Faulty Solar Hot Water Frost Valve? Get a plumbonline Frost-Guard!

Solar Frost-Guard Frost Valve Dead-Leg Extension SFG-15

Winter has arrived! Time to check your solar hot water frost valves to ensure that your system heats your hot water but won't freeze & burst due to a faulty frost valve.

plumbonline introduce the "Frost-Guard" a custom easy install dead leg extension. The Frost-Guard can simply be installed with no need for copper brazing, and it even comes with a roll of thread tape! The Frost-Guard can be installed with all 15mm Frost Protection Valves (FPV's).

What Does The Frost-Guard Do?

Frost Protection Valves can be prone to overheating in the Summer months which can in some cases stress the wax filament cartridge in the valve, and this is the part that controls the operation of the valve when the temperature drops to 4 Deg C protecting your solar panels. The Frost-Guard provides a "Dead-Leg" or "space" between the solar hot water panel and the FPV. The dead leg allows the excess heat caused by panel stagnation mainly in the Summer to dissipate before causing damage to FPV's wax filament.

Important note:

The Frost Protection Valve (FPV) is not recommended for freeze zones. A closed circuit collector panel with an approved anti-freeze fluid transfer should be used for these locations.

Frost Valve Operation

The Frost Protection Valve is designed to protect a solar collector panel from frost damage when the outside air temperature drops. The air temperature is monitored by a sensitive wax filled element which reacts by opening the FPV valve seat when the temperature drops. This allows warm water from the solar storage cylinder to flow through the solar collector panel and out of the FPV. The warm water flowing through the solar collector makes it harder for the panel to spot freeze which could damage the solar collector. The warm water flowing through the FPV will eventually close the valve seat and the water will stop flowing. The FPV will automatically repeat this cycle until the outside air temperatures rise.

Maintenance

The frost protection valve has small waterways and may be prone to a build-up of sludge when installing at the lower connection fitting of a solar collector. AVG recommends checking and cleaning at regular intervals to prevent valve malfunction and possible damage to the solar collector panel.

SHOP Frost Guard