2" To Solar?

[piku]

Hey guys,

I have an 8 2x20 solar system with goldline controller coming monday (ebay special, fingers crossed). Couple questions, is the 3 valve setup like the one one the powermat website necessary or can I just use the diverter valve, connect one end to the solar, the other end to the normal returns. I can add a bleeder valve somewhere in the middle to do draindown but IThe return from the solar will be going to it's own dedicated bottom return.

I plan to do this setup:

The only difference is that I don't see how this could possibly work without connecting the other end of the diverter valve to the return because there's no way the water will want to go to the solar instead of the low head returns.

The pipe run will be about 70 ft to, and then 70 ft back from the solar collectors, then 12 ft or so up to the panels. My ENTIRE system is 1.5" plumbing now. The panels have 1.5" headers. Would I really be well advised to do 2" plumbing between them with adapters? I thought the solar systems aren't supposed to flow too much anyway.

 

[JasonLion]

The setup in the picture only works when you have high TDH on the returns. That diagram was specifically created for the situation where there was high pressure in the returns and it is impossible to change anything to reduce the pressure. It won't work in other situations.

The setup you describe, with just the diverter, is the simplest possible setup. It works best when the panels are at more or less the same level as the pool. With panels on the roof it is almost always worth going a little more complex than that and installing the isolation valves and check valves.

There are advantages to doing the long pipe runs in 2" pipe. But it is far less important to make every coupling and short bit of pipe 2".

 

[piku]

Ok, I guess I'll do this setup:

And use 2" pipe. It's not like it really costs much more for even 200ft.