Hi, interesting discussion, wondering if anyone can help me out.

I have a sola 60 system put in about 10 years ago. It seems to be still working OK, but the controller is now making the pump go all the time apart from at night. While it is hot here in Wellington at the moment, I think that it used to turn it on and off during the day as the heat built up in the panel.

I just want to replace the controller or maybe get a new one which is better but don't want to replace the wiring if I can avoid it or replace the panel which would be madness since it still works and the economics of such things is to keep them for as long as possible, not replace them at the very moment when you have paid them off! i.e. about now.

Anyway, Sola 60 seems to have died as a company and I can find out anything about either replacing this controller with a similar one or getting something new. Anyone out there would could help would be cool.

Thanks.

Regards,

Paul Duignan

Linkback: https://www.plumbers.nz/solar-heating-and-heat-pumps/9/convert-sola-60-controllers-to-a-solastat/1353/

Thanks very much for that, have rung them.

Another quick question if you know. Am I right to think that my controller has gone if it just makes the pump stay on all day long. It turns off at night, but it does not stop at all during the day.

This seems to be new behaviour in that it used to turn itself on and off. The only other explanation is that we have such hot weather in Wellington at the moment that it is staying on all the time.

I presume that it should pump until the panel temperature gets too low and then it should stop, it will heat up again and then it will start pumping again.

I am concerned because we burnt out a pump at one stage because we put the plug in straight to the pump rather than through the controller, the pump worked continuously until it burnt out.

Anyway confirmation that even on a hot day the controller should be turning on and off would be useful.

Regards,

Paul Duignan

actually before you do anything - if pump has been running fine for a long time previously it cant hurt to check the temp probes, clean them , throw some transfer paste on them and silicone them back in place to rule them out before forking for a controller

check type of system as well:

low pressure open vent? check exhaust
low pressure valve vent? check relief valve
mains pressure? check cold water expansion valve and temp/pressure relief

if valves/exhaust are relieving/dripping constantly then cold water could be getting passed by lower temp probe giving false reading and therefore pump operation