Apricus collectors can be added to an existing hot water system, but “retro-fit” systems are not applicable for any State and Federal rebates.  Apricus recommends your existing tank to have solar flow and return ports available.

As Apricus systems are a ‘ split system’ a standard 30 tube system weighs less than 110kgs on your roof. Systems with a tank on the roof generally weigh over 500kg when full of water (300ltrs water = 300kg).

The Solar Ready Tank is designed for solar – with a thicker wall and extra flow and return ports. It also comes with a 10 year warranty.*  It can be used as a standalone tank or upgraded with a solar hot water system at a later date if/when you are ready.

You can install what is called a retro-fit kit, with the addition of a 5 way valve. However it could possibly void the existing storage tanks warranty, and you will not qualify for any STC or VEEC. A complete system after incentives might be a better investment for you.

This can be done, however care must be taken not to exceed the temperatures the storage tank can handle. If replacing a system with an on-roof storage tank, over-temperature protection must be installed as the evacuated tubes are capable of heating water to a higher temperature than that of an average flat panel system.

Apricus evacuated tube collectors are made to Australian and International standards. In terms of hail resistance, Apricus evacuated tubes have been independently tested and shown to withstand impact from a 25mm / 1′′ ice ball at 90km/hr. If you are in a region with extreme hail (much larger than 25mm / 1′′) then the solar collectors should be installed at an angle of 45° or greater, which greatly increases impact strength.

The Apricus evacuated tube design does not circulate water through the evacuated tube so if a tube is damaged, you will not experience any leaks. In fact, on a 30 tube system, even if you lost 3 x tubes from a branch or similar object falling on the collector, you will only lose 10% of your solar heating capability. The tubes are easily replaced by simply unclipping at the base, sliding the old tube out, and replacing with a new tube. In most cases, the copper heat pipe inside the tube will not need replacing.

Thickness does not always indicate strength. More important than thickness is the material structure and quality of the glass. Our glass thickness is 1.8mm, and has passed the hail impact testing to meet Australian standards. For example: some suppliers have glass of 1.6mm thickness which is stronger to impact than 2mm glass from another supplier due to better quality glass. So simply saying “this glass is thicker” is not a valid or useful comparison.

Evacuated tubes do not have an industry standard “degradation” value – however it is estimated that the tubes may lose approximately 0.5% output per annum. Apricus tubes are tested to the most stringent of standards, and have a barium coating to absorb any impurities that may occur over time within the tubes vacuum. Apricus heat pipes are manufactured from high purity, oxygen free copper to ensure the longevity of the vacuum. The tubes are covered by a 15 year warranty that they won’ t lose their vacuum, and if the vacuum is compromised within the evacuated tubes – they turn white as an indicator

Apricus manifolds are rated to handle extreme temperature and pressure (~180°C). During a period of no load (stagnation) the pressure and temperature relief valve fitted on the storage tank is all that is required.

The Apricus system has built-in frost protection, and can handle Australia’ s cold and varying climate. In fact the tubes also absorb UV light, and the vacuum prevents energy from escaping to the atmosphere making them work extremely well even in the coldest regions. The frost rating is down to -15°C without the use of frost valves or a chemical/anti-freeze solution that other systems require.

The Apricus systems are rated for cyclonic wind conditions – Apricus (ETC series) solar collectors are certified to be installed in all wind regions of Australia*. *Please read our installation manual for further details.

Weight, our largest single collector weights only ~110kg on the roof full of water, versus roughly 500kg of weight on an on-roof system.