Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Need some help

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Need some help

    I have a solar water heater from first solar.
    This
    http://www.solar-water-heater-pro.co...m-climate.aspx
    Different array.

    http://www.solar-water-heater-pro.co...fsp-sp106.aspx

    and this
    http://www.solar-water-heater-pro.co...l-fsp-spi.aspx

    The pump circulates the water in the array. It is controlled by a sensor. Pumps when the water gets 20 degrees hotter in the array than the domestic water.

    I am having a problem figuring out this. When should it go off? At peak temp? If it continues to circulate and it gets cloudy it is effectively cooling the domestic water.
    What am I missing?

    Does anyone have this system? I would love to get some insight on this. Unfortunately the company is no help.

  • #2
    Originally posted by steff503 View Post
    I have a solar water heater from first solar.
    This
    http://www.solar-water-heater-pro.co...m-climate.aspx
    Different array.

    http://www.solar-water-heater-pro.co...fsp-sp106.aspx

    and this
    http://www.solar-water-heater-pro.co...l-fsp-spi.aspx

    The pump circulates the water in the array. It is controlled by a sensor. Pumps when the water gets 20 degrees hotter in the array than the domestic water.

    I am having a problem figuring out this. When should it go off? At peak temp? If it continues to circulate and it gets cloudy it is effectively cooling the domestic water.
    What am I missing?

    Does anyone have this system? I would love to get some insight on this. Unfortunately the company is no help.
    1.) Did you install this yourself ?

    2.) Whoever installed it, were local plumbing codes and permitting procedures followed as required ?

    3.) Depending on 1 & 2 above, I'd start w/ the manuals provided with the equipment, particularly the controls.

    4.) The usual/common situation is that controller senses the DIFFERENCE between the solar collector temp. and the temp. of the water in the tank. When the sun shines, the collector heats up. At some temp. above the tank water temp., the controller will tell the pump to turn on and circulate the collector loop fluid. If/when the collector temp. drops close to the temp. of the tank H2O, the pump will turn off.
    Sometimes if the tank H2O is "cold" the collector will be warmer under low insolation conditions ("bright" cloudy day for example) and will run the pump when it thinks useful energy gain is possible. Get it checked out and if found to be functioning nominally, don't second guess it too much. Common problems are poor sensor install/location, with poor thermal contact w/the collector or piping being the usual culprit of poor sensor performance. Common sensors are dumb, but usually robust.

    5.) Controllers often have other functions like not circulating fluid thorough the collector/heat exchanger loop if the tank H2O is VERY hot, e.g., +180 deg. F. or something. If your pump is not running on sunny days after noon or so, that may be one of several possible reasons.
    (An aside and separate from the solar collector business, but FYI: The thermostat on the electric heating element - the one behind the tank cover is probably of the common type that will, as a safety feature, prevent the aux. elec. heating element from working if the tank temp. gets too high. If that happens, that heating element thermostat must be reset by pushing the reset button on the thermostat before the elec. heating element will activate. If the collector loop is getting the H2O too hot, the thermostat for the heating element thermostat only knows hot water, not why and as a safety feature will not allow the heating element to activate. If you run out of hot H2O this may be one reason.)

    6.) I mention 1 & 2 above for 2 reasons. First, it appears that some of the equipment you list may not meet all plumbing codes. None of my business, but I'd get it checked out. Second, if installed by a contractor, call them and request they check out the system for correct operation.

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by steff503 View Post
      I have a solar water heater from first solar.
      This
      http://www.solar-water-heater-pro.co...m-climate.aspx
      Different array.

      http://www.solar-water-heater-pro.co...fsp-sp106.aspx

      and this
      http://www.solar-water-heater-pro.co...l-fsp-spi.aspx

      The pump circulates the water in the array. It is controlled by a sensor. Pumps when the water gets 20 degrees hotter in the array than the domestic water.

      I am having a problem figuring out this. When should it go off? At peak temp? If it continues to circulate and it gets cloudy it is effectively cooling the domestic water.
      What am I missing?

      Does anyone have this system? I would love to get some insight on this. Unfortunately the company is no help.
      The pump should switch off when the collector temp drops to 4 - 6 degrees F above the domestic water temp ( this setting should be adjustable). Or at the max water temp setting.
      Some systems will again start the pump to prevent stagnation temperatures from damaging the system.
      Unfortunately many of the manuals are written in Chinglish and are pretty hard to make sense of.

      Comment

      Working...
      X