Browse Forums Heating, Cooling & Insulation 1 Mar 29, 2015 5:09 pm Hi all, We are building with Coral Homes on the Sunshine Coast. We have done our research and would like to supply our own solar hot water system with roof-mounted tank and panels (as the builder-supplied system seems to be very cheap quality). We have had a bit of a battle to get then to allow us to do this, so they are going to source and supply the model we want. We are now at contract stage and we are having a lot of trouble getting them to supply the roof-mounted tank and panels as they are 'problematic' which is the opposite of everything we've read/been told as they have the least moving parts etc. They want us to go with a split system. I believe it's because the trusses etc have to be altered and reinforced but surely this shouldn't be a huge deal for a builder? I am just wondering if anyone else has been able to use a roof-mounted solar hot water tank and panels with Coral? Thanks! Re: Coral Homes - Roof Mounted Solar Hot Water 2Mar 30, 2015 9:01 am If the tank is on the roof, the trusses have to be built to support the extra weight of 300 kg+ in the one spot. Personally if you are going that degree, I would've gone for evacuated tube system rather than panels. If I was a project builder, I wouldn't be wanting to add a lot of dead weight on to the roof of a house. The advantage of a thermosyphon system over a split system is that you don't need the low power water transfer pump, which uses very little electricity, and that's the only extra part that's required. You will have a run of copper pipe up to the roof and back down again with either system, so there's nothing extra there. So which system are you wanting, and what system were Coral going to supply instead ? Owner Building at Jimboomba Woods in Logan City Qld. Blog : http://bandlnewhomebuild.blogspot.com H1 thread : viewtopic.php?f=38&t=68283 . Re: Coral Homes - Roof Mounted Solar Hot Water 3Mar 30, 2015 9:58 am Coral supplies Chromagen systems which, from everything I have read, are cheap cr*p that don't last long at all. We are really to keen to go with solar and have been advised that the roof-mounted systems are the way to go with less moving parts, etc. We are looking at a Rheem roof-mounted system with a stainless steel tank - 10 year tank and panel warranty, 5 year parts and labour warranty. As opposed to most of the split systems I've looked at, which are more like 5 year tank and panel warranty and 12 months parts and labour. It seems like a very big warranty gap if the water pump is the only difference? We are planning on staying in this house for a long time, so we don't want to be replacing the system in a few years time. Having said that, we are first home builders with not much knowledge of solar hot water, so we are only going off internet research and conversations with plumbers and suppliers... it's all very confusing, and we just want a long-lasting, good quality option so I'm happy to hear the advice of others who have more knowledge on the subject! Re: Coral Homes - Roof Mounted Solar Hot Water 4Mar 30, 2015 11:03 am Hi we have a chromgen gas boosted .been her for 10 mon . Yeh the reviews are crap but im crossing everything that it lasts along time .I did try and get it upgraded but builder tge builder conviced me other wise . And now my builder doesnt even use them .go figure lol .its not on the roof though so hopefully easier to change down the track if needed . I probley wouldnt put it on the roof . My plumber said even the high end builders are using them but probley because they are cheap . I think most of the problems with them are the electronic boostered ones . But im like you dont know alot about them . Re: Coral Homes - Roof Mounted Solar Hot Water 5Mar 30, 2015 11:42 am The warranty difference will be due to the tank... the 10 year warranty is likely to be a stainless steel tank versus what they call a 'glass' tank (it's not glass at all though), a tank that has a sacrificial anode to corrode rather than the tank itself, which you have to replace the anode every so many years. Take look at other brands like Apricus (that's what I have here), and I think Reece sell a re-branded version of them. Owner Building at Jimboomba Woods in Logan City Qld. Blog : http://bandlnewhomebuild.blogspot.com H1 thread : viewtopic.php?f=38&t=68283 . Hello everyone, I have a question regarding moving a chandelier after it has been mounted. The chandelier in question is quite large, measuring 4 meters… 0 72733 the sun master is the solar heating to "warm" the water in the tank the S26 is your hot water system which will heat the water (25 degrees?) so with both turned on you… 2 14863 I want to build a decking to the drawn shape outlined in black. The problem is how close can I build to the gas hot water unit? Will I be able to build around it and be… 0 20671 |