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For MikeSolar: Thanks for jumping on this forum. I've only been installing and testing evac. tubes for a few years (my solar thermal experience goes back to 1979), but it sounds like you have experience with thousands of them.
Now that China has producing millions of them for many years, I'm hopeful that they are getting more reliable.
Can you tell us some of your experience with the failure modes with the different brands?
I'm trying to identify some of the design flaws to understand if they will actually last the expected 30 years or so. In large quantities, they are already less expensive than flat plates, hence my interest.
Some tidbits to get the ball rolling:
1. There's a rumor that Apricus has stopped making theirs, due to the large number of field failures. Dead heat pipes that must have leaked.
2. Maybe it's just too hard to maintain good vacuums in the double walled tubes and the heat pipes?
3. Most systems will have to endure at least a few days of dry or wet stagnation. Can they handle it?
Now that China has producing millions of them for many years, I'm hopeful that they are getting more reliable.
Can you tell us some of your experience with the failure modes with the different brands?
I'm trying to identify some of the design flaws to understand if they will actually last the expected 30 years or so. In large quantities, they are already less expensive than flat plates, hence my interest.
Some tidbits to get the ball rolling:
1. There's a rumor that Apricus has stopped making theirs, due to the large number of field failures. Dead heat pipes that must have leaked.
2. Maybe it's just too hard to maintain good vacuums in the double walled tubes and the heat pipes?
3. Most systems will have to endure at least a few days of dry or wet stagnation. Can they handle it?
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