Criterion 6.5.15 Pitch or Angle of Piping Installation

Criteria text:
Piping should be sloped toward drain ports with a drainage slope of no less than 2 cm vertical drop for each meter of horizontal length (1/4 inch per foot).

Comments:
This criteria will be specified in the manufacturer's SRCC approved installation manual. Installers must follow this very inmportant requirement.

All systems must have some means of drainage for service, freeze prevention, maintenance and troubleshooting purposes. (Although this requirement refers to "piping," keep in mind that solar collectors also incorporate piping and therefore, this requirement applies to them as well.)

Some particular systems such as drainback, draindown, active and passive direct require collector drainage as a freeze prevention option.

Installers must ensure that the collector and collector loop piping drains properly. The rule of thumb is to provide a 1/4 inch per foot slope for collector and piping.

If this is not adhered to, neither collector or piping will be able to drain, as is evident in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 1

Figure 2

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