How to connect two fafco solar panels together?

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SuzyAbbott

SuzyAbbott

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LifeTime Supporter
Dec 29, 2011
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Hamilton, NJ
Hey all! We need new solar heaters for our 24' round pool and I'm having a terrible time getting an answer on the fafco bear panels. Does anyone know what we need to do to connect two panels together? The old ones we had were set upro do that but I can't find any info on how you do that with the fafco ones and want to make sure it works before I buy them!

Any help is appreciated. We already have a wood rack for them and everything ready just not sure how they connect to each other!

Thanks!!
Suzy
 
I am not sure I understand the question, are you asking about using a coupler kit with a section of radiator style hose and a couple of hose clamps to connect 2 panels. Or are you asking about how to layout the panels so you have parallel flow through them etc.

ps if the first google fafco panel add kit 961 they are about $10 from various sources
 
As noted above, in parallel. Not in series, this is important. You want the water to make just one pass through the panel. You don't want the water to build, or loose heat. For proper flow, the water MUST travel across the panel in two directions or in a diagonal if you will (from bottom to top, and from one side to the other), This insures that the panel completely fills.

I used to have a picture, let me know if you need/want to see a diagram.
 
Pool Clown said:
That looks like what you need, however, I would personally want a reinforced radiator type hose rather than just a rubber connection, but that is just me...
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Darn, it sounds like these work differently than the ecosolar panels we had previously, the old ones were in series so the water travelled basically like an S shape through the panels. my rack isn't set up to have the panels run the other way, will it not work if it's in series? I REALLY don't want to buy the same crappy panels we used before, they worked well but were a nightmare to set up each year.

our rack is 25' long and 10' tall, it's set up for (2) 4x20 panels that run the longway down the panels. the inlet is on the bottom of the rack and the outlet on the top, both on the same end of the rack.
 
It sounds to me like whoever installed the ecosolar panels did not set them up right, but it is hard to tell from your description.

Can you post a photo of your panel setup, there may be other panels on the market that till fit it better.

Ike

p.s. plumbing in series will likely loose a substantial portion of potential heat in most climates say around 20-30%, but this does depend on amount of sunlight, etc. In some rare conditions series setup can out perform parallel, but that depends on reasonably warm but slightly overcast skies, haze, etc.
 
The water being too hot is the problem, while it is against common sense you get better heat transfer by adding a lot of water that has been heated just a little vs a little water that has been heated a lot, as too much engergy is lost from the hot panels, that does not go into heating the pool.
 

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SuzyAbbott said:
they worked (so) well you couldn't touch the water coming into the pool it was so hot! We set them up correctly based on their instructions.
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That's why you want the water to pass only one time. There is the chance of scalding. You knew about it, perhaps your kids knew to be careful around the returns, but if you had guests that didn't know, or were told but forgot, or got drunk and didn't care (with all due respect). Then you as the owner would become liable for the consequences.

For better or worse, its good they are no longer in service.
 
LOL, its just me and my hubby so no issues there. I blame him for everything, he blames me, we're good! We actually have a separate filter and second set of pvc pipes going into the pool on the opposite side of the filter for the solar setup, we usually turn off the solar if we're in the pool during the day. Thanks for the help!
 
Given your rack size you might be able to use a bank of 4x8 or 4x10 panels and run them in parallel vertically like roof mounted systems for inground pools are usually setup.

Ike

p.s. one other issue with running the panels in series like you have is overheating the panels and shortening their life
 
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