Apricus Solar Hot Water System Questions & Answers (page 3 of 4)

kno Don't know if my answer went to you or not. Please tell me,I'll answer it again if no.

Geronimo

You have water hammer so get plumber to fit a water hammer arrestor in the pipes

I have had same issues with mine in hobart pump number three in 7 years they seem fragile and i always have trouble getting some one to fix so apricus needs to sort out there after sale service

I'm no plumber Do you have ants when it's cold they like warm on the side of water tank sensor shorting circut my plumber cleaned and puffed a little baby powder anound ants do like it. If your panel shows SSD instead of temp more than likely pump.

You should be able to hear the pump cycling. Stand outside the heating system and see if you can hear it. When it does cycle the float value which is yellow and has some kind of spring in it rises to the top. When the pump is off it sits on the bottom. It cycles all day. Last cycle will be when theres not sun.You can also see the temp of the water by taking the cover off the box. This is helpful as it shows what temp the water is. Press the plus sign to record the temps. One temp is whats cycling through, one temp is the heat on the tubes and one temp is what the temp of the water is.If you have any further questions Ill go and tell you exactly what the readings mean by having a look at ours. You should have hot water all year round in QLD. Have you called Apricus? Forget the plumber go straight to the company.
How old is the system?

Ours was over $6000 then we got a $2000 rebate. We worked out that after 5 yrs of using this system that this would be the breaking point if we had converted to gas hot water heating. Almost at the 3 year mark.

I cannot remember do some research on line. Sorry

Hi Stuart sorry for delay we are in sunny Darwin where the Apricus system would work a dream!!! Sounds like your thermostat has gone. Ours did this. System was 2.5 years old. We had it replaced by electrician $150. All back on track now. Could I ask what your electricity bill is with having your system on all day. We are trialling this to compare it against boosting 2 hrs every day. Louise

What do you mean by adjusting the water temperature? Our programe was adjusted by an Apricus installer and a regulator was installed by them as well . Our water is quite hot still as the weather has been very warm here during the day and the sensor and gas does not need to be on . I was advised that winter will be the time that the gas will kick in but it is still very cheap hot water. We have had this system for over a year 1 to 2 people using the hot water and still using the same Gas bottle! I would say thats very economical ! If your having a problem get in touch with Apricus they were extremely helpful and fixed all our problems with their own Installer
Regards Lucia.

Hi Tony

The maximum temperature permitted at your Bathroom fixtures is no greater than 50 degrees Celsius but no such restriction at the Kitchen and Laundry tub - as per the Plumbing Code. If you are experiencing temperatures below that then the most likely cause would be that the Tempering Valve (temp control valve) is either faulty or just needs a slight adjustment, it is very unlikely but low hot water temperatures could be VERY dangerous and you should get the issue addressed immediately - same applies to any hot water system. Feel free to call us and we can talk you through some simple troubleshooting steps and there's a good chance we can diagnose it over the phone.

The best way to wire them up is to install a switch in the power line to the booster and you can turn it off except when you need it. IN Qld that is only after 2 dull days on our unit I also installed a thermometer in the spare outlet in the top of my 250 L tank and so knew the temp of the water we would be using Only cost $14 on Ebay worked a treat The thermostat is supposed to be set at 60C so the solar normally would have it a lot hotter than that. Depending on the controller you should be able to tell the tank temp from the readout on that.

Get your tempering valve checked and also the little one way vale in the line above the pump Can get calcified and allow backfeeding overnight That valve is $13 at Bunnings Tempering valves ( The bit with the orange cap on it) are about $140

Constant dripping from.shower head and/or bath spout when the taps are turned off. This has only happened since we've had building renovations and plumbing to an extra area of our house, all of which would have necessitates the plumber having water turned off and on several times. Dripping noise is irritating - windering if it is a pressure problem and how to rectify please

The authorized service plumber changed ours over and managed any issues directly with Apricus, it would be best to get your plumber to contact Apricus and discuss.

Many thanks Graham

Hi Rinke
Firstly, from my own experience, I think all this green crap is just that: CRAP! We do not have sufficient development of of materials to do what a good clean coal powered generating station can do AT THIS TIME IN OUR DEVELOPMENT TO POWER OUR HOMES. Having said that, i did invest in an Apricus Solar Hot water system, as it impressed me with the way in which it operated. I only got 1 1/2 years out of it before the electric water pump died - and left me with a huge $625 bill for a replacement. That was a very costly 18 months for hot water. I found that by lowering the flow rate to "minimum" put far less stress on the pump, and touch wood, this has now been going for the past 3 years without problems. The system works exceptionally well; but the water pump is its Achilles heel. Also about every 6 to 7 years you will have to have the insulation packing at the end of the tube array going into the heat exchanger replaced to maintain performance. I would not suggest getting a separate floor tank unit, as this still provides water pump problems - as well as consuming electricity. A suitable roof unit would be ideal. It certainly works on dull days, and in winter very well. If you use hot water for more than 1 shower in the early morning, I would suggest you engage the meter box timer to heat the water tank for 1 hour before the sun rises. This would be very important in colder climates down south.
All in all, it is far better than the majority of units I have looked at. with the provisos I have explained. Site the unit on the roof in a NW orientation, as this will give the best results.
I hope this helps you.

Would recommend that you DO NOT INSTALL an APRICUS system . Our system is exactly 2yo but the Manifold on the roof has split with the frost! However the Controller ( with only a 1yr warranty ) has also failed so WE HAVE NO WARRANTY COVER whatsoever. APRICUS have stated that the cost to replace will be over $1000 and the same thing could happen next winter ! It would be cheaper to pay for your electricity than the cost of maintaining one of these systems.

Thank you all for your help i have decided to get a gas instant hot water no more solar.

Had exactly the same issue as yourself. Found that just after 2 years the system was running at least 10C cooler on average than it had been at the start. I actually had my controller installed inside the house so I picked this up quite quickly. I assume many people wouldn't even know this as they do not think about it. Anyway, the system was topping at at around 65C in the middle of summer which is pretty poor as I have a 40 tube 315L system. Apricus eventually admitted that there had been some bad heat pipes from that vintage (2014) although I have read of issues with others from 2012 perhaps. Anyway, getting to the point- when the heat pipes were replaced I noticed exactly the same black scale that you did. Some pipes were still completely shiny as if new and others with peeling black scale. Plumber said black corrosion was normal but I found it interesting with the complete contrast. Apricus eventually helped out with the warranty (appreciated) and system is now running 60C in middle of Autumn which is much better. As you mentioned- I'm hoping this is just a bad batch rather than an ongoing issue as labour for removing and replacing 40 heat pipes was around $400 which I would not want to cover myself. I just assumed that they would replace the entire tube which would be a lot easier- but more expensive in parts for them.

I contacted Apricus following the replacement of my tubes and they indicated that the new tubes would still be covered by the 10 year warranty. I have to say they were very responsive in supplying the tubes and labour given it was over the Christmas period.

Is the noise coming from the HWS or the water pipes?

I believe it is coming from the piping

Hi Alan,
Can you please call me about your system on 02 8789 6000.
Thanks,
Johann

Is your controller located in direct sunshine Our Solarstat one did this until i shifted it to a more shaded position on the wall Had no more problems since

No, tried that too, I bought a new controller for 330 dollars, but that one only lasted a month before the relay started "hacking"

I had 8 years of perfect service from it but now it is a bottomless pit for wasting money and no comeback

There is always a build up of pressure whenever the hot water cylinder is being heated as water expands when heated . All hot water systems do this whether they are solar, gas or electric. We have the same system and we have a large bucket under the outlet and put it on the garden occasionally (cooled!). I have found that most of the leaking occurs during the electric boost phase. Not sure where you are but if you are in a warm climate you could probably turn off the booster to save a bit of power and water.

I agree with Jules. Hot water expands when heated & pressure builds up, so a relief valves lets the excess pressure out. Some solar panels have a PR (pressure relief) on the collector unit on the roof. Hot pressure is blown off out of sight on to the roof & down the gutter etc. What I'm told is the Apricus System relies only on the PR valve attached to the storage tank. Mine does this occasionally too. The water in a solar system gets very hot in summer like a kettle & something has to give. Therefore you have to expect a leakage of water in extreme conditions. 12 litres is a lot so if this persists maybe the PR valve is suspect and should be changed. If the leakage is now & then on hot days or boost do what Jules suggests, put it on the garden when cooled.
Peter

Thank you both for your response. I live in Port Macquarie NSW Australia. Since I have had this system I have not used the Booster and the leaking is still constant and continuing. I even had a visitors and that day there was a total of 4 showers had, still leaking. For a country that is trying to be more energy efficient and encourage residents to be more energy efficient, this system does not do that. Would it reduce the leaking if several of the solar tubes were disconnected?

Get a new pressure relief valve or open it and wiggle it around as it may have a bit of grit or similar preventing it from fully closing

We are 2 person household and in QLD our tankwater temp gets up to over 70deg but valve doesnt leak. However they arent cheap.

I have a gas boosted system and not an element with electric boost. I am unfamiliar with this problem. I am not convinced that it is the element causing the issue.
I would ring Apricus on 1300-277-428 as I have always found them to be very helpful.
They can also pass you on to a rep who can assist even further if required.
Good luck with it. I would be interested in the outcome as it sounds unusual.

Thanks. Yes i contacted Apricus some weeks ago and the person on the phone suggested to contact a local Apricus rep. They charge $200 to come home an 'have a look'.
I thought it would be wise to post the problem first. Perhaps someone experienced the same problem and could comment on the outcome.

Hi,
I had this issue with our system at one stage. Apparently it is cavitation in the system which is bubbles forming in the water when it is warm. This means that the pump stops pumping properly and remains on trying to pump bubbles. I can't quite remember what fixed it for us but I got an Apricus plumber out and he changed the controller but can't remember if that was linked. We have not had that issue for some time.
$200 sounds like a lot for a look. My visit was a mere $90 + the $180 for the controller.
I think the Apricus guys are probably the best to talk to.

Open the relief valve on the cistern and bleed the air off Should be done every couple of months anyway The pump should be on Auto and it only pumps water when a certain difference in temperature is reached. We never have the electric element on and only lose temp after two cloudy days.

If it is not holding temperature over night it will be the non return valve above the pump that is blocked open and the unit is backfeeding over night. Go out at 5pm and note the temp in the tank and on the roof. If they even out over 3 hours the valve is open. Ours did it and I replaced the valve for $13 and 5 mins work Now tank temp is 65 at 5pm and still 60 after two showers at 8 am next morning.

The noise could be the thermostat is too high and is boiling the water Check water temp at the overflow or on the controller readout