INSTALLATION – SOLAR COLLECTORS
38
Pressure Testing
The solar water heater, including the collector circuit, is to be isolated during the testing and commissioning of
the heated water reticulation system in a building, in accordance with Clause 9.3 (a) of AS/NZS 3500.4:2018.
The collector circuit includes the solar hot and solar cold pipes and solar collectors.
It may be necessary to pressure test the collector circuit to comply with codes and regulatory authority
requirements or on other occasions where the solar collectors and solar hot and solar cold pipes are installed
prior to the solar storage tank, such as on a building site.
Collector Circuit
Warning:
The pressure applied to the collector circuit during a pressure test of a closed circuit system
MUST NOT
exceed 200 kPa where SPA2000 solar collectors are installed or 1000 kPa where CSA2007 solar
collectors are installed, otherwise damage may result to the solar collectors. The solar circuit and solar
collectors are to be isolated from the solar storage tank for the duration of the pressure test.
SPA2000 and CSA2007 Solar Collector Installations
If water is used as the pressure testing medium and if the collector circuit is not to be connected to the solar
storage tank and the system commissioned on the same day, then any excess moisture needs to be blown
out and the collector circuit and solar collectors dried using dry compressed air.
It is necessary to cap off the ends of the solar hot and solar cold pipes if they are not connected to the solar
storage tank at the time of installation and at the time of testing the solar circuit.
Closed Circuit System
If the solar collectors, solar pipe work and solar storage tank are installed and commissioned together, then
the flooding of the collector circuit with closed circuit fluid for a closed circuit system and checking the pipe
work for leaks during the commissioning procedure can be substituted for the pressure testing of the collector
circuit.
