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PHASE I — Site Preparations & Planning Cont'd
Supporting PVC Pipe
Horizontal runs of PVC pipe must be supported every
four feet and all vertical runs of PVC pipe must be sup-
ported every ten feet. Vertical lines take the water from
the ground up to the roof and are usually on the walls
of the main structure. Pipe supports on the roof should
be sealed according to an industry standard method.
Pipe supports should be secured and properly guide
thermal movement (see figures in Appendix C). Proper
plumbing installation enables the plumbing to move
minimally but accommodates movement of solar Panel
banks.
Both Floating Guide and Fixed Guide connections
should be incorporated in conjunction with an indus-
try standard method to absorb plumbing movement as
referenced in Figures 19-21 of Appendix C.
Prime consideration should be given to system drain-
age and appearance when running pipe from the pool
pump to the Panels and back. Best practice allows sys-
tem drainage with a slight and consistent downward
slope in all horizontal runs.
Plumbing Materials
Roof plumbing should be schedule 40 PVC conform-
ing to ASTM D1785 or equivalent standard.
PVC is generally an acceptable material for plumbing
FAFCO
solar thermal systems. In most cases, an oper-
®
ating solar thermal system does not exceed the temper-
ature rating of PVC. Unless it can be shown that black
PVC withstands equivalent temperature and pressure
specifications of PVC by providing documentation that
it conforms to ASTM D1785 or an equivalent standard,
it should not be used for solar plumbing.
Due to the poor UV resistant properties of PVC, it
should be painted upon completion of the installation.
Figure 8| Hybrid CoolPV
CoolPV
®
Panels
®
In many jurisdictions, painting the plumbing is re-
quired by code.
Instances occur where a system will be pressurized
while at elevated temperatures. CPVC offers a much
higher operating temperature and should be con-
sidered for use on the supply and return lines, es-
pecially for installations of more than two stories
and those likely to see water temperatures above
140°F such as sections of plumbing where water
can be entrapped at an elevated temperature. (see
Table 4, Appendix C).
Roof Penetrations
All mounting penetrations must be installed as de-
scribed in Phase I Site Preparation and Planning.
All roof penetrations should be sealed with an in-
dustry standard method.
Hybrid System Layouts
Panels are compatible with most systems, including
FAFCO
's CoolPV
®
The best way to install a hybrid CT/CoolPV
is to prioritize placement and plumbing to the
CoolPV
panels and then to install Panels on the
®
remaining roof space. Panels are less sensitive to
location, which will have a lesser impact on perfor-
mance than a CoolPV
brid system should be plumbed, refer to Figure 8.
Connected Tube CT Panels
and Connected Tube CT Plumbing Schematic
panels.
®
panel. To see how a split Hy-
®
®
system
®
17
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