Solar Water System Service - Dublin

woppi

About 5 years ago I got a solar water heating system installed in a house near DCU. The original installer is out of business and now there's no circulation happening between tubes and tank. The pump is making a whirring sound, but the flow gauge shows no flow.

Although I can find plenty of companies that install solar water heating systems, I'm finding it difficult to find one that will service one that has been installed by someone else. However, I'm sure they are out there.

Can I get a list, preferably of those who operate in Dublin?

Thanks.

sky6

It sounds like something has happened the Pump and is you're problem.
Any local Plumber should be able to swap out the pump ( like for like ) for you without effecting the installation. Not a very big job for a Plumber.

ccsolar

woppi wrote: »

About 5 years ago I got a solar water heating system installed in a house near DCU. The original installer is out of business and now there's no circulation happening between tubes and tank. The pump is making a whirring sound, but the flow gauge shows no flow.

Although I can find plenty of companies that install solar water heating systems, I'm finding it difficult to find one that will service one that has been installed by someone else. However, I'm sure they are out there.

Can I get a list, preferably of those who operate in Dublin?

Thanks.

Hi
There is a pressure gauge at the side of the pumping station, check this gauge for pressure in the late evening after dark preferably for an accurate reading
It's more than likely that you have had a drop in pressure for some reason possibly a leak.
Switch off system until repaired
Cc

ccsolar

sky6 wrote: »

It sounds like something has happened the Pump and is you're problem.
Any local Plumber should be able to swap out the pump ( like for like ) for you without effecting the installation. Not a very big job for a Plumber.

It's very very rare for a pump to fail without an other fault
A plumber cannot change the pump without affecting the system as air will be introduced into the equation
The entire system needs to be flushed and re pressurised after the underline fault is fixed.
Cc

woppi

woppi wrote: »

...The pump is making a whirring sound, but the flow gauge shows no flow...

It turns out that I'm not the only one who has trouble finding someone to service a system installed by another company. Since it is such an open market on what products installers use, and how they fit them, it is more difficult for someone to come in after the fact and know exactly how each system component is rated, and if it was installed correctly to work with the other components.

Anyway, I did eventually get an engineer to assess the problem. It was hypothesised that the last time the system was worked on, undiluted heat transfer fluid was used and air pockets were left in the system. Simply pumping through more water, to end up with a correctly diluted heat transfer fluid should do the trick. This was done recently and I will post more details after a few more hot and sunny days have passed.

JohnnieK

You could try solarrepairs.ie as a possible solution. I customer of mine used them before and he said they where very good.

If no one has gone near it in 5 year's you can bet your bottom dollar the glycol might need replacing.