How do I service the pool filter with solar heating?

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Notri4MeBikeSwim

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Apr 14, 2013
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I have a manual for servicing the pool filter. I'm afraid I might mess something up because what I see
is not what I am expecting.

I'm expecting a check/shutoff value to the rooftop solar so I can open the filter without water pressure
as the entire roof empties.

Something like these:
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/s ... -pool.html
expected: with valves

http://www.sunbelt-solar.com/austinsola ... aters.html
again expected with values

http://solarindustries.com/specificatio ... eating.htm
and again with check value

What I see is more like this:
http://www.extremeix.com/Extremeix/Page ... tions.html
3 way valve instead of check value

There are good valves installed, jandy valves, but they don't have an off position for the T plumbing:
Water in bottom out both sides
Water in bottom right side closed
Water in bottom left side closed

Note there is no both sides closed.

Questions:
1- are one-way valves normally installed so this won't happen?
2- it doesn't matter, because the pump will pump air until the water starts flowing
3- do I just open the relief valve til all the water empties, service the filter, reassume, turn on
and hope it works, or
4- forget it bud, spend a couple hundred and get a pool contractor out there

Thank you all for any wisdom
 
Post up a picture of your setup. I think you are over-thinking. It is normal for the solar panels to drain. I do not have shut-off valves on my system.

You just need to open the air valve on the top of the filter, wait until it drains, open it up, clean, close it up, turn on the pump and when water starts shooting out of the air valve, close the valve, done.
 
I think most / all of those examples are missing a common part, none show a solar diverter bypass loop. In many solar panel installations the pool pump can supply more water than the optimal flow rate for the solar panels, potentially also over pressurizing the panels and shortening their life, therefore the installation need a bypass that allows some water to bypass the 3 way valve and return to the pool (usually this has a cut off valve left partly closed in the middle to regulate flow). As to the variable use of check valves they have both good and bad features, while they mostly prevent back flow, they do add back pressure to the system, which if installed downstream from the solar panels will elevate operating pressure. Keep in mind most solar panels are designed with a maximum operating pressure of less than 10 psi, with optimal pressure being under 3 psi, therefore even a 1 or 2 psi back pressure check valve can make a significant dent in allowable pressure at the solar panel.
 
You can just turn the 3 way valve partly to solar and some of the flow will bypass the solar. I don't think there is a need for a separate loop.

Posted from my Droid with Tapatalk ... sorry if my response is short ;)
 
What an adventure. It kind of worked. No one explained it's like trying to clean a carberator filter with an air hose.

The pool service didn't tell me the filter had it's own skimmer like pre-filter basket. What a mess. Hosing flowers and brown gooey stuff out of a very convoluted filter. This is the first time I've opened it in 8 months, and it looks like it's been much longer than that to have so much brown in the filter. Time for new filters, and it's a weekly maintenance issue. who knew? talk about real estate disclosures of everything you need to know. what a laugh.

Any way, thank you again for assistance. filter is running at 15 psi, I don't know if that is normal or not.

tomorrow it's time for acid treatment. definitely going to be awhile before this all settles into a routine. still don't like working with muriac acid. the warnings are bad enought but seeing the disposable gloves turn from the acid when I thought i had nothing on me, was very scary.
 
Cleaning the filter is more of a monthly to yearly chore ... depending on its size. You should do it when the pressure goes up 20-25%

Now the skimmer basket and pump basket are more of a daily/weekly chore, depending on the amount of debris.

Posted from my Droid with Tapatalk ... sorry if my response is short ;)
 
My solar install has 4 valves:

1. A check valve that will stop flow back into the filter.
2. A diverter that will direct flow to the panels or bypass them - in the "bypass" the valve is cam'd to allow the panels to drain to the pool.
3, 4. Manual shutoff on the supply and return to the panels.

The contractor told me this was both industry practice and code in Orange county.
 
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