Maintanance & Repairs

Solar Maintenance and Repairs for Western New York

Provided by Rochester Solar Technologies LLC.

This page provides information relating to New York solar hot air, and hot water systems that were installed during the federal rebate programs in the seventies and eighties to conserve energy, and promote renewable energy.

If your Western New York solar heating system is not functioning properly, give Rochester Solar Technologies LLC. a call and let us get your solar heating system working again. We want you to have the peace of mind that your solar system is providing the most heat, or hot water as the day it was installed. If you want reliable, professional, and dependable service call us today.
The information provided on this page is from our personal experience in repairing these systems. We have yet to see any system that is the same, and uses the same components. When these were installed, there was not a set standard put forth, so many different parts were installed, and systems vary greatly. You may also want to note that many of the parts are not available, but we do have access to these hard to find parts. There are three basic names for these systems and panels GSE-9000, Northern Solar, and Blackwall or Black Magic.

These systems are often called Black Magic or Black Wall

These solar hot air and hot water systems were designed with many different types of equipment. Depending on the installer, contractor, and available equipment would depend on what equipment was installed at that time. We have found that even homes that are located close to each other, which were installed during the same time period, could have different solar equipment.

We have a database and record file of over 500 solar heating systems that were installed in Western New York with some of the original paperwork, site plans, pictures, costs etc. If you are looking for information on your system, it maybe possible that we have your system files in our records.

Give Rochester Solar Technologies LLC. a call and see what advice we can offer on your solar heating system: (585) 576-8092

In the seventies the United States Federal Government gave large incentives and rebates to individuals who built homes with solar heat and solar hot water. These systems will take heat from the sun and make it into useful hot air and hot water for residential homes. In New York State alone, there are hundreds of these systems still in operation.

When these Solar Heating systems were installed, they were state of the art, allowing years of dependable, function able, and reliable solar hot water and solar heat. They were the building block for the first residential widespread solar heating and hot water systems in New York State and across the USA. Today you will find many of these systems still functioning after thirty plus years. Common systems were Black Magic, Northern Solar, and the GSE 9000.

Many of these systems have had over thirty years of abuse from the weather and other factors. In fact these systems since they are located on rooftops, with electronics in the attics of homes are subject to extreme temperatures. This can cause problems with these systems and make them break down.

New York State residents can now take advantage of our solar heating consultation. If you are a New York State Resident, and have one of these vintage solar hot water or heating systems that is not currently functioning, give us a call and we will give you an estimate, and get your system up and working! Most problems can be fixed for a small service fee plus parts, not thousands of dollars. Please note that we also offer consultation for any systems in the United States, however we only offer home visits to Central and Western New York State Residents.

Controller
This a Delta T differential controller. It's purpose is to measure the difference between the solar panel temps, and the "inside" temp and turn on the system pump or blower moter.












Pump
These pumps circulates water or No Burst, or in older systems Glycol was used. Please note that Glycol is a hazardous substance and should be disposed of by qualified solar repair personal









Blower
This style blower was a commonly used style in the solar forced air systems. These are usually located in attics of homes and had insulation around them and the duct work feeding into and out of the blower.










Sensor
The Thermistor is a sensor which tells the differential controller to turn on and off. These are usually 10K or 3K, but they do come in other styles.














Common Solar Heating Problems:

• Blower Motors: Since many of these systems have the blower motors located in the attic, it is exposed to extreme temperature changes and lots of use. This can break down these nearly thirty year old systems. A defective Blower Motor is probably the most common problem with these systems. (Helpful hint, Keep them oiled at least on a year!) I have found that many blower motors were installed upside down, so you may not be able to oil them. If you ever need the blower replaced, you might mention to the repair person to change the position of the blower so the oil hole can be accessible.
• Relays: Most of these systems have blower motors and power dampers. In many cases this equipment is located in areas that are very difficult to get to. In fact many times these are located in the attics of homes. The purpose of these relays is to control (Turn On and Off) the blower motors and dampers.
• Controller Unit: The controller is the heart of your solar heating or hot water system. Many of these Solar-heating systems that were installed back in the 1970's and 1980's used Goldline, or Heliotrope Controllers. Many of the controllers that were used on these systems are no longer available. HOWEVER there are options for replacement should you controller fail. Heliotrope was one manufacture of controllers. They have been out of business for many years and replaced by Heliodyne General. The cost to replace a controller can range from $100-$300, which much of this price is dependant on the time it takes to locate the problem, and to either fix your controller or locate a new unit. I usually replace the bad controller with Goldline, which usually run about $120. Usually this will require the sensors to be replaced (usually two), with a cost of about $20.
• Wiring: Wiring is another common problem with these systems. Many of the wires are in the attic exposed to extreme heat and cold which plays a role in the integrity of the cable. Mice, and squirrels can even affect the wiring, finding material for their nests they will chew into the wires and create shorts or opens in your system. Sometimes this problem can go unnoticed for years. The cost for this repair usually is all labor and the time it takes to locate the problem. We charge $40 per hour (some exceptions do apply).
• Sensors: In many solar heating systems there are sensors. These systems sensors measure freeze temps, outside temps, water temps, solar panel temps, and several other factors. In some cases they used a piece of small wire as the sensor. Some systems have several of these sensors. The sensors vary from 3K, 7K,10K,30K. Older systems used 3K,7K, or 30K, and for the newer systems they use 10K. Should one of these sensors fail which is rare, it could make your Solar heating system not function properly. It may run all the time, or it may not run at all. The cost depends on the time it takes to locate which sensor is defective.
  

Differential Controller Stat Controller

• Power Damper: We have found that some systems across New York have condensation in the panels. The cause of this problem can be a defective damper in the system allowing hot air from your home to escape and rise into the solar collecting panels, creating condensation and moisture which results in a white looking panel. This problem can be corrected without discarding the system. With some systems we found that one in ten systems have this problem, which makes their appearance less then appealing. The solution is to replace the defective damper or dampers and dry out the panels with the moisture. It must also be noted that there may also be other problems such as a controller, which is not working properly, or a piece of duct piping has come off in the attic. Having a bad power damper can also cause this condensation to make its way into your blower motor and burn it up, that’s because water and electric don't mix well.  
• Filters: The Blackwall system as pictured below has a blower unit inside the home that has a small filter on the bottom of the blower unit. This should be replaced once a year or when dirty. These filter types are available, however the sizes are not. We have these sizes available.
• Cracked Solar Panel Glass: In New York State we have encountered cracked glass solar panels. Since we receive lots of that white stuff here in New York State, and it piles up on your roof, it is common that snow piling up on your panels will break the glass. If your New York State solar system has a cracked glass panel, it can be repaired fairly quickly and without spending hundreds of dollars. Some of these systems had regular "window" glass installed in them back in the 1970's, and with advancements in technology today you can get tempered glass that will last for many decades. Solar panel glass cost is approx. $20 per panel for regular window glass and $60 per panel for tempered. We recommend tempered glass, as it is much stronger and will last decades. Each panel has a thin film of rubberized compound that bonds the panel to its frame. We recommend that the panel’s glass get replaced during the summer when outside temps' are usually warm and the bonding compound is flexible.
  

• GSE9000 (Solar heating panels and solar hot water panels) The picture below are GSE9000 Panels
• Black Magic (Solar heating panels) These are the black glass solar panels which mount on vertical walls
• Solar Industries (Solar water heating panels) Used for solar hot water systems and heating pools
• Goldline (Controllers & Temp Monitors) Used to control and monitor your solar heating system
• Hydroflo (Air blowers) Blows the collected solar hot air into your living space
  

• Oil your blower motor once a year with bearing oil or 3/1 oil
• Inspect your panels once a year for cracks, or broken panels. Have cracked or broken solar panels fixed. This leak can cause cold air to be pulled into your home, thus defeating your heating system.
• Clean any filters your system may have. On some of the blackwall systems there were filters and they should be replaced once a year. They can be located on the inside blower units.
• Inspect your caulking around your solar panels. This could cause rain to come in and follow your duct work to your house, thus leaky ceiling.....
• Have your solar heating ducts cleaned once a year by a qualified solar heating contractor. Dust build up can cause your system to not function properly.
• Some systems had dimmers in the attics. Have a qualified service professional remove this dimmer and replace it with a switch. These dimmers run 24 hours a day, and use electric even though your system is not running.
  

Above:GSE 9000 six panel 1970's vintage solar hot water and heating system in Webster, New York.

The Blackwall or Blackmagic solar heating system as pictured above was installed by the Energy Marketing Group (EMG) in the NY area back in the 1970's and 1980's. These systems have a black glass wall, hence the name, to absorb the sun. Within the home there is usually a blower motor, which takes air from a floor location and pumps this cooler air through the Blackwall and then returns the warmer air out a vent, which is generally near the ceiling.

The inside blower unit usually has a DPDT switch with a center position off. One direction is on with the stat controlling the blower and the other direction the blower motor is on manual.

As a last resort: If you are a New York State resident and are no longer looking to use your solar technology heating system for your home, please call us and we will gladly remove it for you. We can use the old parts!

We no longer repair these systems, however we might be able to give you some suggestions on where you can get the repaired so give us a call.

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