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close after the water has warmed up, this results in excess water usage. The valves are susceptible to
damage and go out of calibration if exposed to high temperatures. Increased reliability can be
obtained if the frost valves are installed on a 300mm length of uninsulated copper tube with a heat
trap, thereby limiting the heat from the valve. These valves are useful as a back up to the controller
frost protection and also on thermosyphon systems where no controllers are installed.
Figure 7 Mechanical frost valves
Frost valves rely upon the warm water in the cylinder heating the collectors, this therefore results in
cooling of the hot water cylinder and thus increased energy consumption.
Water Quality
Water that contains a high percentage of foreign matter, is of poor or unacceptable quality or
contains low chlorine concentrations can lead to blockages, corrosion or premature failure of the
systems. Such failures are out of acceptable limits and are not covered by the warranty. Systems
operating under such conditions should have their periodic maintenance increased to suit.
Collectors
For reference the collector specifications are available from the EcoSolar website.
 EcoSolar
Energy Conscious Design Limited
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