Specifications

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COLLECTOR PIPING
The piping of the system should be considered before a final decision is made on how the collectors are
mounted. Piping should be made of copper tube of the type meeting local codes, insulated with Armaflex
or similar, and painted or wrapped with aluminum tape where exposed to ultraviolet radiation.
Care should be taken in the spacing of collectors as attachment of piping is easiest with properly aligned
collectors. The collectors and piping to the storage tank should be slightly sloped downward (3” in 8 feet)
to allow draining in case of freezing conditions. Piping should be adequately supported for correct pitch
and supports shall be designed to avoid compressing or damaging the insulation material. Soldered
connections should be made with 95/5 solder.
Figure 11 Figure 12
COLLECTOR PIPING DETAIL
The outlets of the collector are 1” copper pipe nipples (Figure 13). They should be piped as shown with
provisions for an automatic air vent. This will prevent air lock and subsequent loss of system efficiency.
The copper union makes attachment of piping to collector easy. Teflon tape or high temperature, high
quality pipe sealant should be used when making threaded connections.
The collector inlets should be piped similarly but without the automatic air vent.
Figure 13