Create a Spare Assembly Identification Record for Evacuated Tube Collectors
A spare assembly identification record separates an evacuated tube collector’s observed symptom from the part request. The order reaches Release only after the collector identity, affected position, assembly scope, and connection details are documented.
Published by the SOLETKS Technical Content Team, which prepares solar thermal product and service documentation for the SOLETKS service site. Technical content review: Active AI model. Last updated: September 17, 2026.
This record supports maintenance planning and supplier communication. Physical work belongs to qualified personnel using the applicable collector documentation and site isolation procedure.
Identify the collector assembly before naming the part
Start with the collector nameplate, product family, model, revision, and current parts drawing. SOLETKS product information shows that an evacuated-tube collector combines a glass tube with other heat-transfer and manifold components. The service item therefore depends on the identified collector assembly, not the outside appearance alone.
The SOLETKS evacuated-tube collector page og HPC heat-pipe collector guide provide product-family context. PNNL’s solar water-heating O&M overview provides general system maintenance context. None of these pages establishes a spare-part match for an unidentified collector; the current parts drawing controls the order.
Create one identification row:
| Identification field | Required record | Release condition |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer and product family | Nameplate photograph | Text is legible |
| Model and revision | Nameplate or current document | Exact model and revision are stated |
| Collector position | Marked array drawing | Row and position identify one location |
| Affected assembly | Parts drawing reference | Glass, internal transfer component, seals, and supports are distinguished |
| Connection detail | Clear close-up and drawing | Manifold interface is visible and labeled |
| Requested quantity | Count by part number | Quantity matches the marked positions |
If the model, revision, or assembly scope is missing, assign Hold.
Record the symptom without turning it into a diagnosis
Use two separate fields:
- Observation: what a technician or operator actually saw, heard, or recorded.
- Assessment: the cause proposed after the relevant inspection.
| Observation | Evidence to retain | Status before inspection |
|---|---|---|
| Broken outer glass | Wide view and close-up | Physical damage observed |
| One position differs from adjacent positions | Position map and time-stamped operating record | Local difference observed |
| Several positions show the same pattern | Array map and common operating record | Array-level pattern observed |
| Reduced system output | Boundary, period, and comparison record | Performance change observed |
| Leakage or unsafe condition | Isolation record and site photograph | Stop and isolate under the site procedure |
Do not write “failed tube” when the record supports only a system-level output change. Keep the part request open until the assessment identifies the affected assembly.
Route the service decision
Follow this sequence:
- Record the symptom and affected position.
- Apply the site’s isolation and access procedure.
- Match the collector identity to the current document set.
- Inspect the glass, transfer component, manifold interface, seals, supports, and adjacent positions within the qualified service scope.
- Classify the result as No part release, Release identified part, or Escalate for system diagnosis.
Use No part release when the inspection does not establish a defective service item. Use Escalate for system diagnosis when the same symptom appears across several positions or when the observed result does not match one identifiable assembly.
Calculation: is the parts request complete?
Use this release calculation:
Open identification fields = required fields − complete fields
Identification completion = complete fields ÷ required fields × 100%
Illustrative substitution: 7 required fields − 6 complete fields = 1 open field; 6 ÷ 7 × 100% = 85.7% identification completion. Source: assumed record counts used only to demonstrate the worksheet arithmetic.
The result is greater than zero, so the order status is Hold. Complete the missing field before requesting a part number. This is an editorial workflow example, not a compatibility rating or service result.
The order reaches Release only when the result equals zero and the parts drawing matches the recorded collector model and revision.
Use a separate calculation to test whether the scheduled service window contains enough time for the qualified work:
Available service-work time = scheduled access window − isolation allowance − return-to-service allowance
Illustrative substitution: 5 hours − 1 hour − 1 hour = 3 hours available for service work. Source: assumed schedule inputs used only to demonstrate the method.
If the scoped service task requires 4 hours, the recommendation is Hold because the planned work is longer than the available window. Source: assumed schedule input used only to demonstrate the release decision.
Define exactly what the requested item includes
“Replacement tube” is too broad for a purchase line. Write the included and retained components separately:
| Component group | Order record |
|---|---|
| Glass component | Included or retained |
| Internal heat-transfer component | Included or retained |
| Absorber or fin | Included or retained |
| Manifold connection item | Included or retained |
| Seals, clips, and lower support | Included or retained |
| Packaging and handling protection | Included or retained |
Add the exact part number, document reference, and quantity. If the supplier proposes a superseded part, request the cross-reference to the recorded model and revision before Release.
Prepare a supplier-ready parts request
Use this text:
Collector manufacturer and product family: Model and revision: Serial or production reference: Installation location and collector position: Current parts drawing reference: Observed symptom: Qualified inspection result: Existing part number and recorded geometry: Requested quantity: Attached nameplate, array map, and component photographs: Please identify the matching part number, list every component included in the item, and state any information still required before order release.
Send the completed record through the SOLETKS contact page.
Close the service record
After service, record:
- the installed part number and quantity;
- the collector positions serviced;
- the retained and replaced components;
- the before-and-after photographs;
- the inspection result at the manifold and supports;
- the operating observation used for return to service;
- any remaining system-level issue and its owner.
Close the job only when the installed item matches the released part record and the return-to-service observation is documented. If the original symptom remains, reopen the system diagnosis instead of ordering another part by appearance.
Completion condition
The task is complete when the collector identity, affected position, assembly scope, exact part number, quantity, and return-to-service record all refer to the same collector revision.