Not very many things are predictable in this world, from movies to football scores, but one thing that is certain is that winter is coming, and so is the frosty cold. If you have a solar pumping system then you might be acquainted with the possible pains of the piercing ice and its relationship with your water pumping system. Preparation for the weather to come can make a huge difference in your solar pumping system operating at maximum efficiency. Here are some tips to help prepare for the winter season before the temperature drops and some things you can do after to help maintain performance.
Changing the angles on your solar panels can increase the amount of sunlight a solar panel can capture, and therefore changing the amount of energy it can provide. An appropriate angle for a solar panel is your location’s latitude plus 15 degrees. For example Oklahoma is at 35.5 degrees North, so the ideal solar panel angle for Oklahoma is 50.5 degrees. There are many longitude and latitude maps which can be found for free online. Here's one example http://www.mapsofworld.com/lat_long/usa-lat-long.html.
Be sure your pipes have a weep hole. A weep hole is a small opening below the frost level that allows water to drain freely from the pipes when the solar pump shuts off at night or in very low light conditions. Without the weep hole the pipe can contain trapped water when the solar pump is not running, which can then freeze as the temperature drops. At that point the pipe either has to be thawed or replaced because it has busted due to the water inside expanding as it freezes or worse yet when your pump comes on in the morning and pumps against the restriction it can damage or ruin your pump entirely. In addition to a weep hole, also have the pipes at an angle from the well head to the tank that allows the water to completely drain. There should be no low areas or loops in the piping, this will prevent water from becoming trapped and creating an ice plug. Also the delivery pipe can not be in the water in the tank.
Above is a solar pumping system operating securely throughout the winter while the panels are covered with ice.
Depending on your situation and needs there could be many more possibilities to prevent busted pipes due to freezing, keeping the pipes deep underground, insulating your well or tank, or even winterizing your solar pumping system until the weather warms up. We encourage you to take the precautions that fit your situation. It's also best if your delivery pipe to your tank is not facing due north into the bitter winter wind. This can cause the water to freeze in the delivery pipe at a much faster rate and you may want to consider placing an elbow on the delivery pipe and turning it down to the tank to prevent the wind from blowing up the pipe.
It is important to us at Advanced Power Inc. that our customers are happy and that their solar powered water-pumping systems are free of any trouble and inconveniences. Please take the necessary measures to protect your solar pump system from this winter season by following the tips above, so that when you need water, you’ll have it.
Clear off fresh snow. Seems simple enough, right? Sunlight can be scarce and blotted out by the clouds during the winter months, but nothing is worse than premium sunshine finally showing itself and you realize your solar panels are stuck under eight inches of snow. It only takes a few seconds to grab a push broom and keep the snow cleared, but this simple routine maintenance can do a lot of good.
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