Operating and Check-Out Procedures
21
Congratulations: If you carefully followed the steps in
this manual, you now have an efficient, professional-
looking Heliocol solar pool heating system installation.
Final Visual Inspection:
Since you passed your pressure test at this point, lets
visually walk down the entire system and check the fol-
lowing items:
1. Verify that the check valves, control valves and
vacuum breakers are installed properly.
2. Verify that all plastic collector clamp clips are tight.
3. Verify that all lag bolts are secure and that adequate
sealant was used to prevent any roof leaks.
4. Be sure all collector riser tubes are snapped into
the spacer bars (except where they go around obstruc-
tions).
5. Be sure that collector riser tubes are NOT rubbing
on the roof surface between spacer bars. If they are,
adjust spacer bars as needed to prevent this or a hole
may develop in the riser tube.
6. Be certain that the system will automatically drain
down when the pump is shut off or that enough manual
drain valves have been included.
7. Verify that all pipe runs are properly supported with
pipe clamps.
Turning the System On
1. Turn off the pool pump.
2. Turn the three-way valve so that the “closed” indica-
tor points toward the pool side of the valve.
3. Be sure that the ball valves on the feed and return
lines are open.
4. Turn the pool pump on.
5. Set the pool pump timer, if used, so that the pump
will run when sun is shining on the solar collectors.
Usually 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, but this will vary with
geographic location, time of year and the compass
location of the system.
6. When the solar system is running, you should notice:
• A slightly higher pressure reading on the pressure
gauge.
• At midday, if the sun is out, warmer water should
be coming into the pool. This water should be 3 to
5 degrees warmer than the pool temperature. Use
the back of your hand to better feel the difference in
water temperature.
• All the collectors should feel cool to the touch when
the sun is on them. (If they are not, see the trouble-
shooting section.)
7. During the cooler months of the year, it is essential
that the pool surface be covered at night with a “pool
blanket” to maintain a comfortable water temperature.
Low nighttime temperatures can lower the water tem-
perature more than the solar can recover during the
day.
Turning the System Off
1. Turn the pool pump off.
2. Turn the three-way valve so the “closed” indicator
points toward the solar side of the valve.
3. If isolating the collectors, close the ball valves on the
feed and return lines after you are sure all the water
has drained out of the collectors and plumbing.
4. Turn the pool pump on to lter the pool as needed.
That’s all there is to it. You have installed
a Heliocol solar pool heating system that
has been tested and proven worldwide for
quality and reliability. If you run into any
problems with your installation, or have
any future problems, call your Heliocol
representative or our corporate office at
800-79-SOLAR.
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