Hi All! This is my first post, but I have learned a ton from the collective knowledge on these boards. We just built a pool in our yard (I'm not a newbie - we had a pool at our last house and I had one growing up) and while we have a trench dug and existing pavers pulled up, we considered putting in a solar system. Price dictated that we were going to do this ourselves and after reading a ton of information, I'm confident we can do it. I do need to get some plumbing in though before our pavers get put back together, so hoping you can all help me with my layout to make sure it makes sense.
I attached a rough diagram, but will describe what I'm thinking just so it's clear:
We have a long run from our equipment to our pool, maybe 50 feet or so. The pump, filter, controls and SWG are already installed at the location in the top right. The return line to the pool runs perpendicular to where the trench is for the autofiller and there is room to add more pipe. So I'm thinking I will cut the return line and put in a loop to the solar, with a check valve, then a 3 way valve, then the supply will run up the wall, under the eaves, and to the patio roof. The patio roof is mostly flat (white, elastomeric coated), but we do have gutters so there is a slight slope to it to help with drainage when it rains.
I proposed plumbing the supply line in on the right, bottom and putting a vacuum release valve just before the supply connection to the panels. I want to run the panels in parallel, though the ones I bought are designed to be in series. I think I can remove the baffle in each panel which is designed to force the water to go up, then back down each panel (it's just a plastic disc with a hole, which I should be able to take out). Ideally, the water would run through the panels, up to the top, then out the heater return, back down the eaves and wall, then cut back into where the original return line went to the pool.
Questions I have are:
1.) Do I need check valves in both places where I indicate? Do I need the 3 ball valves a lot of diagrams show?
2.) Is the VRV appropriately placed? Should I put it on the top right solar panel instead?
3.) Will I have problems plumbing in and using water that has already gone through the SWG? There is no way I can plumb the SWG after the heater lines without a significant change.
4.) Will the 3 way valve need to be drilled with 1/8" inch bit to make it "leaky?" Is the check valve just before the 3 way valve in the correct spot?
5.) Would you swap the input and output sides? I'll just have to figure out how to cross the pipe runs if I do that.
6.) Anything else I'm missing or should consider?
I attached a rough diagram, but will describe what I'm thinking just so it's clear:
We have a long run from our equipment to our pool, maybe 50 feet or so. The pump, filter, controls and SWG are already installed at the location in the top right. The return line to the pool runs perpendicular to where the trench is for the autofiller and there is room to add more pipe. So I'm thinking I will cut the return line and put in a loop to the solar, with a check valve, then a 3 way valve, then the supply will run up the wall, under the eaves, and to the patio roof. The patio roof is mostly flat (white, elastomeric coated), but we do have gutters so there is a slight slope to it to help with drainage when it rains.
I proposed plumbing the supply line in on the right, bottom and putting a vacuum release valve just before the supply connection to the panels. I want to run the panels in parallel, though the ones I bought are designed to be in series. I think I can remove the baffle in each panel which is designed to force the water to go up, then back down each panel (it's just a plastic disc with a hole, which I should be able to take out). Ideally, the water would run through the panels, up to the top, then out the heater return, back down the eaves and wall, then cut back into where the original return line went to the pool.
Questions I have are:
1.) Do I need check valves in both places where I indicate? Do I need the 3 ball valves a lot of diagrams show?
2.) Is the VRV appropriately placed? Should I put it on the top right solar panel instead?
3.) Will I have problems plumbing in and using water that has already gone through the SWG? There is no way I can plumb the SWG after the heater lines without a significant change.
4.) Will the 3 way valve need to be drilled with 1/8" inch bit to make it "leaky?" Is the check valve just before the 3 way valve in the correct spot?
5.) Would you swap the input and output sides? I'll just have to figure out how to cross the pipe runs if I do that.
6.) Anything else I'm missing or should consider?
Welcome to TFP, neighbor!!!
