®
16
PHASE II
—
System Installation Detail
Mounting Collectors
Be mindful when handling SunSaver
®
collectors.
Rough handling can cause unnecessary body damage
which will likely result in premature failure or leak-
ing.
CAUTION: Before installing collectors, check roof
and racking for protruding hardware that may dam-
age the collectors.
Collectors should be installed insert to insert with the
coupler pushed all the way up to the edge of the col-
lector body and insert dam.
SunSaver
®
collectors can increase up to 2” in length as
they heat up on hot summer days. Ensure there is
roughly 2” of extra space at the end of the collector for
growth with temperature.
Because of this movement, it’s advisable to put some
material under the couplers to prevent any unwanted
abrasion to the roof or mounting structures.
When installing the collectors, pay careful attention to
install the couplers all the way up against the collector
insert and to position the hose clamps as indicated in
Figure 9
below. This greatly reduces the need for col-
lector adjustments later on.
Initial collector alignment can be done while installing the Coupler connec-
tions. Note that the collector Hose Clamps must be installed all the way up
against the Insert Barb and positioned to clamp over the Insert Landing. The
Hose Clamps must be positioned as best to the depicted. Inadequate place-
ment of these components can lead to excessive expansion of the Collector
bank and cause damage and leaking. Dimensions depicted are typical and may
vary slightly. Placement should be checked when the system is up and run-
ning, by making sure all couplers haven’t moved more than 1/8”.
Figure 9 | Collector Coupling
9/16”
1-
3/16”
Coupler is
Flush Against
Collector
Coupler
Hose
Clamp
Insert
Barb
Insert
Landing
Note: It is crucial that the collector couplers and
hose clamps are installed properly. If improperly
positioned, the hose clamps and couplers can
move and the entire bank of collectors can expand
severely under pressure, causing the collector body
to collide with roof-mounted obstacles.
When installing mounting hardware, it is best practice
to use the premeasured method mentioned in
Collector
Layout
of
PHASE I
—
Site Preparations and Planning
.
It can be easier to place penetrations after all plumb-
ing is installed. Therefore, it is also acceptable to use
the below alternate method of placing mid-bank pene-
trations.
Note: This method can only be used if the pool can
be circulated to the solar system such that the col-
lectors have an approximate surface temperature
of 70-90°F. The surface of the collectors can be
measured with an irradiance meter or similar sur-
face temperature measuring device. If needed, ad-
just the flow rates to the solar system to achieve
an acceptable reading for the procedure.
Note: Use caution if employing this method and do
not perform in high wind conditions since collec-
tors aren’t fully mounted.
Follow these steps to mount collectors for this method:
1. Lay collectors in desired locations and plumb
them together
2. Determine the centermost collector (or a collector
which the bank needs to move about) and fix-
mount it by double wrapping the upper headers
(described in
Figure 11
) and securing the strap
roughly 2” directly above the header.
3. Mount upper headers of remaining collectors
4. Route and connect all plumbing to the system
5. Circulate pool water (70-90°F) through the solar
system
6. Let pool water circulate through the collectors un-
til all air is purged out
7. While the solar system is running, mount hard-
ware by centering penetrations between each col-
lector
8. Once all mounting has been completed, turn the
system off and ensure that the bank doesn’t move
into mounting hardware. If it does, address as
needed.
