Criterion 6.5.6 Water Damage

Text:
Collectors and support shall be installed in such a manner that water flowing off the collector surface will not damage the building or cause premature erosion of the roof. Water tanks located in or above the living space shall be installed on a drip pan with a drain line to a waste line or outside or have other means to safely remove any excess liquid.

Comments:
It is important that installers ensure that water flowing off the collectors do not create erosion or pools which could lead to damage of the building structure.

This is of special concern when installing solar collectors on flat roofs. The following photograph (Figure 1) indicates what can happen when there is improper drainage at the roof. In this instance, the system relief valves are open and are draining water onto the roof. The problem in this instance is that maintenance personnel did not ensure that the roof drains were working properly. Even though this is not a solar system problem, the installer will undoubtedly be called upon to address this problem. In this situation, the installers must make sure that the maintenance personnel understand that roof drains must be maintained. This could be included in the instruction manual left with the system owner.

Figure 1

Proceed to the Next Collector Subsystem Guideline

Return to the Collector Subsystem Main Page