Assembling Your Solar Hot Water System Frame

Before you start

You need the following tools and approximately 3 square meters of cleared, level space to assemble the frame

• A knife to remove plastic and open boxes
• 2 medium sized shifting spanners

The making life easy tools...

• 1/2" socket and Ratchet
• 1/2" ring spanner

Important: You need to read the manufacturer's installation manual. This pictorial guide is not intended to replace the manufacturer's installation instructions and recommendations.

Setting up

Laying out and organising the pieces of the frame will make this process much easier.

The frame is made up of the following parts -

• Item # 1 Storage cylinder cradle x 3
• Item # 2 Short upright channel (fitted to cradle) x 3
• Item # 3 Short triangle brace x 3
• Item # 4 Long triangle brace x 3
• Item # 5 Topside cross brace x 4, underside cross brace x 2 (optional)
• Item # 6 Rear diagonal brace x 4, makes 2 pair. Note: smaller centre holes
• Item # 7 Diagonal brace, topside, running diagonally between topside cross braces
• Items # 8 and 9 Not Applicable with the solar heat exchanger model

Additionally the following items are not shown in the itemised picture however they are easily recognised. They include -

1. The longest sections of the frame are the 'feet' of the frame (x 3).
2. The next longest sections are the topside sections of the triangle frame.
3. The bottom support rail for the evacuated tubes - has either 20/30 x 65mm diameter holes (200 or 300 litre) in which to position the bottom end of the evacuated tubes. 
4. White End Caps - The evacuated tubes are inserted into the 65mm diameter holes of the bottom support rail using the white caps provided to seat the evacuated tubes.

The Nuts and Bolts

There are 3 sets of nuts and bolts of different lengths.

• The 6 longest bolts are used for each end of the 'foot' of the frame and used to connect (a) the topside section of the triangle to the 'foot' at the bottom end furthest away from the storage cylinder and, (b) the short upright section of channel ( fitted to the cradle) to be connected to the opposite end of the 'foot' at the high end of the frame (step 3) .
• There are 2 slightly shorter bolts used for the diagonal cross bracing at the rear of the frame (step 6).
• The bulk of nuts and bolts are for the general assembly of the frame

Step 1

Preparing the triangle sections for assembly.

The picture shows the laying out of a triangulated section. It shows from left to right one topside section, a short and long triangle brace and the 'foot'.

Note the two holes at the bottom of the topside section; the cradle attaches there.

When fully assembled there is a total of three triangulated sections for the 200 and 300 litre frames. They are made up of the 'foot', a topside section, the cradle and the short upright channel and the short and long triangle braces; all bolted together.

It is important to pair each 'foot' section with the correct topside section.

Apart from the smaller holes at either end of the 'foot' and one set of small holes at the bottom end of the topside section, there are the additional larger holes provided for the bracing. These larger holes are used to connect the short and long triangle braces (items #3 and #4).

The Middle Triangulated Section - Both the middle 'foot' and topside sections have holes on both sides.

The Outer Triangulated Sections (x 2) -The remaining 2 pair have these larger holes on only one side of the topside section and 'foot' section.

The outer triangle sections need to be matched/paired so that when the foot and topside sections are connected, the larger holes on the sides of these sections will be positioned on the outer sides of the frame so that the short and long triangle braces can be connected at these points.

Step 2

Item # 1 + Item # 2

Attach the square end of the cradle to the short upright channel.

Leave the bottom nut loose on the back of the cradle because the rear diagonal brace will need to be connected at this point later.

Connect the sloped end of the cradle to the topside section.

Step 3

For these steps you will use the longest bolts (x 6) ; two long bolts for each of the triangle sections to connect the 'foot' to the topside section and,  the short upright channel to the 'foot'.

Align the small holes at the very end of the 'foot' with the bottom end of the topside section
(opposite end to cradle)  and secure the two pieces together with a long nut and bolt. It is unnecessary to squeeze the topside section inside the 'foot' channel section - just overlap the sides.

At the opposite end insert the short upright channel inside the 'foot' section where the holes align and secure with a long nut and bolt. 

Step 4

Connect the short and long triangle braces to the triangle section

Step 5

 Items # 5 and # 7

Fit the topside cross braces and diagonal topside brace

Step 6

Item # 6

When fitting the rear cross braces the flat 'tabbed' ends of all 4 pieces will meet in the middle of the frame.

All that is required now for the frame to be complete is to fit the bottom support rail for the evacuated tubes.

The frame is now complete and ready to be secured on the roof.

If as the owner of this solar hot water system, and you have just assembled it, you have just saved yourself money instead of paying your plumber to have to work it out. Don't feel guilty... plumbers hate being slowed down by having to read instructions!

PS: The white end caps will be placed in the holes of the bottom support rail but not before the frame has been secured to the roof and the solar hot water system is ready to be filled. 

Hot Tips

1. Do not insert the evacuated tubes until the solar hot water system is ready to be filled.
    
2. Once you have inserted them, Keep the evacuated tubes keep covered with a tarp or blanket until then. This will prevent the tubes from cracking when coming into contact with cold water when the system is filled for the first time. The tubes are very efficient and will heat up very quickly when exposed to sunlight.
    
3. Before commissioning ensure that all plumbing fittings and connections including the electric booster element are securely tightened to avoid leaks. Use teflon or plumbers tape.
    
4. Use copper olives and matching brassware on the tank connections including the tempering valve; nylon olives will melt, as the heat generated by the tubes is very hot.
    
5. Connections on top of the storage cylinder are recessed; use silicone to fill the recesses to avoid water coming between the outer lining and insulation.
    
6. Before inserting the evacuated tubes into the storage cylinder dip the open end of the evacuated tubes into a soapy solution using a generous amount of detergent in the water. This will ensure the evacuated tubes are inserted easily and therefore preventing the cylinder seals from being disturbed or damaged.