Kwiksol Instruction, Installation & Warranty Manual 3
A. INSTALLER COMPETENCY
The installer must be an accredited Eskom solar installer, qualified in plumbing and au fait
with the required SANS 10106 Solar Water Heater and SANS 10254 Electric Water Heater
Specifications.
B. COMPONENTS
All components must be of an approved type and SABS approved where required to be so.
C. UNDERSTANDING THE THERMOSYPHON – CLOSE COUPLED
CIRCULATION METHOD
The compulsory requirement for a themosyphon circulation method is that the solar water
heater is installed in a position higher than the solar flat plate collector panel/s or manifold
of the solar vacuum tubes. The circulation flow occurs without any moving parts or auxiliary
electrical energy input into the system.
This system operates according to the basic principles of physics: a liquid if heated,
becomes less dense and rises upwards. The heated transfer fluid, either water (direct
system) or propylene glycol (indirect system) in the solar flat plate collector panel/s or
manifold of the solar vacuum tubes, rises up into the solar water heater and transmits heat
to it, while the cold transfer fluid travels back down to the solar flat plate collector panel/s
or manifold of the solar vacuum tubes and the process is repeated.
THERMOSYPHON
CLOSE COUPLED SYSTEM
THERMOSYPHON
SPLIT SYSTEM
When there is no solar radiation, the transfer fluid in the solar flat plate collector panel/s
becomes heavy, blocks the circulation and prevents the heat accumulated in the solar water
heater from being dispersed.
D. UNDERSTANDING THE SPLIT PUMPED CIRCULATION
METHOD
It is not always possible or convenient to install the solar water heater in a higher position
than the solar flat plate collector panel/s or manifold of the vacuum tubes (thermosyphon
circulation method), so the pumped circulation method has to be used.