Non-wood Solar collector ground mount

[Ahultin]

Did you make yours that wide with 16 or used some?

I used 15 and overlapped each one such that the total width is correct. Mine is about 3ft wider than it needed to be (yiu can see the excess distance in the center of the two split fed rows)

 

[tradewinds]

I don't see why not

You are using the steel tek tee's correct? They don't thread, they have an Allen set screw.
I ran a string line to set the line as we as ensure that all of the posts where the same height. You can then set the tee's and run your horizontal pipe thru them to wherever they end up. The only threaded connection I used was the couplers.

Ahh, that's right. You did the steel tek. Looks like Lowes discontinue the large ones.

Which one did you use? Long tee or short?

Also, is the 1-1/4 the one to get or larger for 1-1/4 pipe? - nvm...I think this comment answered this last question. Not sure why the reviewer expected the size to be exact but 1/2" difference is considerable. Did you get 1" tees for 1.25" OD pipe?

 

[Ahultin]

Ahh, that's right. You did the steel tek. Looks like Lowes discontinue the large ones.

Which one did you use? Long tee or short?

Also, is the 1-1/4 the one to get or larger for 1-1/4 pipe? - nvm...I think this comment answered this last question. Not sure why the reviewer expected the size to be exact but 1/2" difference is considerable. Did you get 1" tees for 1.25" OD pipe?

View attachment 539292

My guess is he was not using schedule 40 steel pipe. The 1.25 fits 1.25 schedule 40 steel plumbing pipe.
I was at my local lowes today and they still had both 1.25 and 1.5 fittings

 

[tradewinds]

My guess is he was not using schedule 40 steel pipe. The 1.25 fits 1.25 schedule 40 steel plumbing pipe.
I was at my local lowes today and they still had both 1.25 and 1.5 fittings

Yes, not my local Lowes, but over another town I was able to get 6 standard tees and 4 knees.

Now to get a good supply deal on channel studs and u-bolts.

 

[tradewinds]

Looks to be about $1300 for the pipe and unistruts. I'm looking at the metal wall struts design to see how much lower the costs would come in so the rack doesn't end up costing close to $2300

 

[tradewinds]

So, the challenge with the metal wall struts rack mount is that it calls for different sizes of wall struts and the big box hardware stores only carry a single one that is probably even too thin a gauge.

UPDATE: home depot doesn't have these variations. In fact their online support is clueless.

 

[Ahultin]

That image looks labeled wrong. It seems as if those are steel studs not strut channel. If your local HD doesn't have the studs, check with a construction or drywall supply place.

 

[tradewinds]

That image looks labeled wrong. It seems as if those are steel studs not strut channel. If your local HD doesn't have the studs, check with a construction or drywall supply place.

Yes, it is the steel studs design from Tyler. I'm trying to price that option out.

 

[tradewinds]

Yes, it is the steel studs design from Tyler. I'm trying to price that option out.

This looks like it will come in much more cost effective than pipes and channel struts. I was able to get pricing from a local metal framing supply store.

According to Tyler he would expect the mount to outlast the panels (20-30 years).