2 pump question solar panels and Water feature.

[fkong777]

I have 2 pump related questions.

1) I will be installing about 200sq ft of solar panel on the roof. the piping will be independent from the main pump and filter. What size pump do I need at minimum. I will be installing the system myself and trying to keep cost down.

2) My wife really like to have a 2 x 24" ARC sheer or 2 x 24" Sheer decent water feature to our new pool. This will be our only water feature. Do we need a extra pump for that or can we get to run the 2 sheer as the return? Hate to get a extra pump for $1000 if it isnt necessary.

TIA for your advices.

 

[JasonLion]

A 1 HP full rated, or 1.5 HP max rated pump is usually fine for solar panels.

Sheer decents take a lot of water. You don't want them on all the time because of the electrical costs. You also couldn't use them as your primary return because that would not be sufficient to get proper circulation in the pool.

A variable speed pump or a carefully chosen two speed pump will allow you to run the sheer decents on high speed and then turn them off and run on low speed.

 

[fkong777]

Thanks for your reponse. More question. I'm new to all the pool equipment.

RE: Sheer. Can I use the sheer decent in parallel with in pool main return? or will that still not circulate the pool enough? Installation instruction say that is a common installation.

RE: Solar. Im getting the Pentair intelliflo VS pump. You think that pump is good enough to filter and pump water up to the panels.? The highest setting on the pump is 3hp. Kind of a waste to use a second pump and use double the energy for the solar panel. Since the selling point on the pump was to save energy.

 

[JasonLion]

The IntelliFlo will work just fine with everything you described. It can handle solar and water features easily.

Yes, you can use the sheer decent in parallel with an in pool main return. Because the sheer decent takes a fairly high flow rate, you will want to be able to turn it off independently, so you can save electricity.

 

[fkong777]

OK. I will ask the PB to make the sheer a parrallel return to the main. Put a valve or actuator to the sheer.

I can always add a pump if it needs it.

EDIT: PB just give us a extra pump for the water feature at great discount. So we will run 2 24" Steer ARC and a Jet on baja step with the a 1hp pump. Solar plumbing will be ont he Main pump.