Solar heat install, placement questions

[Cracker Red]

Hello all!

I'm looking to install solar heat for our pool this year. I've come across some guardian panels in 4x12' size for a decent price. I have 7 of them, but I'm unsure if I have the roof space.

Pic of the house, straight up is North

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y54/TheoAftonomos/pool_zpsd805f820.jpg (http://s3.photobucket.com/user/TheoAftonomos/media/pool_zpsd805f820.jpg.html)

The front of the house gets shade from the trees (and faces south), the west side of the house will have shade in the afternoon in 4-5 years from bamboo that has been planted. The white roof is a very slight grade, maybe 10%. It gets sun nearly all day year round (Pic is winter mid/day....2nd story shade is pictured).

Pool equipment is depicted on the first picture.

Here is a picture of the patio roof with a panel laid out on it. Obviously I would need to pull it onto the roof slightly higher.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y54/TheoAftonomos/IMG_20140407_125443_zpshhtm8f0g.jpg (http://s3.photobucket.com/user/TheoAftonomos/media/IMG_20140407_125443_zpshhtm8f0g.jpg.html)

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y54/TheoAftonomos/IMG_20140407_125434_zpsrmdlqklu.jpg (http://s3.photobucket.com/user/TheoAftonomos/media/IMG_20140407_125434_zpsrmdlqklu.jpg.html)


Questions:

Is the slight angle enough for drainback when the system isn't circulating?
Is the angle in the panels going to cause issues with longevity?

What else could I do that I'm not thinking of. I don't have a ton tied up in the panels I have now ($450) but I'd like to use what I have.

[CarlD]

OK, above my pay grade. Sorry.

[nefretrameses]

Check out www.bestbuypoolsupply.com/solar-heating.htm. Click on one of the panels and scroll down to the link for installation instructions. You may find some useful info there. I think in general you want a slope equal to your latitude, give or take. I have a neighbor who did what you are suggesting and doesn't seem to have issues. I suppose there aren't any warrantee issues. So it looks like you will be facing north-east. It probably wont extend you season as much as would be possible. What about placement on the detached garage? I think drainback is really a concern with freezing - which can happen.

[Cracker Red]

I'll check out that website, thanks!

Detached garage would add about 250' total to the plumbing (about as much as putting the panels on the west side) with the additional pain of tearing up concrete to get plumbing routed.

I can fit 6 panels on the NE roof and have no issues with drainback or rubbing.

Or I can fit 7 panels on the flat roof but have potential issues with both.

I guess some panels facing a non-optimum way is better than none at all?

[nefretrameses]

Yeah, better than none at all I suppose. I'm just inland of you, so the months you need the panels to be most efficient is like mid-Nov. to mid-Mar. Non-optimal placement, especially with respect to direction will give you some extension to your season, but not as much as possible. I'd go with the shed roof location. If they don't make enough heat for you, they can always be relocated. In summer you probably don't need them.

I still say that the side facing the pool on that detached garage would be the bomb. You would have to add pipe to and from in addition to what you have to add anyway. 250' sound longer than what the aerial view shows. I'm thinking 60 feet from the pump to the closest corner of the garage? That's 120 more. Then, I'm not there and pictures can be deceiving. Busting up concrete is no fun either. Any way to bore under it?

[Cracker Red]

Was JUST about to update this thread.

I broke down today and decided that it's worth the effort to put them where they belong. Save for something REALLY good or death, we are going to be in this house for the next 20+ years.

So I dug the trench today and buried the piping. It's 70' from the pool equipment slab to the base of the garage, and then another 10' up. I overestimated the run on looks by quite a bunch.

I was kinda miffed as I just finished landscaping that area, getting rid of the broadcast sprinklers, mulching it, adding drip irrigation and planting a bunch of stuff. I KNEW I was going to break a few pieces of PVC and poly, the question was how many.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y54/TheoAftonomos/IMG_20140411_194117_zps7ad64a8e.jpg (http://s3.photobucket.com/user/TheoAftonomos/media/IMG_20140411_194117_zps7ad64a8e.jpg.html)

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y54/TheoAftonomos/IMG_20140411_194140_zpsae5033ba.jpg (http://s3.photobucket.com/user/TheoAftonomos/media/IMG_20140411_194140_zpsae5033ba.jpg.html)

Tomorrow I'm going to rent a concrete saw and hack into the slab, remove the propane pool heater, and then connect the piping with some 2" flex tubing for a spa.

My Jandy 3 way valve and check valve will be here wed, along with the roof clamps and tie downs for the panels (Technosolis).

I'll have around $800 total in the 8 panel system, with the ability to add 2 more panels facing south on that roof if need be. Overall I'm tired but the weekend worth of effort should be worth the extended season.

[Cracker Red]

Finished the plumbing today, but I was too tired to get after shots. Digging up that slab portion and tunneling under the walkway was more work than I thought it would be.

I realize this was a question thread that turned into a build type post. If it's inappropriate or I'm blabbering please tell me so and I'll stop. Thought I might as well share with others what I did, and that although seemingly a difficult task it's just one of manual labor and perseverance.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y54/TheoAftonomos/IMG_20140412_151810_zpso0bv0izu.jpg (http://s3.photobucket.com/user/TheoAftonomos/media/IMG_20140412_151810_zpso0bv0izu.jpg.html)http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y54/TheoAftonomos/IMG_20140412_151804_zpsyamrk67w.jpg (http://s3.photobucket.com/user/TheoAftonomos/media/IMG_20140412_151804_zpsyamrk67w.jpg.html)

I plan on using some crushed white rock to fill in the hole. I do have a concrete guy and I suppose I could get him to repour the missing chunk....But I don't think it will hurt anything and you will never see it.

The cuts extending into the walkway are both on expansion joints, so they should blend in nicely. Overall I'm happy with the hole I made. The propane heater will be removed shortly....I have no plans to replace it with a heatpump. Not sure what I will keep in it's place.

That 1" pipe was helping me tunnel under the walkway....it's been replaced with 2x 2" Schedule 40 PVC. I connected the angles that wern't perfect with spa/flex PVC. The upand down pipes on the garage are in place. All glued connections are uncovered. I should have the 3 way valve and check valve soon...I will connect all the plumbing and hopefully fire this up this coming Thursday.

[PoolDoc]

Thanks for the follow-up info.

[CarlD]

I have been kind of reading along and based on my "guesstimate" 7 4*12 panels are going to give you a lot of heat energy, which will be great when you have cold spells but overwhelming in the summer....unless you want the pool ti be giant hot tub!

I use the equivalent of 3 4*20 panels on a nearly 20k pool up on NJ and there are summer days where the water can reach into the high 90's! Then i run the solar system at night to radiate heat instead and cool the pool.

Remember that the faster the water flows through your panels, the more heat energy will transfer to your water. The limiting factors are how much pressure the panels can accept safely and how much pressure to them your pump can generate.

[Cracker Red]

I plan on interfacing the system with the aqualink controller, which I'm assuming will regulate the flow to the panels based on how I have it setup.

I've got an older aqualink, so I may just set it up where the solar heat button activates the panels ON/OFF. That way I can regulate what part of the pool I want heated and how much (For instance I could heat just the spa). The newer aqualink update has priority heating (I believe) for doing just that....but my old version is much more simple and will heat to a certain input temp and then stop.

I plan on upgrading the aqualink next year when I spring for an e-pump and possibly switch over to a salt setup.

[nefretrameses]

;)Nice job. I imagined that you would be a little older.;)