Thermal
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Solar Swimming Pool and Air Collector Maintenance
Solar swimming pool systems are among the simplest available. Maintenance is equally simple and is carried out at the start of the warm season, before the system is used.
Mounting Solar Thermal Collector Arrays
Actually mounting the solar collectors comes after you've completed the long process of planning and marking out their locations on the roof. Follow these guidelines to install your collectors:
How to Charge a Pressurized Solar Thermal System: Step 1
Before you can use a pressurized solar thermal system, you need to "charge" it with solar fluid (usually an antifreeze mixture of glycol and water) so that it has a heat transfer medium. There are three steps to the charging process:
Plumbing Roof-Mounted Solar Collector Arrays
When you're plumbing flat-plate collectors, you need to attach the incoming colder supply part of the solar loop to one end of the array, at the bottom. The outgoing hot part of the loop must exit at the other end of the array, at the top.
How to Charge a Pressurized Solar Thermal System: Step 2
There are three steps to the charging process. Make sure you read and understand all three stages before starting the charging process.
Roof Boots, Posts and Rails
Roof boots
How to Charge a Pressurized Solar Thermal System: Step 3
There are three steps to the charging process. Make sure you read and understand all three stages before starting the charging process.
Integrating Solar Thermal Space Heating with Hydronic Systems
Most residential buildings that have an existing grid-tied heating system use a hydronic rather than a forced-air system. This is generally better for integration with solar thermal installations, though that's a big generalization: there are so many different layouts, implementations and requirements that it is impossible to state whether integration is guaranteed.
Calculating Flow Rate and Head in Solar Thermal Systems
Choosing the right pump for your solar thermal installation is very important and for that you need to work out the flow rate and head for your chosen setup. Solar loops which are always full only have friction head, whereas drainback systems also have static head.