Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have a question about SunMaxx or solar thermal systems? Just take a look at the list below…each question has been submitted by one of our solar thermal dealers, installers or clients, and answered by our team of professionally trained technicians and engineers.

Can’t find your solar thermal questions on the list below? No problem, just use the link below and submit your solar thermal question for our team to answer and post on the site.

26Apr

What is the best angle to position my collectors?

This answer depends on what you are trying to accomplish. For simple Domestic Hot Water systems you should try and position you collectors at the same angle as your latitude. For systems that are tied into the home heating system, as in a combisystem, you...
18Apr

How do I properly size my storage tank for the collector area?

The rule of thumb of 1-3 gallons of storage per ft2 of collector willonly get you so far, so it is best to try being creative withyour storage. As your load increases in the winter andproduction decreases, you should adjust your storage capacityaccordingly. Even slight...
05Apr

What can I do with excess energy in the summer?

Three choices- Steam, Drain or Dump.  For most places in the US, there will be more solar gain in the summer than in the winter. This occurs during a time when your load is lowest, so that means EXCESS HEAT. You must deal with this...
05Apr

Is it possible to melt snow off of my collectors?

Yes it is. Depending on your type of collector, you can program your controller to manually activate the circulator which will bring heat from your storage vessel and into the collectors, which will radiate that heat back out thus melting the snow. This method only...
05Apr

How do I know which type of storage tank that I need?

Well, there are really two main options here; pressurized tank or non-pressure tank.The pressure tank will come with heat exchange coils on the inside (2 or 3 depending on style) that will be tied into a closed solar loop and open DHW loop. The additional...
05Apr

How do I know which size of storage tank I need?

There are many answers to this question but it really boils down to this...you need the one that best suits your application, your solar collector field, your budget and your available space.If you use a Heliomaxx kits from Sunmaxx, we have sized the storage vessels...
04Apr

How long does it usually take to install a prepackaged DHW kit?

Well, that all depends but usually 2 workers can install a simple DHW kit and have it fully commissioned within 3 days. There are some cases where only 2 days is required and some days more. Our Heliomaxx kits are designed for simplicity and we...