Summer Vacation Recommendations; Maintenance And Troubleshooting - Rheem RS120-64BP Use & Care Manual

8) SUMMER VACATION
RECOMMENDATIONS AND PROCEDURES
Solar water heating systems can build up very high
t e m p e r a t u r e s when there is no daily draw on
the system. If a short summer vacation is planned
the best way to dissi-pate heat in the system is to set
the controller to the "on" position. The circulating
pump will run twenty-four hours a day and cool
off the water in the solar storage tank at night. The
collector radiates heat back to the atmosphere at night,
preventing the system from stagnating at very high
temperatures. This will not harm the pump or add
substantially to your monthly utility bill. Remember
to set the control to the "Automatic" setting upon your
Follow the instructions for single tank systems
return!
During extended summer vacations (4 weeks or more)
above. You also must change the position of the
it is advisable to either cover the solar collectors with
an opaque material or to manually drain the collector
three way ball valves above both the solar stor-
loop HTF. Rheem recommends that you cover the
collectors if practical.
age tank and the back-up water heater (Nos. 24
If you choose to drain the HTF in the collector loop
and 26). Valve handle No. 24 must be in the hor-
follow these steps:
izontal position. Valve handle No. 26 must be in
8.1 Turn the controller to the "off" position (No. 18).
the vertical position. See Figure 19a, 100% Solar
8.2 Connect one end of a garden hose to the purge/
drain valve (No 11) and place the other end in a five
gallon bucket. Open the valve and gravity will drain Operation.
the heat transfer fluid into the bucket. A licensed
recycler, reclaimer or incinerator must dispose of the
Dowfrost HD.
6.5 Solar Preheat
DO NOT DUMP DOWFROST HD INTO A
STORM SEWER, ON THE GROUND OR INTO
28
Follow the instructions for the single tank system
ANY BODY OF WATER. BE CAREFUL. THE
HTF MAY BE EXTREMELY HOT!
8.3 If the system is installed with an optional time
clock make sure the clock is not preset to go "ON"
during your absence. If you have a mechanical time
switch, remove the "on" tripper from the clock face
(No. 33).
When you return home contact your service contractor
to recharge the system with HTF. After the system has
been recharged, set the controller to the "automatic"
position. Reset the time switch.

9) MAINTENANCE AND TROUBLESHOOTING

The following simple procedures are intended to
optimize the performance of your Rheem solar water
heating system and also to extend the life of the
primary components.
9.1 Fluid Quality: It is extremely important to monitor
the quality of the Dowfrost HD HTF on a periodic
basis. The chemical composition of the heat transfer
fluid may change over time. System pH must be
maintained between 8 and 10 to avoid damage to the
collector loop and absorber plate piping.
9.2 The second most important component in your
system, at least from a longevity standpoint, is often
ignored and never seen. We are referring to the
sacrificial "anode rod" installed in your solar storage
tank (No. 20). Typically constructed from magnesium,
anode rods are installed in "glass lined" water heaters
and storage tanks to inhibit corrosion.
As the name implies, the "sacrificial" anode rod is
fig.19b
SOLAR
PREHEAT