Sage Advance Corp Copper Cricket 1B User manual

95.0101

IMPORTANTNOTICE:PLEASEREADTHISPAGE.
Thesolarenergysystemdescribedbythismanual,whenproperlyinstalledand
maintained,meetsthestandardsestablishedbytheSolarRatingandCertification
Corporation(SRCC)andthestandardsestablishedbytheFloridaSolarEnergyCenter
(FSEC),inaccordancewithSection377.705,FloridaStatutes.Thiscertificationdoes
notimplyendorsementorwarrantyofthisproductbySRCC,byFSEC,orbytheState
ofFlorida.

TABLEOFCONTENTS PAGE
SYSTEMINFORMATION1
HOWDOESTHECOPPERCRICKET™WORK?2
FIGURE1.SchematicshowinghowtheCopperCricket™works3
FIGURE2.Diagramof the basicwaterconnectionsbetweentheauxiliarytank,solarstoragetank,
andtheSolarPad4
FIGURE3.Alternativediagramofthewaterconnections,showingoptionalby-passandoptional
3-valveisolation5
FIGURE4.Photographofthe3-wayvalves,showingthe"FLOW"and"FLUSH"positions5
TESTINGFORPROPERPERFORMANCE6
GENERALMAINTENANCE7
Cleaningtheglass7
SOLARPADANDTANKMAINTENANCE7
SolarpadandTankflush8
DE-SCALINGFLUSH8
Keepa record9
RE-ROOFING9
ABSENCEFROMHOME9
Winter:9
Summer:9
SOLARACCESS10
SAFETY10
A.LeakintheSolarPadheatexchanger:10
B.Leakinthesolarstoragetank.Ifyourtankhasnoisolationvalves10
C.Leakinthesolarstoragetank.Ifyourtankhasisolationvalves10
D.Leakintheauxiliarytankorthewaterconduitsconnectingthetanktothehouse
watersystem10
E.Ifindoubt,calla plumberorSageAdvance'sCustomerService(503)485-1947.10
FIGURE 5. Isolationofthesolarstoragetankusingthebrassnipple11

TABLEOFCONTENTSPAGE
IMPORTANTNOTES12
Donotopenthesealedplugsortheaccessvalveonthesolarloop.Severesteam
burnscouldresult12
Takeprecautionsnottodrill,saw,orpuncturethecopperpipesofthesolarloop.12
Hotwatercaninjurechildrenandpets,orkillgardenplantsandgrassifdirected
outside12
TEMPERATURERECORD13
ANNUALHEATEXCHANGERMAINTENANCERECORD14
THEINSTALLATIONPROCEDURES15
1.0OVERVIEW16
1.1HowtoUsethisInstallationManual16
1.2PreviewoftheInstallationProcess16
1.3SAFETYandImportantNotes17
1.4FunctionalRequirements17
2.0INSTALLATIONATTHESOLARSTORAGETANK19
2.1InstalltheSolarPadandthesolarstoragetank19
2.2ConnecttheSolarPadtotheThermosiphonPort19
2.3ConnecttheSolarPadtotheSolarstoragetank'sDrainPort20
FIGURE6.Partslaidoutforthehot waterhook-upbetweenthesolarstoragetankandtheheat
exchanger.21
FIGURE7.Installingthethermosiphondiptubeintothelowerelementport22
FIGURE8.Hotwaterconnectionbetweenthesolarstoragetankandtheheatexchanger22
FIGURE9.Partslaidoutforthecoldwaterhook-upbetweenthesolarstoragetankandtheheat
exchanger23
FIGURE10.Connectionof the coldwaterbetweenthesolarstoragetankandtheheatexchanger.23
FIGURE11.Heatexchanger3-wayvalvesshowingflowandflushpositions24
FIGURE12.Partsofthemixingvalve24
2.4ConnecttheSOLARSTORAGETANKtotheHouseWaterSystem25
2.5FillwithWater,PressureTest,andFlush25
FIGURE13.Basictwo-tankwaterhook-up26
FIGURE14.Waterhook-upwithoptionalby-passandisolationvalves27

TABLEOFCONTENTSPAGE
FIGURE15.AssemblyoftheT-PvalveandOverheatProtection(OHP)valve27
3.0INSTALLATIONONTHEROOF28
3.1InformationaboutMountingtheSolarCollectorontheRoof28
3.2LayingOuttheRooffortheSolarCollector28
3.3InstallingtheRoofJack28
3.4PreparingtheSolarCollector(s)forMountingontheRoof.29
3.5MountingtheCollectorontheRoof.29
FIGURE16. CopperCricketplanviewandrooflayout31
FIGURE17.CopperCricketeastelevationandrooflayout32
FIGURE 18. Mountingoptions(A)usingspannersundertherafters,or(B)4 X 4 blocksbetween
therafters32
FIGURE19.Connectingtwo CopperCricketsRedandBluePipesandVaporConnector33
3.6ConnectingtheSolarCollector(s)totheSolarPad34
FIGURE20.Placethethermometerwellsontheredandbluepipeswheretheyareeasilyread...35
4.0FLUSHANDPRESSURETESTTHESOLARLOOP36
4.1FlushingOuttheSolarLoop36
4.2PressurizetoTestforLeaks36
4.3PrepareforStart-up37
FIGURE21.DetailofCopperCricketportsandschematicdrawingof the fillingequipment37
5.0FILLANDSTARTTHECOPPERCRICKET38
5.1PreparetheSolarLiquid38
5.2FilltheSolarLoop38
5.3Sun-StarttheCopperCricket.39
5.4FinishingUp41
5.5InsulatePipesandSolarstoragetank41
5.6"NITE-STARTtm"Note41
6.0TESTINGFORPROPERPERFORMANCE42
6.1AboutTestingforProperPerformance42
6.2IftheRedandBluearebothhigh(above160°F),andYellowislow(below
100°F)43

TABLEOFCONTENTSPAGE
6.3Ifthedifference,Red-minus-Blue,isgreaterthan50°F,butlessthan90°F...43
6.4IfBlueishigherthanRed- 44
6.5IfRed,Blue,andYellowarealllow(60-100°F)ORIfRed-minus-Blueis
greaterthan90°F,ORifthefuseplugismelted- 44
6.6ReplacingtheFusePlug44
7.0RE-ROOFING45
APPENDIXA - METHANOLMATERIALSAFETYDATASHEET46
APPENDIXB - PROJECTEDLIFETIMEOFPARTS53
APPENDIXC - PARTSLISTANDAVAILABILITY54
APPENDIXD - SRCCRATINGCERTIFICATES55
APPENDIXE - 10YEARLIMITEDWARRANTY57
APPENDIXF - RECOMMENDEDTOOLSLIST58
APPENDIXG - SOLDERINGINSTRUCTIONS59
APPENDIXH - VACUUMVS.TEMPERATUREGRAPH60

SYSTEMINFORMATION
Pleaserecordthefollowinginformationimmediately.Itisessential
informationforanyservicecall.SageAdvanceCorporation'sphone:
[phone].
YourNamePhone( )
Installer'sNamePhone( )
PurchasedateStart-update
CopperCricket:1 or2 collectors?
Serialnumber(s)(l)(2)
SolarPadheatexchangerserialnumber
Collectorelevation(forexample30°or7/12 pitch)
Verticalheightfromtopofcollectortoheatexchanger(infeet)
Pipelengthfromtopofcollectortoheatexchanger(oneway,infeet)
Pipesizeandtype(forexample:3/4"copper,TypeM)
Storagetankcapacity(gallons)
Page1

HOWDOESTHECOPPERCRICKET™WORK?
TheCopperCricketisa passiveself-pumping,self-regulatingsolarhot waterheater.Itoperates
onthe"geyserpumping"principle.Unlessthehermeticallysealedsolarloophasbeenopenedandair
allowedin,theCopperCricketwilloperatewithoutattention,collectingsolarheatinthecollectorand
transferringittoyourhot watertank — withnoelectricpower,nopumps,nomovingorelectronicparts.
FollowthediagraminFigure 1 whileyoureadbelowtoseehowitworks.
SolarenergyabsorbedintheCOPPERCRICKETheatsandboilstheliquidintheRISERTUBES.
Theliquidisan"antifreeze"mixtureofmethanolandwater.Boilingmakesvaporbubbleswhichlifthot
liquidintotheHEADER(asina coffee percolator)wheretheliquidandvaporseparate.Hotliquidflows
onewaytoward theHEATEXCHANGER,andvaporflowstheotherwaytowardtheVAPOR
CONDENSER.Thesolarloop,filledonbothsidestothesamelevelastheVAPORCONDENSER,stays
inbalanceuntilthehot liquidfrom theHEADERbeginstobuildup.Thebuild-uppushesthehotliquid
downtotheHEATEXCHANGER,whereitgivesupitsheattotheSOLARSTORAGETANK,and
pushesthecooledliquidbackuptotheVAPORCONDENSER.AsthecooledliquidenterstheVAPOR
CONDENSER,itcondensesthehotvapor from theHEADER,andthecombinedflowreturnstothefoot
ofthecollector.SolarenergyagainheatsandboilstheliquidintheRISERTUBES-andtheCopper
Cricketchirpson!
TheCopperCricketisevacuatedsotheliquidintherisertubeswillboilassoonasit'swarm,
ratherthanwaitinguntilitreachesitsusualboilingpoint.Thevacuumismaintainedbythevapor
condenser,whichre-condensesthevaporafterithasdoneitsworkof lifting thehotliquidintotheheader.
HotwaterfromtheSolarPadheatexchangerrisesbyconvection(thermosiphons)intothesolar
storagetank.A plumbingschematicforthetankisshowninFigure2.
Page2

FIGURE1.Schematicshowing howtheCopperCricket™works.
Page3

FIGURE2.Diagramofthebasicwaterconnectionsbetweentheauxiliarytank,solar
storagetank,andtheSolarPad.
Page4