that all plumbing be professionally installed and that no questionable plumbing joints be
accepted.
An acidic pool condition could quickly eat away the coil causing a "hole". In addition, an
improperly winterized system could result in a "hole" caused by freeze damage to the PCS1 coil.
The latter case has already occurred and the result was a small leak in the attic estimated at 1-2
gallons per minute. The system was turned off quickly and only a minor ceiling stain resulted
from this leak. Had this system been inspected prior to spring startup, no problem would have
occurred since the "hole" caused by improper winterization would have been detected and repaired
first. It is recommended that an annual inspection is made at spring startup to ensure all pipes and
other system parts are functioning properly and that no deterioration or freeze damage has taken
place within the attic.
Design protection has been added to the PCS1 in the form of an internal float within the
base pan. In a normal instance, only a pint or two of water would collect and eventually evaporate.
In the event of a leak in the coil that sprayed water into the PCS1, the float would rise and
automatically turn off the PCS1 when the water level exceeds 3/8 inch. Cutoff is accomplished by
opening the attic temperature sensor, which causes the solar controller to turn the bypass valve off.
Note: this protection is only afforded when in full automatic mode with the solar controller.
Turning the unit on “manually” ignores this protection feature.
Added protection can be obtained by using a simple leak protection liner placed under the
PCS1. This can be in the form of a small kid's plastic swimming pool, which is tapped into with a
garden hose and drained off to the pool area. The company expects to have a custom leak liner
available in the future for purchase.
The biggest threat to the PCS1 is a poorly maintained swimming pool that turns acidic.
Your pool water should be crystal clear, not smell of chlorine and be potable [drinkable]. This is
not hard to obtain from proper pool water maintenance. If you have questions -- contact your pool
chemical dealer and get educated. In the event an acidic pool does causes damage to the PCS1, the
collected safely and drained off [by liner]. Any serious accidents to the attic or ceiling area are
usually covered by homeowner's insurance policies. Policies do not usually cover replacement of
equipment and repairs due to owner negligence!
Further protection can be achieved by mounting a sheet metal plenum on the coil end of the
PCS1 and connecting the other end of the plenum to flexible duct. In this scenario, the PCS1
have a clear path to draw and return the hot attic air. This technique has been used and works very
well. The company expects to have a custom plenum kit available in the future for purchase.
dispenser must be downstream of the PCS1 and should have a chemical check valve installed.
Flowreversal™ reverses the flow of water in the pool. It takes water off of the top of the
pool and returns it to the bottom of the pool for more effective heating. In tests, the pool's heating
needs have been demonstrated to be significantly less (1/3 rd to 1/2 less).
No degradation of filtering or cleaning effectiveness occurs. In fact, the pool appears
visually the same to the pool owner in either normal or reverse flow. Flowreversal™ is
accomplished by the simple 90º turn of a single manual valve. A proportioner valve is used in
conjunction with the flowreversal valve to effect proper skimmer action during reverse flow. See
plumbing diagrams.
Experience has shown that a swimming pool can simply be left in reverse flow unless the
pool is being cleaned or drained. Flowreversal™ enables the pool to be efficient in its heat needs.
This in turn allows the PCS1 to provide greater capacity and heating margins in adverse
environments. The PCS1 has been found to work effectively without the flowreversal valves.
However, the swimming pool is considerably more comfortable with the valves [especially large or
deep pools]. Flowreversal™ is a trademark of Mark Urban of Tustin, California.
No: Heat pumps are typically not designed to withstand the extreme attic temperatures.
Operating a heat pump in an attic can easily lead to premature failure of its compressor system.
What is the difference between the PCS1 and Heat Pumps?
In a comparative energy study, heat pumps were found to use seven to twenty-eight times
the electrical energy! With the average heat pump using 12.1 times the energy use of the PCS1.
Heat pumps use Chlorofluorocarbon chemicals [CFC'S] in the compressor heat producing cycle.
These chemicals pollute our environment by damaging the earth's protective ozone layer. The
PCS1 uses no chemicals. The PCS1 also has extended life characteristics when compared to heat
pumps.
15. How does the "Coefficient Of Performance" [C.O.P.] compare with heat
pumps?
A typical heat pump C.O.P. is calculated as follows: 57,000 btus output/11,977 btus
input= 4.75 x 100 = 475%. For comparison, the PCS1 is calculated as follows: 60,000 btus
output/1351 btus input= 44 x 100= 4400% EFFICIENT. In other words, the PCS1 has ten times
the efficiency of the typical heat pump and 44 times the efficiency of electric resistance heaters.
The roof functions as a "massive solar collector"---collecting solar heat. The attic functions
as a heat storage and transfer device---storing and transferring solar heat. And, the PCS1
functions as an "exchanger" that exchanges the heat from the attic into the pool. This is a
continuous solar process.
costs?
The kids can turn it up to maximum and run up hundreds of dollars in energy bills while
you are away!
On a cloudy and cold day, you won't get much heat. However, you will never get a high-
energy bill!
A non dusty environment; a non corrosive atmosphere; proper pH chemical balance
between 7.2 and 7.6; automatic chlorine dispensing to keep levels below 3 parts per million or the
use of a nonchlorine alternative; a water flow rate of 45-55 GPM; black roof; sunny roof; sunny
pool; manual Flowreversal™; use of a pool blanket during extended periods of non use; a non salt
water pool; some shelter of the pool to minimize convection losses. Plus other factors that help
minimize a pool's heat losses.
Yes! The PCS1 has been used to heat water up to 105º F. SolarAttic, Inc. expects to have
a separate spa version on the market sometime in the future.
However, in the meantime, another opportunity avails itself. That is the sharing of
the heat from the attic with both the pool and a spa. This is especially true during periods of time
when the pool cannot use the heat available. During these times, the heat can be channeled 100%
of the time into the spa. A recent study showed that up to 25% of new pool installations are being
installed with a spa attached to it.
To share the heater requires the use of a Share-a-Heater™ valve. With a simple 90º turn of
a single valve, the spa can be heated instead of the pool. The valve allows the sharing of a single
heater and it can be automated. Share-a-Heater™ is a trademark of Mark Urban of Tustin,
California.