Orientation of Check Valve, Solar Panels Return

[PhiDeck]

My pre-existing roof-mount solar panels installation lacks a check valve in the return path. I bought a Jandy 7305, whose documentation states that it should be installed horizontally, or vertically with flow ascending.

Why can I not install it vertically with flow descending? I want the water column above it to drain when the pump is off. As I understand it, the only time the check valve must close is when the pump is running and the diverter valve bypasses the solar panels.

 

[mas985]

Probably because the manufacture cannot guarantee that the valve will close in that orientation. The spring may not be strong enough.

 

[OldPoolMan]

The check valve must be installed where the pipe is going up to the panels. Its task is to stop water to backflow through the pump. Vertical is the recommended position.

 

[PhiDeck]

The check valve that prevents back-flow through the filter and pump is located between the filter and the diverter valve that optionally sends water to the solar panels. However, that is NOT the check-valve about which I was enquiring.

Since posting, I have spoken with Jandy Customer Service (Tier 2) and they agreed that in my application their vertical orientation restriction is not applicable.

Regardless, with some extra effort and expense I was able to install the new check-valve horizontally. I did this so that I could experiment with removing its spring.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk