Solar Heater Construction Standards define the specific requirements for the erection and construction of solar water heaters in the City of Miami, as detailed in Section 3717 of the 1935-miami-dade-building-code. These standards ensure the structural integrity, durability, and efficiency of solar heating systems.
Material and Structural Requirements
Coil boxes must be constructed from at least 24-gauge galvanized iron or equivalent rust- and decay-resisting material, designed to prevent sagging (p. 268). They must be anchored to supports made of galvanized angle iron (minimum inch) or material of equal strength, which are fastened to a galvanized metal floor plate anchored to roof rafters (p. 268).
Tanks must be galvanized internally and externally or made of rust-resisting material, designed for at least 100 pounds of operating pressure and tested to 150 pounds hydrostatic pressure (p. 268). Tank supports must use galvanized angle iron (minimum inch) or equivalent material with similar fire, rust, and decay resistance (p. 268-269).
Anchoring and Insulation
All floor plates for coil boxes and tank stands must be anchored to frame members using 3/8-inch hot tempered galvanized bolts or approved equivalents (p. 269). Insulation around the tank must consist of at least 5 inches of ground regranulated cork or equivalent, tamped to limit heat loss to no more than one degree per hour (p. 269). The tank box must extend 5 inches above the tank and down the sides to the top of the metal supports, secured to a 2x4 timber base (p. 269).
Finishing and Installation
Exposed tank boxes must be covered with galvanized iron lath and cement plaster, 24-gauge galvanized iron, 16-ounce copper, or other approved materials (p. 269). Hot and cold water supply pipes must be installed to a point above the ceiling joist near the tank box, with all connections made as a single installation under the code provisions (p. 269). Existing wooden systems undergoing repair must be replaced to meet these standards (p. 269).
These construction standards complement broader heating-system-clearance-and-protection and building-material-specifications within the code.