Could use some help with solar heater.

[Dragoth]

I have a DIY solar heater I'm trying to get working, I'm using 1/2" piping and taking it up on the garage roof that has a total lift off about 15-20 feet (to the top of the ring), I'm estimating there since I didn't have time to measure. I'm using the intex pump that came with my pool which is a SF80110 (according to my manual, it's a 1600 GPH pump).

My problem is that I can't seem to get any flow from it since I put it on the roof. When it was on the ground I had no issues, now on the roof I can sometimes get a trickle but most of the time I can't get any flow at all even with the bypass completely closed forcing all the pump flow through the heater.

Does this pump just not have enough head pressure to pump it that high or is it more of a prime issue. If it is just likely not priming, how would I go about getting it to prime? I've included pictures of my setup for reference, thanks in advance!

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk

 

[duraleigh]

How many gallons is that pool? Both the pump and filter seem exceedingly small. I think you hit it correctly that your pump just doesn't have enough "oomph" to get the water up there.

You should be able to tell if it's priming by looking into the pump skimmer basket.

 

[JohnT]

That small pipe combined with the lift is probably the issue. 1/2 pipe only has about 1/7th the water capacity of the 1.5" PVC, so you are really making it hard on the pump, then you are adding another ~10ft lift putting it on the roof.

Your best answer is to plumb 1.5" to the roof and make a manifold to split the flow to about a half dozen smaller coils.

 

[Dragoth]

It is a 8400 gallon pool.

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk

 

[Rossterman]

Best bet is to find a used solar panel or two on ebay for cheap and plumb with 1 1/2" line. With many people adding solar electrical systems these last few years, it is very common to find people having to reduce or remove their solar pool panels to make way for these systems so,they end up on ebay. I bought 6 fafco panels recently to replace my aging vortex panels which had begun to spring leaks. Panels run from $25 ~ $75 each depending on age and size. You will get way more heat out of something like this than a piece of pvc tubing.

 

[Dragoth]

Best bet is to find a used solar panel on ebay for cheap and plumb with 1 1/2" line. With many people adding solar electrical systems these last few years, it is very common to find people having to reduce or remove their solar pool panels to make way for these systems so,they end up on ebay. I bought 6 fafco panels recently to replace my aging vortex panels which had begun to spring leaks. Panels run from $25 ~ $75 each depending on age and size. You will get way more heat out of something like this than a piece of pvc tubing.

This may not be a bad idea, I was hoping to get this up and running to extend my season a little and then look into something like this next year, i think I would need a new pump to run a setup like that though... Or at least a second pump to run only the panels.

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk

 

[Isaac-1]

Solar pool heat is all about surface area a typical 4x12 solar heating panel has dozen of small tubes that connect the two main 1.5 inch headers giving them a highly optimized effective surface area of 48 sq feet, vs this tubing you are using which may have a surface area of 2 or 3 sq feet. In addition you have a great deal more back pressure limiting flow with your setup.

 

[Dragoth]

Solar pool heat is all about surface area a typical 4x12 solar heating panel has dozen of small tubes that connect the two main 1.5 inch headers giving them a highly optimized effective surface area of 48 sq feet, vs this tubing you are using which may have a surface area of 2 or 3 sq feet. In addition you have a great deal more back pressure limiting flow with your setup.

How is surface area calculated in this instance? I have 500 feet of tubing running around in a circle. The pre built solar heaters look to use a 1-1/2" PVC manifold that connects a series of tubes nearly identical to the ones I'm using. I think I need to study up on pump operation...

That small pipe combined with the lift is probably the issue. 1/2 pipe only has about 1/7th the water capacity of the 1.5" PVC, so you are really making it hard on the pump, then you are adding another ~10ft lift putting it on the roof.

Your best answer is to plumb 1.5" to the roof and make a manifold to split the flow to about a half dozen smaller coils.

I missed this post earlier, but it answered some questions. So it will be easier for the pump to have 1-1/2 inch to the roof then a manifold to split it through the lines than trying to force it all through a 1/2" tube? I did notice my pressures raise drastically since doing this, and thus I haven't run the pump much with it up there for fear of burning it up.

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk