Two-Minute Monthly Solar Thermal System Maintenance
All types of solar thermal system need maintenance, though a well-planned installation using high-quality equipment needs very little compared to most active mechanical systems.
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How to work out Solar Collector Tilt Angles
Almost all residential solar installations mount the collector on the roof or a ground frame. Once you've done your research and figured out where the best location for your solar collectors is, you'll need to work out the optimum tilt angle – the angle the collector array surface makes with the horizon.
Layout Patterns for Radiant Floor Tubing
When you opt for radiant floor heating, you opt for the most efficient, cheapest and most comfortable heating available, especially when you combine it with a solar thermal installation. The big question for radiant floor installation is how to lay out the piping that carries the hot solar fluid through the high-mass heating medium.
Differential Temperature Controller Maintenance
Controller maintenance is the same for many types of AC-based solar thermal system. Some of the tests require a multimeter.
Almost all controllers have two lights on the front: one that indicates the power is on and the other indicating that the pump is on. If the system isn't working, check the lights and follow these steps:
Solar Collector Mounting Essentials
Before you get down to the nitty-gritty of actually mounting your solar collectors, take a few minutes to understand some basic essentials. Collectors are expensive, so you need to consider the basics of mounting them safely.
How to Prepare Pex Tubes for Radiant Heating
Back when modern radiant floor systems were first installed, copper or steel pipes were used. They were embedded in concrete under the floor and hot water ran through them to heat the building. It doesn't take a genius to see where the problems came from:
ICS Solar Thermal System Maintenance
If you live in a location where your ICS system runs all year – in other words, where there are no freezes – you don't need to do any special maintenance. The standard two-minute monthly system check will suffice.
Checking the Roof Before Mounting Solar Collectors
If you are going to install solar collectors on your home's roof, take a trip up there to inspect the mounting location before you try to lift the collectors into place. You need to check a variety of important factors and you don't want to find yourself in a situation where you have the collector ready to be bolted into place, but the site is inappropriate!
How to Calculate Pex Length for Radiant Heating
There is an upper limit on how much Pex tubing you can use in a radiant heating installation. If the circuit is too long, the solar fluid will cool off before it reaches the end and you will get uneven heating. For standard-sized Pex tubes (half-inch or 5/8-inch internal diameter), the circuit length should not exceed 300 feet – which is conveniently the size of the coil supplied by many manufacturers.
Drainback Solar Thermal System Maintenance
On top of the standard two-minute monthly maintenance checks, drainback systems need extra care. There are four main problems that could occur in a drainback system:
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