Details of the product;
Photo above: End view of a stack of finished aluminum absorbers
* Grade 1100 aluminum; best grade aluminum for heat transfer to (and from) water
* Coil width starts at 8″, with a finished width after press work of 6 3/4″ ( +/- 1/4″)
* Custom lengths from 24″ to 34″
* Can be pressed to fit 1/2″ tube (copper or PEX), 5/8″ PEX, or 3/4″ tube (copper or PEX)
* Standard “fit” on absorber yields a 70% tube contact
* Absorbers can be used as heat exchangers as well, for in floor heating
* Orders can be of any quantity, with varied lengths if desired
High efficiency Absorber;
* The absorber can be field modified for a 90% contact area, but requires further steps than we can provide for the price we offer the absorber. This process involves pressing the aluminum in a die “one size over” the one designed for your specific tubing size (Example, using a die for 5/8″ PEX for absorber going on 1/2″ copper). The pre-pressed absorber is then placed over the actual tubing (or a scrap piece of it), clamped tightly with the “Vise Grip” Clamps, and a rubber mallet is used to “set” the absorber tightly to the tubing by tapping briskly once on each extended “c” area of the clamp. On a 32″ absorber, this would require “setting” the absorber with two clamps, twice (8″ clamp area, times two clamps, covers 16″ of absorber each time). This process is a fair amount of extra work, but the “contact area” of the absorber is increased by 28%.
Photo above: Our clamps holding the absorber tightly to the copper. 90% wrap on the left, 70% (standard) wrap on the right
* The need for an aluminum strip under the absorber is pretty much eliminated with this process, as the tubing will now be raised about 1/8″ off your backing material.
* This system works nicely on collectors utilizing 3/4″ copper manifolds (upper and lower tubes the risers connect to) with 1/2″ copper risers, since the risers will already be raised a bit off the backing material.
* Removing the absorber from the tubing after fitting it at 90% should be done be sliding it off “end-wise”, as it fits really tight. Obviously it will be “snapped” over the risers during final assembly. For this reason, when installing “high efficiency absorbers”, the clamps are a must to ensure tight fit/contact on final installation. Many builders are doing the final “set” or “forming” to 90% after the absorber is installed as shipped (1/8″ oversize at 70% wrap), cutting this down to one step.