53
Maintenance & Repair
Once installed and operational the solar
collector is virtually maintenance free. Other
system components such as the pump, heat
transfer fluid require periodic inspection and
may need to be replaced in the future.
Please refer to the documentation provided
by the manufacturer of these other
components.
WARNING
Apart from maintenance specifically outlined
as “OWNER”, any maintenance or repair
MUST ONLY be performed by authorized
persons. At no time should any inspection or
maintenance be performed by the
homeowner, if it involves climbing on the
roof or any potentially unsafe behaviour. The
solar collector warranty will be void, if non-
authorized persons attempt to maintain or
repair the solar collector or associated
system components. The solar system
operates at high pressure and high
temperature and can cause damage to
property and severe personal injury, if not
correctly operated and maintained.
Periodic inspections by an authorized
Apricus installer is recommended to ensure
optimum system operation.
The following maintenance may ONLY be
completed by AUTHORIZED PERSONS
Broken Tube
If a tube breaks, it should be replaced as
soon as possible. Whilst the system will still
operate normally and safely with a broken
tube, it will be at a slightly reduced level of
performance. To ensure maximum collector
performance any broken tubes should be
replaced.
Always wear safety goggles and gloves when
handling broken glass and clear away any
broken glass immediately to prevent injury.
To replace a tube
Remove the tube clip(s), slide broken tube
out and carefully pick up any glass pieces.
Avoid touching the glass wool insulation
with bare hands, as it can cause mild skin
irritation.
Remove the heat pipe and insert a new
evacuated tube & heat pipe.
If the heat pipe is not easily removed (as is
commonly the case), it can be left in place
and a new evacuated tube inserted by
carefully guiding the heat pipe down the
groove between the evacuated tube inner
wall and heat transfer fin.
Insulation
The pipes running to and from the collector
should be completely insulated. Insulation
should be checked periodically (at least once
every 3 years) for damage or gaps, especially
exterior EPDM foam insulation.