Apricus Installation Manual
12
Expansion Vessel Connection Kit
CoolSky also provide an expansion vessel
connection kit to connect the expansion
vessel to the safety group on the pumping
station. Each kit includes a wall fixing
bracket and a self-closing system isolation
valve (so that the vessel can be removed for
maintenance without draining the fluid from
the system and to facilitate periodic gas
charge checks).
A pre-formed stainless steel flexible hose is
also provided to connect the vessel to the
system at the connection point provided on
the CoolSky Solar Pumping Station.
It is recommended that the Pumping Station
and Expansion Vessel are located as far
hydraulically away in the Solar Loop from the
Solar Collector as is practically possible. This
is to protect the Pumping Station and
Expansion Vessel from the very high
temperatures (i.e. >200 °C) that can be
generated by a Vacuum Tube Collector
under stagnation conditions.
Mounting the Expansion Vessel
Always mount solar vessels in a vertical
position and recognised best practice is to
connect to the provided connection port on
the pump station. Where possible, mount
below the pump station to negate heat
transfer.
Avoid mounting in close proximity to the
solar collector where temperatures can
exceed 130°C. In cases where this cannot be
avoided, it is highly recommended that the
expansion vessel be installed in conjunction
with a heat protecting ‘intermediate’ vessel.
Intermediate Vessels
Intermediate vessels are also available and
are recommended on solar thermal systems
where it is likely that temperatures within the
system will exceed the maximum allowable
working temperature of the expansion vessel
Cool Tip
Always check the internal pressure
of the Expansion Vessel before
fitting and reset to 0.3 bar lower
than the intended cold-fill pressure
of the Solar Loop.
