Spent the weekend crawling around my attic hooking up pipes and panels, and somehow didn't flood the house (miracle, I know). Hot showers powered by sunshine feel oddly satisfying. Curious if anyone else tackled something similar and how it turned out?
Nice job pulling that off without flooding the place—definitely earns you some DIY cred. I set up something similar last summer, and while the savings are real, I'm still skeptical about long-term reliability. Had a minor leak after about six months (nothing catastrophic, thankfully), but it made me realize you gotta keep an eye on those fittings. Still, can't deny the satisfaction of knowing the sun's heating my shower...makes the occasional attic gymnastics worth it.
"Had a minor leak after about six months (nothing catastrophic, thankfully), but it made me realize you gotta keep an eye on those fittings."
Yeah, fittings can be sneaky like that. Reminds me of when I installed rain barrels a couple years back—thought everything was solid until one night I heard dripping outside my bedroom window. Turned out a connector had loosened just enough to cause trouble. Makes me wonder, have you considered adding some kind of leak detection sensor near your setup? I've been thinking about it myself...just for peace of mind.
Leak sensors are pretty handy, actually. I helped install one at a friend's place after he had a similar issue with his water heater fittings. It wasn't anything fancy—just a basic sensor that sends an alert to your phone if it detects moisture. Seems like a small investment for the peace of mind it gives you.
But honestly, even with sensors, nothing beats a quick visual check every now and then. I've noticed fittings can loosen slightly over time from temperature changes or vibrations, especially in setups like solar or rain barrels. Did you use any thread sealant or tape when you installed yours? I've heard mixed opinions on what's best for long-term reliability...
