Has anyone mounted their solar sensor in their piping? I want to do this because I've noticed that when it's cloudy but warm-ish, the solar is on. I think if it was installed in the piping right next to the outlet of the solar that this would have better results. When the sun started to warm the panels they would heat up and this would kick on the solar, then when it got cloudy the water temp coming out of the solar would equal the pool temp so the solar would shut off. Has anyone ever tried this?
Mounting solar sensor in piping
- Thread starter Nickmpower
- Start date
- May 3, 2007
- 16,974
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Solar can still add heat on a cloudy day. The solar sensor works by the temperature difference between the water and the solar incident energy. If the solar sensor temperature is a couple degrees warmer than the water temp, it will turn solar on and if it does, then it is adding heat even though you may not think it is.
However, if you put the solar sensor in the water pipe, it will probably delay turning on but once the cooler water from the pool hits the sensor, it may turn solar back off again in endless cycle of on and off. The panels will only add a few degrees of temperature so that is probably not enough to keep solar on since they usually have a temperature offset built in.
However, if you put the solar sensor in the water pipe, it will probably delay turning on but once the cooler water from the pool hits the sensor, it may turn solar back off again in endless cycle of on and off. The panels will only add a few degrees of temperature so that is probably not enough to keep solar on since they usually have a temperature offset built in.