Collector Sensor

[Riselaw]

Which end of the manifold should the collector sensor be at? When I install the manifold with the Navitron facing me the sensor pocket is at the left/ return end. Right place for it?

Thanks
Stewart

[Amaterasu]

there is only one pocket for the manifold sensor as you have rightly identified.

There seems to be differing schools of thought as to whether that end of the manifold is plumbed up as the return side or the flow side of the manifold.

If you have the sensor reading at the retun end of the loop then the measured temperature of the manifold will be tempered by the (cooler) water returning from your store. This will mean that the pump will stop quicker.

Sensing the outgoing flow (IE the water flows from right to left across the tubes) will mean that the sensor will always be reading heated water and therefore the pump will run for longer..

[Ivan]

If you decide to mount the sensor at the other end of the panel, re-route the sensor cable rather than turning the manifold around (ie keep the rivets at the back of the panel!)

Ivan

[Jonzjob]

Hi Geof,

Is there any chance of you clarifying which end is which please. Which end is the water into the manifold end and which is the water leaving the manifold end???

Sorry to a bit thick!

[Amaterasu]

Jonzjob

AS far as I can tell there is no difference, I arrange mine so that the flow side (from the manifold) is nearest to the cylinder. This will help reduce heat losses on its way to the cylinder.

The only consideration after that is how the pump will perform in relation to temperatures of either incoming or outgoing flows (as mentioned in the earlier thread in this post)

[mick]

Ivan,

On the 20 x 47mm panels the sensor pocket has been to the left when looking 'up' at the panel, on the 30 x 58mm we have just fitted it was to the right. This meant that, as I like to put the sensor on the 'hot' / outward / return side with the manifold very slightly sloping up towards it, that, as the panel was at right angles to where the pipes were going, the return (hot) pipe was about 2.5M longer than the flow.

Is there any chance of getting two sensor pockets fitted, one each end, to all panels as standard?

Regards,

Mick.

[Ivan]

Hi Mick,

We had considered it - the main problem is that it adds a couple of pounds manufacturing cost to each unit - which compares unfavourably to running an extra metre or two of sensor cable to route it to the other end of the panel!


Ivan

[Amaterasu]

Ivan
I must be missing something here.
You seem to be saying that the sensor can be at either end of the manifold, yet there is only one pocket.

Is it possible to mount the manifold upside down, so that on the 47mm panels the sensor is then on the right side (looking from the ground).

I dont remember a second set of captive threads that will allow this to happen.

Cheers

[Ivan]

Hi Geoff,

Re-reading what I have written, I don't think it is entirely clear.

There is only one sensor pocket.  In most cases, it should not be a problem to route pipework so that either end of the panel can be flow and either end can be return. Therefore you can arrange the pipework so that the sensor end becomes the 'flow' end. The sensor cable can easily be extended to reach either end of the panel without any trouble.

I suppose it might possibly be inconvenient in some multiple panel installations, but then again, you can fit the sensor to the panel nearest the flow end of the array, even if it is on the wrong side of the panel.

Hmmm. Maybe that sounds more confusing!

Ivan

[Riselaw]

To be clear then ( !) - the manifold doesn't "know" which is the flow and return end. That's only determined by how we configure the system. So the flow end can be at either end and since I want the sensor to be at the flow end all I have to do is make sure- without changing the sensor or manifold alignment- that the pipework to and from the manifold is et up so the flow end and sensor end correspond. Phew. Easy.

I think what might make us all think that the flow end has to be at the right ( when facing the manifold) is that all the diagrams in the Navitron DIY instructions etc show the flow end at the right.