About
BAP is a innovative Canadian company with a revolutionary system of circulating the working fluid in solar water heating systems by means of a bubble pump. The system is revolutionary because the pump which is always required in frost-prone climates uses no electricity, has no moving parts, is self-controlling and yet moves the heated working fluid from the collector panels on the roof to the heat exchanger at the storage tank below.
View of one of the pumps on
the car wash
System Overview with A Diagram of
The SOL Perpetua™ System
SOL Perpetua™ is the name we have given our unique, passive solar water heating system. The heart of the system is a bubble pump which, instead of using electricity like ordinary pumps, is activated by heat to circulate a working fluid from the solar collector to the heat exchanger at the storage tank located at a lower level. Usually the water being heated is potable water but it can also be the water of a space heating system or the water in a swimming pool.
- If you cannot email or mail a photo and the panels are to go on the roof, is your house one storey, two storeys, or more?
- Will the solar heated water tank be in the basement, ground floor, or ?
- How close to facing directly south is your roof? If you have only east and west facing roofs, see our website for one solution.
- What is the approximate slope of your roof?
- What is the approximate vertical distance between panel(s) and tank?
- Does a certain amount of space heating figure in your plans?
- Have you chosen a contractor to install the system or will you install the system yourself?
- How did you hear about Bubble Action Pumps Ltd?
- Is your water relatively hard or soft?
- What is your geographic location?
- Is there more information you believe we should know?
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Plans for the Future
Save money and GHG’s with pole mounted solar water heating
Although roof mounting is the usual method of mounting solar water heating collectors mounting them on a pole as shown on the attachment has many advantages. (It would not be as feasible for solar photo voltaic (PV) systems due to the much larger area they require).
The size of a system on one pole as shown in the attachment would be sufficient for 8 or 10 households and therefor is applicable to facilities such as small industries, laundries, restaurants, dairy farms and small apartment buildings..
These are some of the disadvantages of roof mounting:
1. Roof mounting requires an analysis of the strength of the roof with the possible need for reinforcement. The calculation of required strength for pole mounting is done only once thereby removing this uncertainty.
2. Many roofs do not face south (or north below the equator). With pole mounting the collectors will always face the sun.
3. Roof mounting results in making many holes in the roof which may cause leaks.
4. Membrane covered roofs requires periodic replacement which requires removal and then replacement of the collectors with the possibility of damage.
5. Installers of roof systems must pass a course on safety and use safety equipment whereas pole mounted workers do not; they work safely on the ground. The pole is hinged at the base and raised into place using a pneumatic jack or a portable crane. Should maintenance be required the procedure is reversed. Workplace liability insurance is therefor less.
The top of the pole is a low cost location for a small windmill. It will operate day and night producing electricity for on-site use or to slow the electrical meter. A light fixture can be added at any time.
A d.c. motor near ground level will rotate the pole so that the collectors always face the sun. The battery supplying power to the motor is charged by the windmill. If the water in the tank gets too hot, the collectors are turned away from the sun.
Compared to other types of ground mounting, pole mounting requires very little space. Note: we use only evacuated glass tube collectors that do not hold snow.
