Free Hot Water FHWFC 4000 Series User manual

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Free Hot Water 2146 Bering Dr. San Jose, CA 95131 Tel: [phone] Fax [phone] www.FreeHotWater.net
Manual
Installation Manual
FHWFC 4000 Series
Version 2009.07

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Content
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Safety information.........................................................................................3
Transport note ..............................................................................................4
Assembly instructions - Collector .................................................................5
Overview of tools ..........................................................................................6
Overview of materials ...................................................................................7
Attachment points..........................................................................................8
Mounting parallel roof bracket attachment system .......................................9
Technical data - Collector.............................................................................12
Operating tips - Solar power system ........................................................... 13
General Information......................................................................................15

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Attention
Do not lift the collectors by the connections and or the screw threads

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General Assembly instructions
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General and transport instructions
The mounting system is suitable for tiled roofs only. Installation must only be carried
out by qualified personnel. The entire information in these instructions is intended
exclusively for such qualified personnel. Only the supplied material should be used for
the installation. Prior to starting installation and operation of the solar collector sy-
stem, please inform yourself about the applicable local standards and regulations. The
use of a carrying strap is recommended for transporting the collector. The collector
must not be lifted at the connections or on the threading. Avoid impacts and
mechanical influences on the collector, in particular on the solar glass, the rear panel
and pipe connections.
Statics - flat roof
The collectors may only be mounted on sufficiently load-bearing roof surfaces and
substructures. It is imperative that the static load bearing capacity of the roof or
substructure is checked in terms of local and regional conditions prior to installation of
the collectors by the customer, if necessary through the involvement of a structural
engineer. Particular attention should be paid to the quality of the (timber) substructure
in terms of the stability of the screw connections necessary for fastening the collectors.
The checking of the entire collector structure by the customer as per DIN 1055 part 4
and 5 or as per the applicable country-specific regulations is particularly important in
areas with heavy snowfall (note: 1 m
3
powder snow ~ 60 kg / 1 m
3
wet snow ~ 200
kg) or in areas exposed to high wind speeds. The assessment should also take into
account any particular circumstances at the place of installation (foehn wind, air jets or
eddy formation etc.) which can lead to increased loads. The collector is designed for
wind loads of 150 km/h and snow loads of 1,25kN/m
2
. As a rule, collector arrays must
be installed such that any possible collection of snow is prevented from reaching the
collectors by snow barriers (or through special forms of installation). The distance to
roof ridges/edges must be at least 1 m.
Note: The installation of a collector array is an intervention into a (existing) roof;
above all, converted and inhabited loft spaces or roofs with less than the minimum
slope (with regards to the covering) require additional measures by the customer, e.g.
sarking membranes, as protection against water penetration caused by wind pressure
and driving snow. With larger collector arrays, we recommend installing the
collectors on a special supporting
structure made of steel channels. Alternatively, it is possible to install the collectors
without perforating the roof membrane by using concrete ballast with guys. The
collectors are mounted on concrete blocks. Rubber mats
should be used if necessary to protect the roof membrane against damage and to
increase the friction between the roof and the concrete blocks. In addition, it is
necessary to secure the collectors with 5mm steel cables (minimum tensile strength
1450 N/mm
2
) to absorb any peak wind loads.
Lightning protection / Equipotential bonding of the building
In accordance with the lightning protection standard ÖVE/ÖNORM EN 62305 Part 1-4
the collector array cannot be connected to the building's lightning protection. A safety
distance of at least 1 m must be maintained from any possible adjacent conducting
object. For installations on metal substructures at the installation site, generally
qualified electricians must be consulted. To carry out a building potential equalisation,
the metal tubes of the solar circuit and all collector cases or fastenings must be

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connected to the main potential equalisation bus by a qualified electrician in accordance
with ÖVE/ÖNORM E 8001-1 or the country-specific standards.
Connections
Connect the collectors using the cutting ring screw connections. If flexible pipes are not
used as connectors, precautions must be taken to protect the connection pipes against
temperature fluctuations caused by heat expansion, e.g. expansion bends and flexible
piping (see Connecting the collectors to one another/Operational recommendations).
Larger collector arrays must be assembled with expansion bends or flexible members
inserted in the links. (IMPORTANT: check the pump design). When tightening the
union nuts, always balance (counter) the torque with a pipe wrench or another
spanner to prevent damage to the absorber.
Collector angle / General notes
The collector is suitable for angles between 15° (minimum) and 75° (maximum). The
collector connections and the ventilation openings must be protected against the
penetration of water as well as against contamination through dust etc.
Legal guarantee
Legal guarantee claims can only be made if the supplier's own antifreeze has been used
and maintenance has been carried out correctly. Installation by qualified personnel with
absolute adherence to the instructions is a prerequisite for the justification of claims.

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Tools Needed
Brackets, hooks, bolts etc.
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Collector Specs
Collector Technical Data
Gross Area
Sqft
21.85
Weight (Dry)
Lbs
64.00
Net Area
Sqft
19.50
Content
Gallon
0.42
Aperture
Sqft
20.24
Max Pressure
PSI
147
Fig 1.0

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Recommend Anchor Points for the FHW-FC4000 series

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Pressure drop and flow rates
Mass flow rate
To ensure the performance of the collector, a specific flow rate of 30 l/m²h is to be selected up to
a collector panel size of approx. 25m².
Pipe diameters
Dimensions table with a specific flow rate of 30 l/m²h
Collector Size (m^2)
5 Collectors
8 Collectors
12 Collectors
25 Collectors
Pipe Diameter / Cu (mm)
10-12
15
18
22
Pipe Diameter / SS (mm)
12
22
Pressure loss collector for anti-freeze / water mixture (40% / 60%) at a thermal conducting
temperature of 50° C.
Pressure loss curve: �p = 0,0001443x² + 0,0270143x
Flow Rate (kg/h)
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
Pressure Loss (mbar)
1.7
4.1
7.3
11.2
15.8
21.1
27.1
33.9
41.4
Pressure loss collector for anti-freeze / water mixture (40% / 60%), Temperature of 50° C

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General Closed Loop System Schematics
Flushing and filling
For safety reasons you should only fill the collectors when there is no direct irradiation from the
sun (covering the collectors can be an option). Especially in regions exposed to frost, for flat plate
collectors you should use a mixture of anti freeze with water (40% anti freeze). The solar thermal
system should be filled and commissioned within one week of installation, because heat build-up
in the collector array can damage the flat gaskets in empty systems. If this is not possible, the flat
gaskets should be replaced before commissioning to prevent leakage.
Attention : Anti freeze that is not premixed must be mixed with water prior to
charging the system.
Recommended antifreeze for flat plate collectors –FHWM-GY-50005
25% antifreeze / 75% water mix - freeze point -10°C
40% antifreeze / 60% water mix - freeze point -22°C
50% antifreeze / 50% water mix - freeze point -32°C

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It may not be possible to completely empty collectors one they have been filled. For this reason
collectors exposed to frost should only be filled with a water/antifreeze mixture, also for pressure
and function tests. Alternatively, the pressure test can also be carried out using compressed air
and leak detection spray.
Installing the temperature sensor
The temperature sensor should be installed in the sensor sleeve nearest to the collector array
flow. To ensure optimal contact between the sensor and the surrounding environment, the gap
between the sensor sleeve and the sensor element should be filled with a suitable conducting
compound. All materials used for installing temperature sensors (sensor element, conducting
compound, cables, sealing and insulating materials) must be suitably temperature resistant (up to
250° C).
Operating pressure
The maximum operating pressure is 10 bar.
Bleeding
The system must be bled:
- when commissioning the system (after filling the collectors)
- 4 weeks after commissioning
- when necessary, e.g. if there are malfunctions
Warning: Risk of scalding due to steam and hot heat transfer fluid!
Only operate the bleeding valve if the temperature of the heat transfer fluid is < 60° C.
When bleeding the system, the collectors must not be hot! Cover the collectors and, if possible,
bleed the system
in the morning.
Check heat transfer fluid
The heat transfer fluid must be checked every two years with regard to its antifreeze and pH
value.
- Check antifreeze using antifreeze tester and replace or refill if necessary!
Target value is ca. - 25° C and - 30° C depending on climatic conditions.
- Check pH value with a pH indicator rod (target value approx. pH 7.5):
If the limit pH value is less than ≤ pH 7, replace the heat transfer fluid.
Maintenance of the collector
The collector or the collector array must be inspected visually, once a year, for any damage,
leaks and contamination.
Additional recommendations on operation and maintenance can be found in the supplier's
general documentation and instructions on commissioning and maintenance.

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Connecting the collectors to one another
The diagram below is an example of how the collectors can be connected to one another.
However, the actual connection may be different depending on structural conditions. A maximum
of 6 collectors may be connected in a series! If a collector panel is made up of more than 6
collectors, the panel must be connected several times in parallel

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Installation Steps for Pitched Roof Mounting
1. Locate and mark the roof rafters into which the solar collector mounting brackets will
be mounted (one way to find rafters is to see the “tails” at the edge of the roof).
2. To create a set point for plumbing and level installation, measure the distance from
the edge of the roof to the desired mounting points and mark the points where the
collector mounting brackets will be installed (fig 1.2).
*Note: you need to install a screw into one of the holes in the mounting bracket, not
both holes (fig 1.1).
* Note: for collector model 7000 upper and lower mounting bracket should be 78”
apart measured from top of top bracket to bottom of bottom bracket.
* Note: both the bottom and the top mounting brackets should be placed as per figure
2.0 from each other as possible in the width dimension.
Fig 1.1 Fig 1.2
3. Determine where penetration will be to connect the solar hot water collector with the
storage tank and/or the water supply (use 2 pre-insulated ¾” steel flex hoses or 2
insulated ¾” copper pipes for that connection).
Note: *For a two-collector system that will be elevated above the roof surface, a good
location for this penetration is directly between the two collectors.

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4. Holes should be slightly overlapping to form a sideways “8” shape (see illustration
1.3). Mark the penetration before making holes. If you are installing on a composition
shingle roof make holes 5” below the bottom of the shingle above the penetration.
Fig 1.3
5. Using a hole saw, cut the hole (penetration) for the 2 hoses or pipes from step 3.
6. If using flex hose: before connecting the hose, measure, cut, and lay out the hose,
including enough length for 8’ of hose above the roof. Pull the hose through the hole.
7. Begin mounting bracket installation with bottom bracket. Mark a straight chalk line
between the 2 bottom bracket mounting points.
Fig 1.4
8. For composition shingle roof, DO NOT PENETRATE THE COMPOSITION SHINGLE.
Before installing screws, lift the composition shingle at the install point and slide the
mounting bracket in, beneath the top composition shingle. Place the bracket so that
the top surface composition shingle clears the bracket when folded (lifted) up or down
and mark an outline of the mounting bracket where the mounting bracket will be
fastened to the roof rafter or other appropriate mounting substrate. The marked area
should be 1.5” wide and 2.5” high.

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9. Next, using a cutting tool, cut out a piece of the roof material beneath the top layer of
the composition shingle (the top layer will NOT be penetrated for the mounting
brackets) as marked 1.5” X 2.5” in the shape of the mounting bracket.
Cutting out a piece of roofing material will provide for a flush-mounted roofing bracket.
Fig 1.5 Fig 1.6 Fig 1.7
10. Pre drill mounting bracket screw holes into rafter or other appropriate mounting
substrate (one hole per bracket) using a 7/16” drill bit.
11. FOR ONE BOTTOM BRACKET ONLY, apply Solarflex in bracket screw holes, on roof
surface where bracket will be placed, and on bracket surface that will be facing down.
Fasten first bottom bracket only to rafter or substrate using ½” screw.
Note: *begin installing second bottom bracket only after confirming level installation.
12. Follow Steps 8-11 for the second bottom bracket BUT DO NOT YET FASTEN THE
SECOND BRACKET WITH SCREW.
13. WITHOUT TIGHTENING IT COMPLETELY, place the bottom profile on the bottom
brackets using the clamps and ½” bolts.
14. Using a 4’ level, make sure the profile is level.
15. Once the profile is level, remove it and fasten the second bottom bracket to the roof
using ½” screw.
Fig 1.8
16. Apply AT 302-60 (FHW-AA 60050)to ½” bolts for clamps. Fasten Clamps to brackets
using ½” bolts and washers. Attach profile to clamps, tighten completely.
17. Follow steps 1-16 for top mounting brackets.
18. Place collector on profiles, checking to make sure it fits and lines up appropriately.

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19. Once collector fits and lines up appropriately, apply AT 60 to ½” bolts for collector and
fasten collector to profiles using ½” bolts and washers.
20. If installing more than one collector, cut flex hose or copper pipe in length necessary
to connect collectors. On all plumbing connections use Anti Leak (part # FHWM-AA-
72050)
21. Connect collectors with each other (if installing more than one collector) and with
storage tank, using flex hose or copper pipe and compression fittings.
Note: * Tighten compression fittings gently by hand and then 1.25 turns with a wrench.
Avoid over-tightening as this can damage the flex hose or copper tubing.
22. Cap unused collector connections with cap
23. If not already labeled, install hot and cold water in and out labels to collector and
storage tank.
24. Test system, checking for any leaks and for performance.
Fig 1.90
Fig 1.91

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Flat Roof Installation Instructions

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