Q: Does Solar only work when the sun is shining?
A: Thermomax solar vacuum tubes work all year round and even in winter it will help to give you hot water because vacuum tubes absorb energy effi ciently in all different weather conditions.

Q: Where are the panels fitted?
A: Ideally to a south facing roof or slight deviations of about 30 - 40° from that. The inclination / pitch of the collector is equal to the geographical latitude. So if you live at 45° latitude north the ideal pitch is about 45°. Once again slight deviations are not a problem and will only slightly effect the solar yield.

Q: What are the savings?
A: Up to 70% of your annual hot water costs. Over time your savings will increase as the price of oil / gas / electricity and other natural fossil fuels will escalate in the future. Solar also reduces carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions - one of the largest single contributors towards global warming.

Q: What does installation involve?
A: Thermomax collectors are light and modular and can usually be installed in one day. They easily attach to your existing tructure via a roof kit.

Q: Do they break easily?
A: The tubes are tested to withstand the mechanical load requirements of Solar Keymark which means the tubes have been subject to a force of 1000 N/m2. Thermomax collectors are certifi ed to meet the requirements of this standard and tests have proven they can withstand more than 3 times this force.

Q: Can I combine solar thermal with heat pumps and other Renewables?
A: Yes, Thermomax collectors can be used with all forms of traditional or renewable heating systems without any difficulty.

Q: What maintenance is required?
A: No collector maintenance is required. The glass tubes are round and perfectly smooth. They allow air to circulate around them and will not trap moisture or debris. A system check by a professional every three to fi ve years should be sufficient.

Q: Is there a solar system suitable for use on a large scale commercial building?
A: The collectors can be integrated with your existing system to provide hot water throughout the building for wash hand basins / showers / canteens etc. In fact, anywhere large quantities of free hot water can be used. Hospitals, leisure centres, swimming pools are all suitable large scale commercial applications.

Q: Is it possible to retain heat gained?
A: Yes, the heat is stored in a twin coil solar cylinder usually for domestic hot water. However, the stored energy can also be used for space heating or to heat a swimming pool. It is also possible to combine the different applications.

Q: What happens when I go on holiday?
A: A well-designed and sized solar system should provide you with the right amount of hot water for your household requirements. Even when going on holiday the system will still work, feeding the energy into the cylinder. This will just lead to a slightly higher cylinder temperature. The system is self-regulating - HP100 and HP200 tubes have a memotron valve to switch them off at 95/135°.