BTE Solar: 4 Key Considerations for Winter Solar Water Heating Projects

With the arrival of winter, low temperatures can easily cause freezing and blockage in the pipes and equipment of solar water heating systems, which not only affects normal heating but may also lead to component rupture and increase maintenance costs. To ensure the stable operation of the system, please keep this winter solar water heating project protection guide well. Installation units and user units should promptly refer to and implement it!

I. Equipment and Pipelines: Building a Strong "Protective Shield" for Insulation

1. Conduct a comprehensive inspection of the insulation layer: Focus on checking areas prone to heat dissipation such as solar collectors, pipes, water tanks, interfaces, and valves. If the insulation layer is damaged, fallen off, or cracked, replace or repair it immediately.

2. Verify the anti-freezing function: For systems with anti-freezing strips, confirm through the control panel that they can automatically start and stop at low temperatures. Sense the surface temperature by hand to see if it is normal. Contact maintenance in time if it is abnormal.

3. Supplement anti-freezing measures: For systems without anti-freezing devices, anti-freezing belts should be installed on the water pipelines operating in environments below 0℃, or a constant-temperature/timed anti-freezing circulation function should be added.

4. Inspect electrical equipment: Ensure that all types of power execution devices in the system are operating normally to avoid affecting the anti-freezing effect due to equipment failure.

II. Daily Use: Standardized operation leads to fewer problems

1. Dedicated personnel for maintenance: Assign a dedicated person to manage the system, ensure stable water and electricity supply, and conduct regular inspections of all functions.

2. Avoid prolonged inactivation: When not in use, do not directly cut off water and power supply. Drain the water in the pipeline to ensure smooth exhaust and normal opening and closing of the safety valve. When the vacuum tube system is not in use for a long time and cannot be shielded from sunlight, remove 2 to 3 vacuum tubes from each column to prevent damage from exposure to the sun.

3. Special requirements for new projects: For water pipelines operating in environments below 0℃, anti-freezing belts must be installed and anti-freezing functions must be set. The freezing point of the antifreeze medium should be at least 5℃ lower than the local minimum temperature. After the water pressure test for leakage, the accumulated water should be drained and antifreeze medium added on the same day. If the liquid cannot be added in time, the remaining water should be blown clean with an air pump.

III. Extreme Low Temperatures: Early Warning + Scientific Response

1. Strengthen protection before warning: After receiving the warning of extreme low temperature and continuous rain and snow, further check the anti-freezing function. The anti-freezing belt can be activated to operate continuously, and the normal mode can be restored after the low temperature passes.

2. Timely snow removal: After rain or snow, promptly clear the snow on the surface of the collector to avoid affecting the heat collection efficiency and prevent the melting snow from seeping into the insulation layer and freezing.

3. Suspend outdoor operations: When the temperature is below -10 ℃, do not carry out outdoor operations such as system disassembly and maintenance. In case of emergency repair, ensure that personnel are kept warm and equipment is protected from freezing.

IV. Emergency for freezing and blockage: Do not use brute force; handle it scientifically

1. Do not force operation: When the pipeline is frozen and blocked (there is no water flow from the boiling water valve), do not directly pour boiling water or forcibly turn the valve to avoid component rupture due to excessive temperature difference.

2. Slow and scientific thawing: Open the anti-freezing tape to thaw naturally, or slowly pour warm water at 30℃-40℃ along the outside of the pipe. After thawing, add a small amount of water first. Make sure the water flow is normal before resuming use.

3. Professional maintenance guarantee: If the equipment breaks and leaks due to freezing and blockage, immediately close the valve and stop using it. Contact professional after-sales personnel for inspection and repair as soon as possible. Do not disassemble it by yourself.