Q. Why have a pipe with fins on it in the first place?

A. Finned elements are common in all kinds of applications. Electronic devices have finned “heat-sinks”, car radiators have finned surfaces, just look around and you’ll see these everywhere you look. Essentially, putting a metal fin on a pipe provides more surface area for heat transfer and extracts more available energy from the circulating fluid, which in this case is water. Round pipes without fins are limited to their own surface area for heat transfer. Therefore, they need to get bigger around to deliver more greenhouse heat. The problem is that with every incremental increase in pipe I.D., there is a quantum increase in water volume and mass. The correlation between how much water volume is truly needed for heat transfer and what can be contained in a round pipe doesnot balance.

• Water volume: StarFin has only 35.4% of the water volume of 51mm steel, while the heat transfer capacity is double. This is because of the maximized surface area of StarFin.

• The weight (including water) of 1’ of StarFin is 1.225 Lbs compared to that of 51mm, which is 3.048 pounds. However, since you only need one foot of StarFin for every 2 feet of 51mm, the effective difference is that StarFin system weighs 1/5 of what 51mm system weighs! For example, in one acre of greenhouse, an overhead 51mm system could weigh 47,792 pounds, compared to a StarFin system at 9,604 pounds.

Q. What’s the big deal about TrueLeaf’s “tapered fin” design?

A. Our fins are designed with a thick base and taper toward the tip. Common sense tells you that having more “base” to gather the heating energy from the water flow gives more fin efficiency. Our studies reveal that this is indeed true. Heat transfer from our fins is consistent from base to tip, while our non-tapering competitors lose heat transfer capacity toward the ends of their fins.

Q. What are the benefits of Aluminum piping over steel?

A. Aluminum transfers heat 3 times faster than steel. So it heats up and cools down faster. This means your greenhouse heating system is much more responsive. Also, it does not rust and gives the advantage of a no-maintenance surface in the greenhouse environment. Greenhouse heating systems made of steel pipes need to be protected from corrosion by painting them from time to time. Painting pipes under greenhouse benches is not pleasant work. Our aluminum finned heat pipe eliminates this altogether.

Q. I understand that your systems are assembled with machined aluminum fittings with O-ring seals. Is this really superior to welding pipes together?

A. Yes, our StarConn and StarBarb connectors beat welding 4 ways:

1. Almost anyone can connect heating pipes. No special skills are required.

2. These fittings are very reliable with 2 O-rings on each surface. Leaks are almost unheard of.

3. If there is a problem, they are easy to repair, using simple tools.

4. Installation with this fitting system is much faster than even the best welder can achieve. We’ve had entire acre projects installed in 2-3 days.

Q. Is it difficult to install TrueLeaf’s finned heat pipe systems?

A. Installation of TrueLeaf’s finned heat-pipes is quick and easy.
Our exclusive StarConn and StarBarb aluminum fittings make joining the pipes an almost effortless job to make a durable, no-leak connection. No special tools are required and pipe ends don’t have to be specially prepared or threaded. All connections from supply and return are made using either heavy duty industrial hot water hose or special “dielectric” waterway connectors. This keeps dissimilar metals apart and eliminates concerns over electrolytic corrosion. Our hose connection is a one-time, foolproof fitting that does not require constant tightening like other aluminum finned pipe systems. Our fitting system is safe, secure, and solid.

In the unlikely event of a leak, a simple “O” ring replacement is all that’s necessary. No special crimping devices are required, just standard everyday hand tools. Standard 12’ lengths mean that our heat-pipes are easily suspended from standard spacing greenhouse trusses or bench supports. We can also supply custom lengths if needed.

Q. How does low mass and low water volume translate to energy savings. I mean, once the heat’s in the house, it’s in the house, right?

A. When your thermostat or environment computer asks your greenhouse heating system to start, the request can be acted upon much more quickly if the system has 83% less water and only 20% of the mass. This means that minimum pipe temperatures can be achieved much quicker and the entire response is much more rapid. So that means that you are not having to start your boilers early to “anticipate” the coming loads. Also, at the end of a heating cycle, less energy is left in the system when the heating load stops. These two effects can have a very large cumulative effect on your energy costs.

Q. Can I use car antifreeze in my Bench System?

A. Generally, antifreeze charged into a heating system in a greenhouse gives a false sense of security.... people think they are protected from freeze up, but they don't maintain the level of glycol and then one day, they lose the system to freezing.

However, if someone WANTS to do it, they can....but they need to be vigilant about stopping leaks, etc. Need to keep the system tight so the glycol does not leak out and get diluted with fresh fill water.

Also, automotive antifreeze is usually ethylene glycol and is considered a hazardous material. Propylene glycol is "food grade" and non-toxic, but is expensive. If an automotive type is used, it's also important not to use the "stop-leak" type as it may cause blockages in the tubing.

Last issue is that any additive to the water of the system will change the "specific heat" of the water. Water has a rating of "1.0". Adding something to it will reduce its heat carrying capacity....so the system may not perform the same...and the pumps may need to use extra energy to move the more viscous fluid around the greenhouse heating system.