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Home > Research > Solar Thermal > SWAP > Ten Years After > Citrus Area Site #7

Site 7

System type: ICS system.
Installed: 1996
Inspected: 2002

System not operating.

New owner installed new water heater and did not connect plumbing to solar system. When the new owner purchased the house (in Spring 2001), the collector loop was isolated. When the collector loop was opened, the owner noticed that water was coming off the roof. The new owner stated that it initially appeared that one of the valves was leaking. Upon closer investigation, he noticed that the leak was also coming from inside the collector. The landlord took the glazing off the unit and noted that there were numerous and severe leaks at the absorber’s end caps. (Note that the ICS manufacturer has stated that he did have a bad batch of end caps, which caused failures on about 6 units. They were all covered by warranty.) At that point the owner decided to just isolate the system.