STIEBEL ELTRON SEFLOWSTARPUMPSTATION User Manual

OPERATION AND INSTALLATION

RESIDENTIAL SOLAR PUMP STATION

» SE FLOWSTAR PUMP STATION

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

SE FLOWSTAR PUMP STATION - 221337

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Table of Contents

1 For your safety

1.1 About this manual

1.2 Designated use

1.3 Qualifi cation of the installer

1.4 Hand-over of the system (specialist)

1.5 General safety instructions

1.6 General instructions regarding solar fl uid

1.7 Frost damage

2 Description of the product

3 Assembly and installation

3.1 Wall-mounted confi guration

3.2 Tank-mounted confi guration

3.3 Wiring the pump

4 Commissioning

4.1 Flushing and fi lling the solar circuit

4.2 Preparation for fl ushing

4.3 Flushing the system

4.4 Filling the system

4.5 Setting the solar thermal system

1 For your safety

1.1 About the manual

This manual describes the function, installation,
commissioning adn operation of a Stiebel Eltron SE
Flowstar pump station. For other components of the solar
installation, such as collectors, storage tanks, expansion
tanks, controllers, and any other components, please refer
to the specifi c manuals for those parts.

1.2 Designated use

The solar station is a pre-assembled fi tting assembly
checked for tightness and used for recirculating the solar
fl uid in the solar circuit. The solar station must only be
used in solar thermal systems as pumping station. It must
be mounted in the return line of the solar circuit, taking into
consideration the technical limit values indicated in this
manual. The station may only be assembled indoors. The
station must be assembled and operated as described in
this manual!

1.3 Qualifi cation of the installer

5 Cleaning

6 Maintenance and decommissioning

6.1 Draining the solar system

6.2 Replacing the pump

7 Spare parts

8 Technical data and pressure drop characterisics

9 Commissioning log

CAUTION: READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE

!



INSTALLING THIS PUMP STATION. ADDITIONAL

ITEMS WILL BE NEEDED TO MOUNT THIS ASSEMBLY.

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Installation and commissioning of this equipment should
be done by qualifi ed installers [specialist] in accordance
with local, state and federal codes which may be
applicable.

The following must also be observed during installation and
commissioning:

» Relevant regional and national regulations
» Relevant accident prevention regulations
» Instructions and safety instructions mentioned in

this manual

1.4 Hand-over of the system

After installation and commissioning, the installer is
responsible for familiarizing the end user with the functions
of the system and the basic safety measures.

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

SE FLOWSTAR PUMP STATION - 221337

Simply the Best

» After commissioning, fi ll in the log on the last

page of this manual.

» Hand the manual over to the end user. Instruct

the end user to keep the manual in close
proximity to the system.

» Instruct the end user to have the solar station

serviced and repaired by a specialist only. The
controller settings must not be changed by the
end user.

» Explain to the end user the function of the system

and of the safety devices. Point out to the end
user that the shell must remain mounted during
operation and that the check valve with temperature
gauge and the ball valve in the fl owmeter must be
open.

1.5 General safety instructions

Before installing and commissioning the product, you must
read and observe the following safety instructions:

A. Danger of scalding due to escaping vapor

If the system pressure is too high, hot solar fl uid will escape
from the pressure relief valves and can result in scalding.
Flush and fl l the system only if the collector temperatures
are below 150F (70C).

Connect a discharge line to the safety assembly. Observe the
instructions regarding the pressure relief valve.

damage and personal injury.

In operation, the ball valve with temperature gauge and the
ball valve at the fl owmeter must always be open.

Close the ball valve only when service is required.

1.6 General instructions regarding solar fl uid

Propylene glycol is hazardous in the case of ingestion. It is
an irritant when it comes into contact witht he eyes or skin.

Always wear chemically resistant protective gloves and
safety glasses with side-shields when handling propylene
glycol mixtures.

1.7 Frost damage

Observe the instructions and specifi cations of the antifreeze
from the manufacturer.

It often happens that solar thermal systems cannot be
completely drained after fl ushing. Thus, there is a risk of
frost damage when fl ushing with water. Therefore, the solar
thermal system should only be fl ushed and fi lled with the
solar fl uid used later on.

Strictly follow the instructions of the antifreeze manufacturer
for operating a solar thermal system. All components in
the solar station are resistant to a percentage of propylene
glycol of up to 50%.

B. Risk of burns

The valves, fi ttings and the pump may heat up to more
than 212 °F (100 °C) during operation.

C. Personal injry and material damage caused by excess
pressure

Closing the ball valves both in the return and supply line of
the solar circuit, will disconnect the safety assembly from
the heat exchanger. Heating the storage tank can result in
the formation of high pressures, which may lead to material

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Determine quantity according to system volume. See
instructions of the collectors, storage tank and expansion
tank.

2 Description of the product

This solar pump station is designed to be mounted in one
of two ways. Both mounting options are discussed in the
manual. It can be mounted either on a wall support and
held by clip springs, or on a Stiebel Eltron solar storage tank
using a tank mounting kit.

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

SE FLOWSTAR PUMP STATION - 221337

Simply the Best

The pump station contains important valves, fi ttings, and
safety equipment to ensure the proper operation of the solar
thermal system.

Below is a brief overview of the pump station components:

To prevent thermosiphoning of the system, a check valve
must be installed on the supply line of the solar circuit.
Stiebel Eltron provides a check valve as part of our tank
mounting kits.

3 Assembly and installation

The solar station may only be installed indoors with a power
supply of 120 V / 60 Hz. The installation site must be dry,
stable and frost-free.

NOTE: Since the solar fl uid may be very hot near the
collector, the pump station must be
installed at a suffi cient distance from the collector fi eld.
A system pre-cooling vessel may be need to protect the
expansion tank from excessively high temperatures.

3.1 Wall-mounted confi guration

1. Remove the pump station from the packaging.

2. Pull off the front shell.

3. Copy the mounting holes next to the temperature gauges
of the pump station to the mounting surface.

4. Drill the holes and fasten the pump station to the wall
using the enclosed screws and, if required, the enclosed
wall anchors.

17 West St., W. Ha tfi el d, MA 01088

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INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

SE FLOWSTAR PUMP STATION - 221337

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5. Connect the pump station to the system by means of the
top and bottom connections. The bottom connection should
be piped to the heat exchanger outlet of the storage tank.
The top connection should be piped to return to the collector
fi eld. It is recommended to ensure the seal of all threaded
connections by using tefl on tape and pipe dope.

6. To prevent thermosiphoning, install a check valve in the
supply line of the solar circuit.

8. Connect the expansion tank at the connection below
the pressure gauge. Stiebel Eltron provides kits for quick
connection of the expansion tank, but it is sold separately.

9. Adapt the initial pressure of the expansion tank to
the system and connect the expansion tank. For more
information regarding the installation of the expansion tank,
please see the installation manual for that expansion tank.

10. Check all threaded connections and retighten them.

3.2 Tank-mounted confi guration

This section describes how to mount an SE Flowstar pump
station onto an SBB tank using a low tank mounting kit.
These components are sold separately.

1. Remove the pump station from the packaging.

2. Pull off the front shell.

7. Connect the discharge line to the pressure relief valve
connection. Pipe this discharge line to a heat-resistant
container.

3. Observe the lower connector of the pump station.
Remove the ¾˝ NPT adapter, revealing a ¾˝ BSP threaded
connection.

4. Inspect the threads of the tank to make sure they are
clean and free of debris.

17 West St., W. Ha tfi el d, MA 01088

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INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

SE FLOWSTAR PUMP STATION - 221337

5. Remove the components from the tank mounting kit.

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6. Apply tefl on tape & pipe dope to the 1˝ BSP threads on
the lower HX assembly. Screw the assembly into the HX port
and tighten it.

7. Apply tefl on tape & pipe dope to the 1˝ BSP threads on
the upper HX assembly. Screw the assembly into the HX
port and tighten it.

9. Attach the pump station to the lower HX connection.
Ensure that the gasket is place between the connecting
pieces.

10. Connect the discharge line to the pressure relief valve
connection. Pipe this discharge line to a heat-resistant
container.

11. Connect the expansion tank at the connection below
the pressure gauge. Stiebel Eltron provides kits for quick
connection of the expansion tank, but it is sold separately.

8. Attach the elbow piece of the lower HX assembly to the
pump station. Save the gasket for the next step.

17 West St., W. Ha tfi eld, MA 01088

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12. Adapt the initial pressure of the expansion tank to
the system and connect the expansion tank. For more
information regarding the installation of the expansion tank,
please see the installation manual for that expansion tank.

13. Check all threaded connections and retighten them.

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

SE FLOWSTAR PUMP STATION - 221337

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3.3 Wiring the pump

1. Remove the screw from the pump housing. Connect
an 18 gauge wire to the pump wiring block by threading
it through the waterproof nut at the bottom of the pump
housing. Be sure to connect the colored wires in the correct
manner.

A. Risk of burns and scalding.

The valves and fi ttings may heat up to more than 212
(100C). During fl ushing, fi lling and venting, the solar fl uid
can escape as vapor and result in scalding. Flush and fi ll the
system only if the collector temperatures are below 150F
(70C).

B. Propylene glycol safety.

Propylene glycol is hazardous in the case of ingestion. It is
an irritant when it comes into contact witht he eyes or skin.

Always wear chemically resistant protective gloves and
safety glasses with side-shields when handling propylene
glycol mixtures.

Observe the instructions and specifi cations of the antifreeze
from the manufacturer.

C. Risk of frost.

2. Close the pump housing, and reattach the front cover of
the pump station.

3. Connect the pump wire to the solar controller. The solar
controller should be installed and at this point, as it will be
necessary to manually run the pump later in the installation
process.

4 Commissioning

Before commissioning the pump station, read and observe
the following safety instructions:

It often happens that solar thermal systems cannot be
completely drained after fl ushing. There is a risk of frost
damage when fl ushing with water.

Therefore, the solar thermal system should only be fl ushed
with water, immediately followed by the solar fl uid to fi ll the
system.

Use a water and propylene glycol mixture with max. 50%
propylene glycol as a solar fl uid, in order to avoid damaging
gaskets and seals.

4.1 Flushing and fi lling the solar circuit.

The fi ll and drain connections required for fl ushing and
fi lling are integrated into the solar station. In order to fl ush
any dirt particles that may still be present out of the system,
use only fl ush and fi ll stations equipped with suitable micro
fi lters.

17 West St., W. Ha tfi eld, MA 01088

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INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

g

SE FLOWSTAR PUMP STATION - 221337

Simply the Best

Ball valve with integrated check valve

4.2 Preparation for fl ushing

1. Conduct an air pressure test of the system before
fl ushing and fi lling. This will ensure that all gaskets,
soldering joints, or threaded connections are properly
sealed. The pressure, and length of this test is at the
discretion of the installer, but it is highly recommended by
Stiebel Eltron that this step is completed.

2. Disconnect the expansion tank from the solar thermal
system. This is typically done via a ball valve piped between
the expansion tank and the pump station.

3. Ensure the check valve in the pump station is in its 0
position.

4. Connect a hose from a domestic water connection to
connection A, as shown in the image below.

5. Connect the fl ushing hose to connection B, as shown
below.

6. Ensure that the fl ushing hose is positioned to empty into
a drain or sink.

4.3 Flushing the system

1. Open the fi ll and drain valves.

17 West St., W. Ha tfi eld, MA 01088

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INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

SE FLOWSTAR PUMP STATION - 221337

2. Open the domestic water connection to allow water to
begin fl ushing through the system.

3. Leave the water running through the system and into
the drain for a full 5 minutes after the fl ushing hose has
begun purging water.

4. Close the fi ll and drain valves, as well as the domestic
water connection.

5. Use the solar controller to manually circulate the fl uid.
The process for doing this will depend on the controller you
are using. Circulate the fl uid for 30 minutes.

4.4 Filling the system

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12. Insert the fl ushing hose into the same bucket of
propylene glycol mixture as the charging hose.

13. Open the ball valve that is isolating the expansion tank.

14. Open the drain valve to continue the circulation of solar
fl uid through the system. This confi guration will allow any
air in the system to be discharged via the bucket. Circulate
the fl uid in this manner for 15 minutes.

15. Close the drain valve again. The system will now begin
building pressure. Observe the pressure on the pump
station gauge until it reaches the intended cold system
pressure.

1. Stop the manual operation of the pump and turn the
pump to off on the controller.

2. Open the check valve in the pump station to its 45
position.

3. Close the ball valve in the fl ow meter.

4. Connect the charging pump hose to connection A, as
shown above.

5. Make sure the fl ushing hose is still connected to the
drain connection B.

6. Insert the fi lling hose (on the back end of the charging
pump) into the solar fl uid.

7. Start the charging pump.

8. Open the fi ll valve.

9. Open the drain valve.

10. Observe the discharge of the fl ushing hose and make
note of the color change of the fl uid to the propylene glycol
mixture.

11. Close the drain valve.

16. Close the fi ll valve and turn off the charging pump.

17. Open the ball valve in the fl ow meter.

18. Set the check valve to the 0 operating position.

19. Manually run the pump via the pump station to ensure
that the system is working propery.

20. Air may have accumulated at the solar collectors. It is
important to bleed off any air from them to ensure that they
are performing uniformly.

4.5 Setting the solar system

Observe the specifi cations of the manufacturer of the
collectors for the correct adjustment of the fl ow rate. For
Stiebel Eltron SOL 27 Premium collectors, the recommended
fl ow rate is 0.75 gpm/collector.

Part: # of Collectors in Array:

12 3 4

Flow Rate (gpm):

SOL 27 Premium collector 0.75 1.5 2.25 3.0

1. Set the desired max. fl ow rate voa the rotation speed
of the solar pump. The controller will set the speed
accordingly.

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INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

SE FLOWSTAR PUMP STATION - 221337

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2. Observe the fl ow via the fl owmeter.

2. Re-mount the front shell on the solar station.

3. Set the controller to automatic mode.

5 Cleaning

Before decommissioning, wait until the solar fl uid has
cooled down below 122F (50C).

6.1 Draining the solar installation

Complete draining allows components in the pump station
to be replaced.

1. Disconnect the controller from the power supply and
secure it against being switched on again.

2. Open the check valve to the 45 position.

3. Connect a heat-resistant hose to the drain valve. Make
sure that the solar fl uid is collected in a heat-resistant
container.

4. Open the drain valve.

5. To accelerate the draining of the solar circuit, open the
bleeding device at the collectors.

Clean the pump station only from the outside with a damp
cloth. Never use scouring or sand-containing cleaning
agents.

6 Maintenance and decommissioning

Before maintaining and decommissioning the system, read
and observe the following safety instructions.

A. Risk of electric shock

Disconnect all electrical devices in the solar circuit from
the power supply before carrying out maintenance work or
decimmissioning.

Ensure that the electrical devices cannot be switched on
again.

B. Risk of burns and scalding.

The valves and fi ttings may heat up to more than 212
(100C).

6. If discarding the solar fl uid, dispose of it observing any
local regulations.

6.2 Replacing the pump

1. After performing the draining process as in 6.1,
disconnect the pipe joint between the pump station and the
storage tank.

2. Dismount the fl owmeter connection to the pump.

3. Dismount the pump connection from the upper
assembly.

4. Install the new pump, making sure to include new
gaskets.

5. Mount the fl owmeter.

6. Connect the pump station to its original connections.
Repeat the commissioning process as described in section 4.

7 Spare parts

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INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

SE FLOWSTAR PUMP STATION - 221337

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Below is a diagram of the spare parts that can be ordered
from Stiebel Eltron. If you need to order a replacement part,
please contact Stiebel Eltron and use the part numbers
below as a reference.

8 Technical data and pressure drop curve

Technical data

SE Flowstar Pump Station

Dimensions

Height 14.9 in. / 379 mm
Width 8.94 in. / 227 mm
Depth 5.9 in. / 150 mm
Upper & lower connections ¾˝ Male NPT or ¾˝ Female BSP
Exp. tank connection ¾˝ Male BSP
PRV connection ¾˝Female BSP

Temperature & Pressure

Max. pressure 145 PSI / 10 bar
Max. temp. 248F / 120C
Max. short term temp. 320F / 160C for < 15 min.
Max. propylene glycol % 50%

Equipment

Pressure relief valve 87 psi / 6 bar
Pressure gauge 0-87 psi / 0-6 bar
Check valve 7.9 in. head / 200 mmWC
Flowmeter 0.1-4 gpm

Material

Valves & fi ttings Brass
Gaskets EPDM
Check valves Brass
Insulation EPP, λ=0.043 W/(m•K)

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Dimensions

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INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

SE FLOWSTAR PUMP STATION - 221337

Pressure drop curve

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17 West St., W. Ha tfi eld, MA 01088

For any service or warranty related issue, contact



Stiebel Eltron at:

17 West Street
West Hatfi eld, MA 01088

TOLL FREE 800.582.8423
PHONE [phone]
FAX [phone]

info
www.stiebel-eltron-usa.com

Printed on recycled chlorine-free paper with soy-based inks.

Due to our continuous process of engineering and technological
advancement, specifi cations may change without notice.

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COMMISSIONING LOG

SE FLOWSTAR PUMP STATION

The installer should fi ll out this sheet at the end of the installation, and leave it at the installation site.

Site:

System operator:
Installation site:

Collectors:

Collectors (number / type):
Collector surface area:

System specifi cations:

System height:
Pipe run length:
Ventilation:
Solar fl uid (type / concentration):
Max. fl ow rate:
Pump station:
Pump setting (low/med/high):
System pressure (cold):
System pressure (hot):
Expansion tank:

Checklist:

Mark for condition (checked, closed, open, etc.)

Pressure relief valve:
Check valves:
Ball valves:

Serial numbers:

Pump station:
Controller:
Software version:

Installation company:

Signature: Date:

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