Sidearm Vs Flat Plate

I am hoping someone has experience with both. I have a 75 gallon, dual coil remote water storage. Top coil from boiler and bottom coil from 60 tube solar collector. 60 tube is going to be too large come summer and I have a second tank, no coil. I also have a flat plate 20,000 BTU exchanger.

1. Will the flat plate, mounted as low as possible cause the water to thermo siphon like a sidearm?
2. If I need to make a sidearm has anyone wrapped 1" copper with two 1/2" or 3/8" soft copper lines instead of pipe
inside a pipe. I haven't tried, but I think I could solder coils on main pipe after wrapping.
Excellent heat transfer? Then insulate the whole she-bang.

The idea is for solar to supply my DHW in non boiler season. Heat main tank first then switch with 3 way to second tank.

Thanks,

Robby

I have some solar components in the "for sale" section. One of which, is a copper counter flow exchanger, in addition to a tank with internal exchanger.

Dallas, Thanks for the offer, but I live a couple of thousand miles from you. Shipping waaaaaaaaaay to expensive.
Robby

I'm going to move this to the 'Venting, Plumbing, Chimney's' etc forum for better exposure

Greg L

I don't think you will get the heat tranfer from wrapping 3/8" or 1/2" pipe around a central pipe,, you can't beat the water jacket in a 'side-arm' exchanger for heat transfer.

The plate type exchangers I think have too much resistance to flow to work as a thermosiphon device.

Greg L
.

Idon't think the flat plate will flo free enough to use it on a gravity ( therom-sihpon)feed . You could ,make a side arm type exchanger but it would be very time cosumingand expensive considering you would have to use a large tube 4" O.D. and run some 1/2" tube the entire inside length. This would require welding a machined end plate, ferled end cap or a blind flange with a macined center welded in the a manifold on each end. My companymakes these for on some of our machines but they cost 10K and up .