Going Solar need your help

[CarlD]

I use separate returns for my solar panels. In fact I have mine as two independent systems, each with its own return.

[Poconos]

That's me...separate return hoses dumping into the deep end and running under the diving board to keep them out of the way. I tie a bleach bottle loaded with sand to the ends to keep the hose ends deep.
Al

[brent.roberts]

Here is a link that has all the unbiased information you need to make a good decision. It is the Florida State University of Central Florida .

http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/solar/instal...t/poolinst.htm

It has sections for other solar applications as well as pools.

I find the navigation around the site very UN-intuititve. You'll have to work at finding the good stuff.
For example you'll need to do a lot of mining to find this page,

http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/solar/testce.../tprpoolap.htm

which is half of the efficiency testing of panels for pools, this is makers A to P. Q to Z is nearby. ( they do have another for domestic hot water heaters )

The rule of thumb seems to be
1) the cheapest panels have the least amount of plastic and are the least durable and the poorest investment
2) they ( the cheapest) seem to rate pretty high on the efficiency test because they have thin walls, but are again not the best investment.

I selected Techno-solis using this guide. Our home lot is on a hill with the pool just about at the top, so a south facing slope became a great site for the panels. They are literally just thrown on the ground and connected to the plumbing. The dogs chase the rabbits across them. I walk on them. Snow sits on them all winter. Absolutely no problems.

Anyway, read up and you'll make get what you need.

[TMan]

Thanks TP and Brent. Are you saying you can't tie the solar output into the return line to the pool? Surely it's done all the time, right? Isn't that what the T and 3-way valves shown in the 'easy installation' guides show? What am I missing? Hope to have a lot done by tomorrow on my setup. I'll post pics and obviously, data. Output temp, pool temp..etc. Thanks for all the ideas and links.

[tphaggerty]

Are you saying you can't tie the solar output into the return line to the pool? Surely it's done all the time, right? Isn't that what the T and 3-way valves shown in the 'easy installation' guides show? What am I missing?

It all depends on the type of panels and tubing. AG pools use the spiral flex type hose (looks like a vacuum cleaner hose or an IG vacuum hose) all the time. These are rated for fairly low pressure (they are generally joined by metal band clamps).

What I was saying is that if you have that type of return hose on the panels, you cannot join that to a permanent return that uses schedule 40 or flex PVC because the pressure will blow that line up. If you use that type of panel, just make sure the return goes directly to the pool (for an IG). For AG, you can T it in to the return (you will need the special barb type fittings)

For IG installations, the source and return lines for the panels are pressure rated, just like the rest of the plumbing. They need to be able to handle the 30+ psi that an IG pool pump will product. As in my case, the solar is pumped in AFTER the filter, but before my SWG (you want clean water, but not high chlorine). Hope this helps.

[TMan]

Thx TP, I have an AG but I'm plumbing it with schd. 40 anyway, and will T it in, almost finished. Another issue, I'm using a SWG too and want to plumb it in Before the solar heater, not after. This is because the model I have reduces chlorine output when the water gets warm, anything above 90-degrees for mine and the 'check cell' light starts flashing. I expect the heated return water to be well above that. Then it will not be generating at optimum meaning more run time during the evening/morning, cooling off the pool and then I'm going backwards. It'a a Goldline AquaTrol for AG pools and works well, within a range. What do you think of running the chlorinated water thru the solar heaters? I'm guessing that now it's hotter, chlorinated water being returned to the pool.

[CarlD]

Thx TP, I have an AG but I'm plumbing it with schd. 40 anyway, and will T it in, almost finished. Another issue, I'm using a SWG too and want to plumb it in Before the solar heater, not after. This is because the model I have reduces chlorine output when the water gets warm, anything above 90-degrees for mine and the 'check cell' light starts flashing. I expect the heated return water to be well above that. Then it will not be generating at optimum meaning more run time during the evening/morning, cooling off the pool and then I'm going backwards. It'a a Goldline AquaTrol for AG pools and works well, within a range. What do you think of running the chlorinated water thru the solar heaters? I'm guessing that now it's hotter, chlorinated water being returned to the pool.

Using sched 40 and running chlorinated water through your solar panels is no problem. I do both.

I have separate returns for my solar panels. The pool manufacturer, Fanta-Sea does it that way--but they put the solar return near the main return. Since the main is high pressure and the solar return is low pressure I don't see how you could easily combine them and it's very easy to plumb separate ones (unless you have a concrete pool).

When I modified the Fanta-Sea system to split the panels into two groups, I added two returns at the far end of the pool. The two returns allowed me to run higher pressure (and therefore about a 40% increase in flow) through the panels, meaning my water warms faster--the system is more efficient. I cut the returns in during the off-season when I had lowered the water, using a hole-saw of the correct size. It was a fairly easy job. The old solar return I converted into an over-flow by having the hose that came out of it go up first to maximum desired level before going down to a french drain.