Flat Plate Solar Collector INSTALLATION MAINTENANCE Models FP-26SC FP-32SC FP-40SC This manual must be used by a qualified installer/service technician. Read all instructions in this manual before installing. Perform steps in the given order. Failure to comply could result in substantial property damage, severe personal injury, or death. NOTICE: HTP reserves the right to make product changes or updates without notice and will not be held liable for typographical errors in literature. 120 Braley Rd. P.
The following defined terms are used throughout this manual to bring attention to the presence of hazards of various risk levels or to important product information. DANGER indicates an imminently hazardous situation which, if not avoided, will result in death or serious injury. WARNING indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could result in death or serious injury.
The installer should be guided by the instructions furnished with the tank, as well as local codes and utility company requirements. Preference should be given to codes and requirements where they differ from the furnished instructions. Additional publications which should guide the installer include: Solar Water Heating System Design and Installation Guidelines, SRCC OG-300, available from Solar Rating and Certification Corporation, 1679 Clearlake Road, Cocoa, FL 32922-5703, www.solar-rating.org.
PART 3 – INSTALLATION INFORMATION .............................................................................................. 11 A. TRANSPORT, UNPACKING, AND INSPECTION .............................................................................. 11 1. COMPONENT LIST ......................................................................................................................... 11 2. COLLECTOR INSPECTION ........................................................................................
3. REAR MOUNTS .............................................................................................................................. 18 D. FLUSH MOUNTS (HTP Part # FP-FM) .............................................................................................. 19 INSTALLATION ................................................................................................................................... 19 E. RACK MOUNTS (HTP Part # FP-RM) .................................................
INTRODUCTION ABOUT YOUR FLAT PLATE SOLAR COLLECTOR Your Flat Plate Solar Collector is designed to offer reliable hot water heating in hot, mild, or cold climates. Flat plate solar collectors operate in open loop, closed loop, and drain back solar systems, making these collectors ideal for a variety of installation designs.
C. HIGH TEMPERATURES • o In sunlight, the copper plumbing ports can reach temperatures in excess of 300 F. Thick leather gloves must be worn when handling hot components to prevent serious burns. • Keep solar hot water system and components away from children and animals. • In an installed, fully plumbed system, if the pump is stopped in sunny conditions, the copper ports o and piping can easily reach temperatures in excess of 300 F. Caution should be taken when handling such components.
B. LOCAL STANDARDS AND AUTHORIZED PERSONS Installation must be completed in accordance with local standards and regulations. Installation must also be completed by a qualified tradesperson who holds relevant industry licenses or certificates. The term “authorized person(s)” used throughout this document refers to a suitably qualified professional. Unless otherwise specified in Part 3, no part of the HTP solar collector may be inspected, repaired, or maintained by anybody other than an authorized person.
For drain back systems, the solar loop often operates at less than 25 psi, far lower than open or closed loop systems. These low operating pressures do not require an expansion tank. A pressure relief valve, installed on the drain back tank and piped in copper to an appropriate drainage location, will provide sufficient expansion protection. This pressure relief valve and drain outlet pipe must never be sealed or blocked. The pressure relief valve is intended to be operated for safety purposes only.
maintained in accordance with the supplier’s instructions if the air temperature is expected to approach the specified freeze tolerance limit.” o o For open or closed loop systems: In areas with temperatures not falling below -5 C / 23 F, a differential solar controller with freeze protection may be used (e.g. requiring pump to circulate if the manifold temperature approaches freezing). In an open loop system, a freeze valve (which opens to allow water to dribble out) could also be considered.
NOTE: If the water heater is left in an operating condition and not used for two weeks or more, a quantity of highly flammable hydrogen may accumulate in the top of the water cylinder. To dissipate hydrogen safely, it is recommended that a hot water tap be turned on for several minutes at a sink, basin, or bath, but not a dishwasher, clothes washer, or other electrical or heat producing appliance. During this process, there must be no smoking, open flame, or electrical appliance operating nearby.
B. COLLECTOR DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHTS Figure 1: Collector dimensions. Copper union in illustration is field-supplied. Allow spacing to assemble fittings and unions. DIMENSION A DIMENSION B DIMENSION C DIMENSION D WEIGHT (LBS) 2 GROSS FRONTAL AREA (FT ) 2 TRANSPARENT FRONTAL AREA (FT ) 2 ABSORBER PLATE AREA (FT ) FLUID CAPACITY (gallons) NOMINAL FLOW RATE (GAL/MIN) FP-26SC FP-32SC FP-40SC 3.30” 47.2” 77.2” 50” 90 25.6 23.6 23.2 .90 0.8-1.5 gallons per collector 3.30” 47.2” 97.2” 50” 113 31.8 29.
Hack Saw Tubing Cutter Solder Flux Emory Paper Extension Cord Needle Nose Pliers Pipe Wrenches, 10” and 14” Open End Wrenches, 9/16 & 7/16 Screw Driver 6” Philips Wire Cutters Adjustable Wrenches 8” & 10” High Temperature Joint Compound Tin Snips Tape Measure 24” Level Slip Joint Pliers Silicon Caulk and Roof Tar Angle Iron Screw Driver 6” Flat Blade Wire Stripper or Knife Black Latex Outdoor Paint Aluminum Flashing Sheet D. SYSTEM DESIGN System design should be completed prior to installation.
H. COLLECTOR ANGLE, PLANE, AND DIRECTION 1. COLLECTOR DIRECTION The collector should face the equator. In the northern hemisphere, this is due south, and in the southern hemisphere, due north. Facing the collector in the correct direction and angle is important to ensure optimal heat output. A o deviation of up to 15 from due south is acceptable, and will have minimal effect on heat output.
I. AVOID SHADE Collectors should be located so that shading does not occur between 9 AM and 3 PM local time. Partial shading due to small objects such as antennas and flues is not of great concern. J. LOCATION To avoid long pipe runs, the collector should be positioned as close as possible to the storage tank. Storage tank location should therefore be considered part of the location requirements of the solar collector.
N. CONNECTION OF MULTIPLE COLLECTORS The maximum number of collectors that can be connected in series is 8. If the entire installation requires more than 8 collectors, use parallel strings of an even number. If even numbers cannot be achieved on parallel strings, flow balancing valves must be installed to ensure each collector has the same flow.
3. RACK MOUNT (HTP Part # FP-RM) Rack mounts are used to attach collectors to a metal frame (such as Uni-Strut). These mounts can also be used to attach collectors directly to the roof. However, this is unadvisable, as rack mounts install close to the roof surface and allow collectors to collect leaves, snow, and other debris. B. GENERAL MOUNTING INFORMATION Mounts should be attached to collectors as close to symmetrically as possible.
2. FRONT MOUNTS Fully loosen the tilt hinge set screws. Once loosened, the tilt hinge will engage into the Quick Lock frame rail. See Figure 5. Slide the flush mount to the desired location along the bottom side of the collector that will meet the roof. Tighten the screw to keep hinge from sliding. See Figure 3 for mounting locations. Figure 5: Hinge to triangle foot Next, attach the triangle foot to the tilt hinge with the 1 ¾” x 3/8” bolt, 4” x 3/8” bolt, and 3/8” nut and washer. See Figure 6.
Position the E1022 strut into the triangle foot and align the hole in the strut with the holes in the triangle foot. Insert the 1 ¾” x 3/8” bolt and secure with a 3/8” nut and washer. When all hardware and fasteners are installed the assembly will look similar to Figure 8 and 9. Check for collector alignment and tighten all fasteners. Use the chart below to determine the length of the rear strut. COLLECTOR TILT o 30 o 35 o 40 o 45 o 50 o 55 o 60 REAR STRUT LENGTH AT CHOSEN ANGLES FP-32SC BASE DIM. 98.
E. RACK MOUNTS (HTP Part # FP-RM) Each rack mount package contains enough hardware to secure one collector. The set contains: • (4) Rack mounts • ¼” – 20 stainless steel set screws, pre-installed per flush mount Figure 13: Rack mount hardware INSTALLATION Fully loosen the set screw. Once loosened, the rack mount will engage into the Quick Lock frame rail. Slide the rack mount to the desired location.
Figure 17: Roof with J bolt penetration Figure 16: Roof with lag bolt penetration Figure 18: Threaded bolt mounting A. ROOF ATTACHMENT In order to meet strength requirements in areas with winds up to 130 mph / 208 kmh and category “D” exposure, collectors should be mounted into roof studs using lag threaded bolts or J bolts. Any other installation format should be approved by a structural engineer.
When installing a collector that will be raised and not flush to the roof, the increase in wind stress at the mounting points must be considered. Consult local wind load requirements. Figure 21: Example of roof flashing Use larger stainless steel lag bolts to fasten the collector feet to a flat roof. If standing water may gather on the roof around the collector, ensure that all mounting and plumbing holes are thoroughly sealed and waterproofed.
PART 6 – PLUMBING CONNECTIONS A. TEMPERATURE SENSOR INSERTION The temperature sensor well must be located near the hot out port. If the collector is designed without a sensor well, use a stainless steel clamp to clamp the sensor onto the hot out port directly to the copper pipe exiting the collector. Mount the sensor as close to the collector as possible. Ensure that the sensor and cable used on the collector are high temperature o o rated (up to 200 C / 395 F).
2. PRESSURE OPEN LOOP Run the pump at the highest speed setting, forcing air out of the collector and back into the tank. If an auto-air vent is installed on the outlet of the collector, air will automatically eliminate from the solar line. If using a manual air vent, open it until all air is eliminated. 3. CLOSED LOOP The solar loop may be filled with distilled water (drain back system) or glycol/water mix, unpressurized (drain back system), or vented and pressurized.
G. PUMP SELECTION When selecting a pump, there are two basic solar designs to consider: pressure glycol and closed loop drain back. In pressure glycol systems, two factors determine pipe size. These are: • Flow rate in gpm (gallons per minute) • Head loss In drain back systems, an additional factor must be considered along with the previous two: • Lift Each collector has a nominal flow rate of between .8 and 1.5 gpm.
After determining gpm flow rate and total system head loss, a properly sized pump can be chosen. See recommendation from pump supplier to determine the proper pump for your job. Incorrect pump size will reduce or fail to deliver solar contribution. To further increase solar production, use a variable speed solar pump controller (HTP part # 8600-047). PART 7 – SYSTEM PIPING DIAGRAMS Figure 23 – System Piping Concepts A.
Figure 24 – Reverse return plumbing B. BALANCE FLOW VALVES WITH METERS Below you will find suggested collector piping diagrams using balance flow valves and meters for balanced flow. The following configurations may not work in drain back systems. These drawings can be applied to various system configurations, but may not meet certain requirements.
C. PRESSURE SYSTEM PLUMBING PANEL ATTACHMENT Figure 26 – Plumbing components and collector attachments. Feed elbow for flat plate collectors are usually located on the bottom of the collectors. Suggested panel plumbing attachments for pressure systems. This diagram can be used for either vacuum tube or flat plate collectors. The collector can be plumbed from left to right or right to left. Note the air purge is on the hot out pipe.
A. CLEANING Regular rain should keep the collectors clean. However, if the collectors are particularly dirty, wash with a soft cloth and warm, soapy water or glass cleaning solution, ONLY if the collector is located in a position which DOES NOT require climbing onto the roof or use of a step ladder. If the collectors are not easily and safely accessible, high pressure water spray is also effective.
company that supplied and installed the system. Any other system troubleshooting, adjustments, or repairs may be completed ONLY by authorized persons. A. NO HOT WATER If there is no hot water, the problem will generally be related to the gas or electric heating system, not the solar collector. The collector simply pre-heats water, with final boosting completed by the electric element or gas booster system.
PART 10 – INSTALLATION CHECKLIST The following list is a guide only. Specific items will depend on the nature of the installation. 1 COLLECTOR FACES AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO DUE NORTH/SOUTH. Y N 2 COLLECTOR IS NOT SIGNIFICANTLY SHADED THROUGHOUT THE DAY. Y N 3 COLLECTOR IS NOT LIKELY TO BE STRUCK BY FALLING OBJECTS SUCH AS BRANCHES OR FALLING FRUIT. Y N o o 4 COLLECTOR IS INSTALLED AT AN ANGLE OF BETWEEN 20 – 80 , PREFERABLY AT LATITUDE ANGLE.
MAINTENANCE NOTES
HTP CUSTOMER INSTALLATION RECORD FORM The following form should be completed by the installer for you to keep as a record of the installation in case of a warranty claim. After reading the important notes at the bottom of the page, please also sign this document.
