Pool plumbing doesn't seem right.

[Sharonjh]

Here is a diagram I've drawn of my pool plumbing.
The circles represent a 2 and 3 way valve. The 3 way value is the one near the gas heater and the other two near the solar are 2 way valves. I've drawn a circle under the 3 way value indicating at what position it's closed. I haven't touched that position since the guy came out to fix my gas heater. I'm not sure which pipe is the inlet to the gas heater.

Even though the solar inlet and outlet run off same pipe I'm assuming the water will only run one way due to the pump pulling the water. Does the plumbing look dodgy near the gas heating? What stops the water flowing to both the input and output of gas heater? And what stops the water coming from the solar flowing back to solar or to gas heater? Should the 3 way valve be fully closing one of the pipes?

 

[Sharonjh]

Also on a side note. The 2 way values on the solar where originally not there but I had them installed as I'm assuming if you couldn't shut of the water supply to the solar the water would go there after being heated by the gas heater therefore cooling it down.

 

[ps0303]

The solar system should come first and then feed the gas heater and then back to the pool. This way the solar has the advantage to heat the water first for free and then the heater gets it.

The three way valve by the heater can allow for the heater to be bypassed all together so that is OK. As for the solar, I would have just one valve where the red circle is that I added. With just the two valves like you have, you can still have water bypassing the solar as water takes the path of least resistance. Add a third valve in the location I pointed out to make sure the water flows thru the solar when the other two valves are open and allowing flow to the solar.

 

[mas985]

I would add that you probably don't need a solar pump either unless you have them on a three story house. But you would need a 3-way solar valve in place of it to direct the flow to the panels.

 

[Sharonjh]

The solar system should come first and then feed the gas heater and then back to the pool. This way the solar has the advantage to heat the water first for free and then the heater gets it.

The three way valve by the heater can allow for the heater to be bypassed all together so that is OK. As for the solar, I would have just one valve where the red circle is that I added. With just the two valves like you have, you can still have water bypassing the solar as water takes the path of least resistance. Add a third valve in the location I pointed out to make sure the water flows thru the solar when the other two valves are open and allowing flow to the solar.

View attachment 55842

thanks Paul. This is a pic of the return line with the solar outlet at the top, the solar inlet in the middle and the gas heating inlet on the bottom.

as you can see there isn't much exposed pipe between the solar input/output to insert the valve. I'm guessing I would have to rework that upright pipe including the three pipes connecting to it to install a valve? Unless I could glue a coupling on to the approx 5-10mm of pipe between the solar inlet/outlet. Then I would just have to rework the top solar outlet pipe.